Restoring My Fathers Model 37

[shootbrownelk]

You did a wonderful job on that old Winchester. Give yourself a well deserved pat on the back. Just how much time did you invest?

 

[Stay Sharp]

I do a lot of restorations of old firearms. Many of which would be thrown away by most folks. On another forum, It was said that I have a knack for taking $5 guns and after applying weeks worth of work and $100 in materials, turn them into $15 guns. LOL That is a correct Statement.

I don’t usually catalog the hours I spend doing something I so dearly enjoy since the hours are not subtracted from one’s life but rather they add to or are the reason for living. It would be like going on a first date with a crush or spending time is a terminally ill parent and then somebody asking you “how long” did that take when hours doing such things is not the unit of measure. Normally that time is too short and you wish it would have lasted longer.

I will be posting a lot of really challenging firearms restorations of firearms that in some cases should not have been tackled. The firearms really should have been thrown away until you see the end result. How long it took matters not.

Am I explaining this well? I stopped watching TV about 11 years ago. That freed up a lot of time for life and living and doing and learning. Best thing I ever did.

 

[AKaviator]

Wow, I'm very impressed. I know that I don't have either the patience or skills to do that. Great job!!

 

[buckbull]

I take alot of pictures to when tearing apart an unfamiliar gun or when working on a car. It's a life saver then you have to put everything back together; especially if there is a prolonged delayed while waiting for parts.

 

[Gr8bawana]

Thanks for sharing your projects with. You are a very talented man, I saw your build of a smoker and it looks better than any store bought smoker.

 

[dustin ray]

Nice work
your an interesting guy and all our post are cool

 

[sigpros]

Great job. I have a 37 20ga in the safe for the boy. I need to find a forearm grip screw and put a pad on it like you did. Thanks for sharing

 

[Mr Drysdale]

I enjoyed reading about your journey and the history behind the gun. Restoring it must have been a labor of love. Turned out great.
Thanks for sharing.

 

[mallardsx2]

Nice job! They dont make suns like that any more.... they should by all rights be worth a fortune. and to the right person they are!

 

[Gr8bawana]

I really like the finish on the on this gun and the Remington model 721. Is that what they look like using only tung oil? I have my dads 721 and the metal is in pretty good shape. The stock needs re-finishing. It has a few gouges and the finish looks weird. I remember my dad used to get a cigar and let burn down to ashes and then rub the stock down with the ashes. I have now idea what that was supposed to do.
Thanks for sharing your techniques.

 

[Stay Sharp]

Tung oil is all I used.

Ashes??? I suppose that could be used to take the sheen off sort of like rotten stone and pumice but it sounds like you would die of old age before you completed an entire gun. 0000 steel wool would be a better option.

 

[Sawfish]

Great craftsmanship and a beautiful finished product!

 

[sneakypete]

Stay Sharp, another great craftsmanship restoration on an old gun. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us all!

 

[BigSurArcher]

The Winchester 37 (20 ga) was my first gun as well. My grandpa kept it on his commercial salmon boat way back when my dad was young. When the boat sunk he was able to recover the gun, after which it sat in his closet for years and years until I was ready to start shooting doves and quail.

I still have the gun and try to hunt with it once per year.

Seeing your restoration is inspiring, thank you. Great work.