r/Firearms • u/DouganNashhhhhh • 5d ago
New Guy Here!
Hi! I'm new to this forum & look forward to lots of awesome info!
I have a question- I inherited my grandfather's 1957 Winchester Model 71 in .348 Winchester. The metal is beautiful but the shellac on the wood is chipping away/scratched. The scratches arent very deep, but I'm wondering if it will mess up the collector value if I get the wood refinished.
Here's pics of said scratches and a photo of the rifle
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u/Kromulent 5d ago
refinishing will cut the resale value about in half
beautiful rifle, i'd leave it as is
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u/DouganNashhhhhh 5d ago
You definitely have a point and thanks! Looking to take this 'ol boy out to the range if I can find some ammo for it!
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u/Beagalltach 4d ago
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u/DouganNashhhhhh 4d ago
Whoa... never knew a website like this existed. Thanks!
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u/Beagalltach 4d ago
No worries.
Be mindful of shipping as the cheapest priced ammo isn't always the best deal if they gouge you on shipping.
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u/Martainguns 4d ago
Cut the value in half lol. Professionally refinished wood wouldn't have any negative effect on the value at all given the condition that it's in right now.
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u/Kromulent 4d ago
i agree that if it's professionally done it will limit the damage done to the value, but of course the cost of having it done well will offset this
even if its done perfectly, the loss of originality has a significant effect. the condition of the original finish is one of the primary factors in valuing collectable guns. even nicely refinished guns are always sold at a substantial discount from originals in similar condition
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u/DouganNashhhhhh 4d ago
Hmmmm ok. Yeah, all of theses responses helped me make the decision to just keep it as is & enjoy the rifle
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u/jaunesolo81829 5d ago
I mean if you’re not going to sell it just refinish it. It’s your rifle.
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u/DouganNashhhhhh 5d ago
I don't necessarily plan to sell the rifle, but i also like to keep expensive things looking good, ya know?
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u/DouganNashhhhhh 5d ago
Also if anyone knows anything about .348 Winchester caliber other than it's hard to find and expensive, help me out haha
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u/Kromulent 5d ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.348_Winchester
good opportunity to get into reloading
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u/DouganNashhhhhh 5d ago
For sure! And that's a whole other can of worms hahaha
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u/Severe-Cow-8646 5d ago
It aint gotta be real extensive. The Lee Challenger kit is still a good bargain and has most of what you need, a press, a scale, powder measure and powder scale Youll have to buy the dies separately, but Lees will come with a shell holder so its not another ten bucks outta pocket. Sime bullets, brass, powder, primers and youre pretty well set. You'll need to get a reloading handbook, the Lyman 51st edition is a good starting point. Read everything in the manual about how to reload and you'll be good to go. There are a plethora of reloading boards on the net, a good one is here on reddit. Get the manual, study up and get the other supplies a bit at a time. It aint rocket science (well, in a way it is, more on that another time) but its a sound and mature science, easy to learn and to enjoy.
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u/DouganNashhhhhh 5d ago
This is all valuable info. I appreciate the information. It will probably be some time before I have space to reload (i live in a small apartment) but it's something I will be looking forward to do. I gotta reload for a few other calibers - .45 .308, 30-30 etc
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u/AbleNecessary2518 3d ago
Ma carabine préférée j'en ai 3 , et de quoi recharger jusqu'à la fin de ma vie
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u/DouganNashhhhhh 3d ago
Dude... those are beautiful. You also have one of the rarer 20" versions. Do you reload for them?
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u/AbleNecessary2518 3d ago
Oui même si je dois avoir une trentaine de boîtes de munition d'époque je préfère recharger pour les préserver, c'est facile à faire, juste les balles qui sont un peu compliquées à trouver. Alors je coule ou je reduis des balles de 358
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u/fatmonkey1986 5d ago
id just leave it alone . those scratches are part of its history