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| < 16ga. Guns ~ Got all the pieces of my Sterly back..... |
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Sat Mar 10, 2007 10:41 am
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Joined: 01 Jan 2007
Posts: 1043
Location: Bozeman, MT
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| txshootist wrote: |
Duncan,
I really admire your willingness to individualize your gun. You'll have a great shooter as well as a fine looker. I am so hung up on originality, it could shoot around the corner, but as long as it is original it's o.k. It's not good enough for me to just enjoy the gun. I have to get a magnifier out and inspect every square inch for suspicious marks, etc. Hell, it's a used gun Marc, get over it!
My Sterly has rather humble (albeit original) wood that might benefit from a quality re-finishing. I could easily do the work, but then I get all balled up about the value of the gun when I am done.
I guess that's what makes this hobby so neat. Several avenues in which to pursue. Enjoy your Sterly and post pics when yhou can.
Marc
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Marc,
Larry told me about this awesome Tung oil based stuff from Brownells that requires at least 3 hand rubbed thin coats and you can apply it right over top of original finish i.e. no stripping and pore filling yada yada. After each coat, (drying time 8-10 hrs) you 0000 steel wool it, then wipe off the dust with one of those sticky dust rag things, and reapply the stuff again (hand rub thin coats)....it goes right over the original finish (you take some thinner or rubbing alcohol and rub down the original finish first)....it's what Keith Kearcher does, and other smiths....doesn't devalue your gun, and retains the character of ancient handling marks and such, while protecting the wood. When you have enough coats on there to suit, you wait 48 hours after your last coat, then do the 0000 wool one last time, and you have what appears as a fine, satin finish that looks quite like an original hand rubbed oil finish, and your wood is real protected that way, and doesn't look all pristine and virgin....still looks used, but cleaned up... I really don't think it will hurt the value, if you can get past the "no alteration" thing.... for me, I wanna shoot, not collect, but essentially, I leave the guns as much as original as possible, but take them to the most shooter friendly condition I can to maximize their usefulness afield (almost all of them are just too short for me)....the barrels of my Sterly were completely blotched up on the outside by being put away wet one time, very superficial, no pitting, but they just had to be reblued....and they came out great...... my receiver is still a little blotchy grey, but I don't care, if I was a real anal stickler, I'd re-case color harden the thing, but it's a shooter, right?
Anyhow, I can give you the name of that goop if you decide you want to protect the old tired finish a little (can't remember name off top of my head)....jig suggested I do something because he hunted it in the rain once, and water soaked into the stock he noticed, which to me is unacceptable..... because I KNOW someday I'll have this thing in the rain or snow, and I want it sealed up....
Duncan |
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"Life is what happens to you while you're making other plans"....... anonymous |
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Sat Mar 10, 2007 1:20 pm
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Joined: 03 Jan 2007
Posts: 186
Location: Salem, Oregon
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Duncan,
I would very much like to know the name of the Brownell's product you used. I would have no reservations about using it on my Sterly.
Thanks,
Marc |
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| Posted:
Sat Mar 10, 2007 2:46 pm
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Joined: 01 Jan 2007
Posts: 1043
Location: Bozeman, MT
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| txshootist wrote: |
Duncan,
I would very much like to know the name of the Brownell's product you used. I would have no reservations about using it on my Sterly.
Thanks,
Marc
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Gun Sav'r Pro Custom Oil ..... that's the real name for "goop". |
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"Life is what happens to you while you're making other plans"....... anonymous |
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| Posted:
Sat Mar 10, 2007 3:13 pm
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Joined: 03 Jan 2007
Posts: 186
Location: Salem, Oregon
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| britgun wrote: |
| txshootist wrote: |
Duncan,
I would very much like to know the name of the Brownell's product you used. I would have no reservations about using it on my Sterly.
Thanks,
Marc
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Gun Sav'r Pro Custom Oil ..... that's the real name for "goop".
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Thanks Duncan. |
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| Posted:
Sat Mar 10, 2007 4:56 pm
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Joined: 02 Feb 2006
Posts: 602
Location: western pa
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Duncan. Weighed the Philly gun-5lb.,15oz. Grand Dads SW weighs in at a hefty 6lb. 8oz. Also while I was at it I put the Nitro on the scale, it was 6lb. 3oz. Seems odd to me that, even though I couldn't have guessed the weights in ounces, I can easily percieve the weight diff. between them. I suspect it is the same for most shooters. That said, it must make custom (bespoke) gunmaking a real pain in the ass, especially when the question of balance rears its ugly head. You got me started,now I'll have to weigh an Elsie, 2 more Sterlys and an A grade (sadly all 12's) because curiousity is killing me. Fred  |
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Always get get a drink upstream of the herd-Will Rogers |
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Sat Mar 10, 2007 6:58 pm
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Joined: 01 Jan 2007
Posts: 1043
Location: Bozeman, MT
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| fred lauer wrote: |
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Duncan. Weighed the Philly gun-5lb.,15oz. Grand Dads SW weighs in at a hefty 6lb. 8oz. Also while I was at it I put the Nitro on the scale, it was 6lb. 3oz. Seems odd to me that, even though I couldn't have guessed the weights in ounces, I can easily percieve the weight diff. between them. I suspect it is the same for most shooters. That said, it must make custom (bespoke) gunmaking a real pain in the ass, especially when the question of balance rears its ugly head. You got me started,now I'll have to weigh an Elsie, 2 more Sterlys and an A grade (sadly all 12's) because curiousity is killing me. Fred
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that philly is a great weight, about like mine.... what blows me away however, is how light your Nitro is....mine feels close to 7 pounds! now you got ME curious...I gotta weigh this stuff  |
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"Life is what happens to you while you're making other plans"....... anonymous |
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| Posted:
Tue Mar 13, 2007 6:20 pm
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Joined: 23 Nov 2006
Posts: 58
Location: Northeast
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| I just dug a 16 gauge Nitro out of the back of the safe; it's a 30" gun with 4 & 4 chokes. A bit unusual. Anyway, the gun weighs 7 pounds on the button. Back to that Nitro that weighs 6-3. Is that a 16 gauge you were talking about, or a 20 or 410? Silvers |
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"Make certain that you get the fullest measure of satisfaction, the keenest possible enjoyment from your shooting this year – see that your gun is a Fox". |
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| Posted:
Tue Mar 13, 2007 8:03 pm
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Joined: 02 Feb 2006
Posts: 602
Location: western pa
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| Silvers, My Nitro is a 1936 gun with a nicely shaped stock with grip cap. The stock has a 1/2 X 2" hollowed out slot from the butt in about 2" deep as I recall (installing a recoil pad). I'm not positive that it came that way but it appears profesional and it was done quite a while ago. Stock is original ser. no. Yes, it is a 16 with 28" bbls. |
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Always get get a drink upstream of the herd-Will Rogers |
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| Posted:
Tue Mar 13, 2007 9:45 pm
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Joined: 01 Jan 2007
Posts: 1043
Location: Bozeman, MT
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| fred lauer wrote: |
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Silvers, My Nitro is a 1936 gun with a nicely shaped stock with grip cap. The stock has a 1/2 X 2" hollowed out slot from the butt in about 2" deep as I recall (installing a recoil pad). I'm not positive that it came that way but it appears profesional and it was done quite a while ago. Stock is original ser. no. Yes, it is a 16 with 28" bbls.
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The wood must be quite light, too I would imagine because aside from the hollowed out part of your stock, my Nitro is identical, but is way heavier, imagine it's at or even exceeding 7 lbs..... yours sounds like a dream to carry in the field.... maybe I'll hollow out mine and see what kind of difference it makes, though my barrels seem real heavy, think it could make it real muzzle heavy.... |
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"Life is what happens to you while you're making other plans"....... anonymous |
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| Posted:
Sat Apr 07, 2007 11:00 pm
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Joined: 02 Feb 2006
Posts: 602
Location: western pa
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Got the open bore Sterlingworth back together. Here is a photo. Steamed the worst of the dents out, refinished,then recut checkering. While it was apart it got a good clean out. Also, gave it a 1" black decelerator pad,took the glowing green sight off and put a tasteful silver bead up front. Shot it last week and promptly put some scratches in the side of the stock. That's OK, no need to avoid the first scratch now. Yep, old guns are fun to mess with.  |
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Always get get a drink upstream of the herd-Will Rogers |
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Sun Apr 08, 2007 12:34 am
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Joined: 01 Jan 2007
Posts: 1043
Location: Bozeman, MT
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| fred lauer wrote: |
Got the open bore Sterlingworth back together. Here is a photo. Steamed the worst of the dents out, refinished,then recut checkering. While it was apart it got a good clean out. Also, gave it a 1" black decelerator pad,took the glowing green sight off and put a tasteful silver bead up front. Shot it last week and promptly put some scratches in the side of the stock. That's OK, no need to avoid the first scratch now. Yep, old guns are fun to mess with.
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so Fred, what does this one weigh? It's a Savage, I think?? or earlier? barrel length? nice gun.... I love mine....
Duncan |
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"Life is what happens to you while you're making other plans"....... anonymous |
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| Posted:
Sun Apr 08, 2007 8:00 am
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Joined: 02 Feb 2006
Posts: 602
Location: western pa
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| Duncan, It's the 5lb. 15oz Phila. gun I picked up about a month ago. Made in 1927. 28" barrels,chambers reamed to 2 3/4 and chokes opened to IC and cyl. Balances at 1/2" infront of the hinge pin. An easy carrying quick gun for the grouse that we hope will make a come back here soon. |
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Always get get a drink upstream of the herd-Will Rogers |
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| Posted:
Sun Apr 08, 2007 10:40 pm
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Joined: 01 Jan 2007
Posts: 1043
Location: Bozeman, MT
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| oh yeah, now I remember, what a nice one..... open chokes you say? |
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"Life is what happens to you while you're making other plans"....... anonymous |
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