Cheap 20 ga

[yamoon]

I have a cheap hardware retailed 20 ga double, it was left to me by my father, it needs extensive restoration, if price was not a problem, who could do the work.
Mike

 

[Ridge Runner]

I have a cheap hardware retailed 20 ga double, it was left to me by my father, it needs extensive restoration, if price was not a problem, who could do the work.
Mike

Oh man have you opened on preverbial can of worms, and Pandora's box...on your quest.!!

NEVER, NEVER, Overestimate or Underestimate the value of a "hardware store" firearm!!!!.!

With that solved. Let's address what you are wanting or needing:

1. Restoration of a firearm for "sentimental" reasons. Agreed. Old guns deserve a well used life.

2. Old firearms have, share, and want...and deserve new memories; and all of those memories need to be shared.

3. Sometimes it's best to retire a firearm to the wall to reflect back on as to our, that is our individual memories and "our" roots.

Oh how I know your dilemma so very well!.

I'm not saying your dad's rifle is worth 100+% more now than when bought it. Nor am I sayi01ng it is now worth selling and going into early retirement for life.

Your firearm needs a deep dive into cost vs collector value vs you wanting to create new memories and handing it down to future generations of hunters.

______________________________________________

Now let's address what you are asking.

Depending on what the repairs are you are wanting most any competent gunsmith can do the repairs. If you are wanting custom work that is a whole nother story/quest and response required.

Please specify what You want? And why? If you want/require a proper response as you are vague in your request to increase or ....forbid you want decrease the value of a historical firearm.

 

[Altitude sickness]

If it’s not rusted. It will look better with blueing wear and stock dents. IMHO

 

[BeeMaa]

@yamoon - Sharing some pictures would be helpful.

 

[93marlin]

@yamoon most of my guns are not new. One is a little 410 single shot "hardware" gun. Made by Stevens, marked and sold by a hardware store. It's far from new condition. To put back into good working order all it took was a new mainspring.
Exterior is "patina"! And I wouldn't think of of restoring it.
What do you mean by "extensive restoration?

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Restoring/refinishing the wood is an easy task. I have done it multiple times to different kinds of guns. Does your shotgun have walnut wood or "whitewood" (birch or beech)?

 

[HankBuck]

I have a cheap hardware retailed 20 ga double, it was left to me by my father, it needs extensive restoration, if price was not a problem, who could do the work.
Mike

@yamoon - I understand what you are doing and have just competed full restoration of an heirloom LC Smith SxS 12ga. It was my Grandmothers Brother’s gun, given to my Father in 1970 when he died, then to me when my Dad died and now it’s with my Son. It was originally built around 1910, cost about $12 new. It was mechanically perfect and in overall good original condition. My Son hunted with it and also shot Sporting Clays with it and did well in special SxS events - that led to us investing in a full restoration. After having a gunsmith check the action (removed side plates) he said inside it appeared almost “as new”, lock up was tight also. Here’s what we had done: Barrels reblued, bores opened up to Mod & Improved Mod (they were Full & Extra Full), triggers polished, trigger guard ‘blackened’, stock refinished, thin recoil pad installed, splinter forend “replaced” with custom made Semi Beavertail forend (preferred by my Son for shooting high volume in competitions).
Gun came out great but Not “flashy”, looks very close to how it would’ve appeared New in 1910….Total cost = $3000. I’m now having the same done to an A&H Fox 12 ga and expect to get that gun back soon. For us - the money is well spent but economically it makes No sense, it’s an emotional investment in Family history. When my Son won his class in the World SxS Chamionship this past May and placed in the top 10 overall - I took a photo and sent it to my 91 year old Cousin (Son of the original guns owner) he was very touched and said how happy it made him that his Dad’s gun was being used by us and so well cared for…that was “priceless”.

 

[skydiver386]

The question that should be asked first is, does the firearm have collector value?

If the answer is no, then I see nothing wrong with a basic restoration to return the gun to service. There are thousands of old H&R, Savage, and Winchester shotguns that are easily repaired/restored.

To me, this type of old hand me down firearm is the best thing you can give a youngster for their first hunting gun. A little bit of love at the workbench is all it would take to give a 12 year old the best Christmas he ever had.

 

[skydiver386]

@yamoon - I understand what you are doing and have just competed full restoration of an heirloom LC Smith SxS 12ga. It was my Grandmothers Brother’s gun, given to my Father in 1970 when he died, then to me when my Dad died and now it’s with my Son. It was originally built around 1910, cost about $12 new. It was mechanically perfect and in overall good original condition. My Son hunted with it and also shot Sporting Clays with it and did well in special SxS events - that led to us investing in a full restoration. After having a gunsmith check the action (removed side plates) he said inside it appeared almost “as new”, lock up was tight also. Here’s what we had done: Barrels reblued, bores opened up to Mod & Improved Mod (they were Full & Extra Full), triggers polished, trigger guard ‘blackened’, stock refinished, thin recoil pad installed, splinter forend “replaced” with custom made Semi Beavertail forend (preferred by my Son for shooting high volume in competitions).
Gun came out great but Not “flashy”, looks very close to how it would’ve appeared New in 1910….Total cost = $3000. I’m now having the same done to an A&H Fox 12 ga and expect to get that gun back soon. For us - the money is well spent but economically it makes No sense, it’s an emotional investment in Family history. When my Son won his class in the World SxS Chamionship this past May and placed in the top 10 overall - I took a photo and sent it to my 91 year old Cousin (Son of the original guns owner) he was very touched and said how happy it made him that his Dad’s gun was being used by us and so well cared for…that was “priceless”.

I think we we typing our answers at the same time, and had almost the same thoughts.

 

[HankBuck]

The question that should be asked first is, does the firearm have collector value?

If the answer is no, then I see nothing wrong with a basic restoration to return the gun to service. There are thousands of old H&R, Savage, and Winchester shotguns that are easily repaired/restored.

To me, this type of old hand me down firearm is the best thing you can give a youngster for their first hunting gun. A little bit of love at the workbench is all it would take to give a 12 year old the best Christmas he ever had.

@skydiver386: I agree with your “concept” and that was how I started hunting - using my Fathers SxS Fox 20 ga. The problem was that it didn’t fit (too big for a 14 yr old) and the triggers were very stiff (7 lb. trigger pull). Plus, I never was taught how to shoot skeet or clays with it and only practice on moving targets I got was “Missing” wild quail, rabbits, pheasant, & ducks - of which I missed “plenty”. In hindsight, wish my Dad bought me a cheap pump with a stock cut to fit me and took me to a skeet club or threw hand launched targets for my first couple seasons - I was Not a natural shot. When my Son was 12, I made sure to get him a youth gun that fit properly, started him at skeet from Day One and he was a good shot at 12 and very good by 16.

 

[mdwest]

define "restore"...

if the shotgun is in safe operating condition, but just looks like hell.. a basic refinish of the wood and even just a cheap cold blue touch up could make a huge difference, and you might get a lot of satisfaction out of doing the work yourself (assuming this isnt a high value piece where you may actually decrease the value with a restoration job of any kind)..

If youre concerned that it might not be in good operating condition and need some parts serviced or replaced in addition to a basic beautification process.. I think who I would recommend would really depend on the make and model of the gun.. if we're talking a 50 year old NEF or H&R single shot, thats one thing... if we're talking a turn of the century Fox Supergrade thats probably something different..

 

[Lumaberpat]

I have a cheap hardware retailed 20 ga double, it was left to me by my father, it needs extensive restoration, if price was not a problem, who could do the work.
Mike

Turnbull Restoration Company, Inc.

Firearm Restoration & Manufacturing. Antique restoration and bluing services. Featuring Colt 1911 and 1886 Winchester manufactured reproductions .

www.turnbullrestoration.com

This is who I would use

 

[HankBuck]

define "restore"...

if the shotgun is in safe operating condition, but just looks like hell.. a basic refinish of the wood and even just a cheap cold blue touch up could make a huge difference, and you might get a lot of satisfaction out of doing the work yourself (assuming this isnt a high value piece where you may actually decrease the value with a restoration job of any kind)..

If youre concerned that it might not be in good operating condition and need some parts serviced or replaced in addition to a basic beautification process.. I think who I would recommend would really depend on the make and model of the gun.. if we're talking a 50 year old NEF or H&R single shot, thats one thing... if we're talking a turn of the century Fox Supergrade thats probably something different..

@mdwest - agree refinishing a Woodstock is easy and can be done by many (except Not me - No patience). But a “cheap cold blue” ? Not sure about that, I did that once 40 years ago on a rusted semi auto barrel - looked ok (actually good) when I finished but it completely wore off the very first time I took it duck hunting. Maybe if I just hung the gun on my wall - it would’ve lasted? I am not familiar with the cheap reblue products offered today - they might be better and if they “fail” you’ve only wasted your time and a few $$.

 

[mdwest]

@mdwest But a “cheap cold blue” ? Not sure about that, I did that once 40 years ago on a rusted semi auto barrel - looked ok (actually good) when I finished but it completely wore off the very first time I took it duck hunting. Maybe if I just hung the gun on my wall - it would’ve lasted? I am not familiar with the cheap reblue products offered today - they might be better and if they “fail” you’ve only wasted your time and a few $$.

Agree... just depends on the desired end result and the desired use... If the intention is to hard use the gun, a cold blue from a bottle isnt going to be a great solution.. but if the intention is simply to knock some superficial rust off an old gun and touch it up here and there.. and make it look "nice" again.. it can work.. there are some decent, low cost products out there that anyone can use (dont have to be a rocket surgeon to figure it out), that will never have the depth and luster of a hot blue or a rust blue finish.. but will get the job done..

I'll go back to the closing comments from my earlier post.. if we're talking a mid 70's built H&R single shot that has sentimental value but almost no material value and you just want to get it shooting again and stop the deterioration process.. thats one thing...

if youre talking a 1912 built Fox Supergrade SxS that youre wanting to bring back to its original elegance.. thats something completely different..

FWIW I installed a new recoil pad on a mid 60's Marlin 336 just yesterday.. did some touch ups on the wood, and some cold blue touch ups on the steel... while it certainly doesnt look like it just came off the factory floor.. the old girl actually looks really nice for her age and the amount of use/abuse she has seen over the years....

All in I have maybe 1.5 hours invested in the minor "restoration" process.. and less than $50 if I include the cost of a couple of sanding belts, sanding blocks, and the tiny amount of wax, oil, and cold blue applied... It was a fun project to spend the evening on... even if it was on a friends rifle, and not one of my own lol (Im now jealous that I dont have an old school mid 60's marlin 336 in the safe.. and have been checking out auctions and retailers this morning searching for one lol)...