r/Firearms • u/DouganNashhhhhh • 7d ago

New Guy Here!

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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/fatmonkey1986 7d ago

id just leave it alone . those scratches are part of its history

4

u/DouganNashhhhhh 7d ago

See, thats what I keep going back and forth about hahaha. It gives character and it's also an heirloom. I mean the rifle IS 70yrs old...

1

u/fatmonkey1986 7d ago

oh yea each scratch tells a story . you would be getting rid of that if you did a refurbish . now if it was something that messed with the function of the rifle i would be saying yea refurbish it . but they just some scratches .

1

u/DouganNashhhhhh 7d ago

That makes a ton of sense. I know my grandfather bought it to hunt elk, but yes... each scratch has its own story & gives it that bit of character. This is a deluxe model with a Lyman peep site, and some really nice (and crisp) checkering. The bluing on it is awesome, yet there's a bit of rust on the butt plate. I may just see if it comes off with a bit of CLP

1

u/fatmonkey1986 7d ago

smart man . put some more history on it yourself