M70 pre 64 30-06 delima

[Dand]

I have a Win M70 pre 64 (ca 1950) in 30-06, 24 in bbl - standard grade that was my dad's. He didn't use it much. Its not too hard to shoot 1 to 1.5 in groups with it even tho there are tool marks in the bore. I hunted with it for a while but got tired of worrying about trashing it near salt water and the general wetness of coastal AK.  I haven't hunted with the rifle in years as I had a stainless 300 win mag built for me. I refinished the M70 stock and touched up the checkering after a particularly bad soaking on Kodiak one winter - its an ok job but now the rifle is not stock. 

My kid is getting big enough to shoot the '06 but its a bit much for him to carry.

Am I crazy to think about trading it for a modern, shorter, lighter stainless '06 of some sort?
One day I thought up this trade and it seemed a good idea.  Then I worked the bolt on it and it is so smooth and secure feeling that I lost my nerve. Even though I think its rained 6 out of the 8 days of our current moose season. My kid has been carrying an older M94 that has been rusting badly every day.

A partial solution is to locate a plastic/composite stock for it but I don't know who makes one for the pre 64.

Anyway I thought I'd get some reactions to the idea of trading a grand old gun for something new and stainless that might actually get out of the house and not weigh down my 12 yr son.

[hillbill]

id have a rel problem selling a gun that belonged to my dad. just think how proud of it your son will when yu hand it on to him when he is older.i mean unless you got a bunch of guns from him.i truly think yu do need a gun better suited for your needs tho.maybe yu could make it like a father-son project to earn the money for a new one. that would be cool!something he would remember every time he used it.

[Mikey]

Dand:  I would not trade the rifle.  It is still stock - all you did was touch up the stock, you did not say youhad replaced anything.  Leave it for your son, he will be big enough some day to shoulder his grand-dad's old rifle and he will be proud of it as well.  As for the stock - yep, they can get very wet where you are but if the stock has not warped out of shape then you can keep it and protect it. 

You can strip it and recover it with a poly stain or a tung oil, which is almost a varnish and pretty weather resistant.  I would also use a tung oil on the inside of the stock or cover any raw wood with a thin coat of bedding (I would bed the action too as that will help prevent water damage and warpage in the action areas).  As for protecting the metal - use a good hard auto paste wax, lay it on and buff it off.  You can also use some of the newer polymer waxes as they protect very well.

As for your old 94 - I would do the same - use a good tung oil on the stock, inside and out, and coat the metal well with paste wax.  You said it was rusting up badly but you did not say it was pitted and if it is not, then the paste wax should help keep it from rusting.  Make certain though that you remove the stock and check the underside of the barrel and the mag tube and use the wax there as well.

I am willing to bet that in another couple of years that old 06 will fit your son just right. 

As for a stock for the older 06 - I have a pre-war, pre-64 M70 and have had a terrible time finding a factory replacement stock - the last time I ordered one for that rifle they sent me a M70 stock for the wrong vintage, so I am having my gunsmith cut down the massive bench stock that I got with the rifle into a sporter configuration similar to what the original looked like (it only took me almost 2 yrs to get the wrong stock for it, so I think I can wait a bit more to have one fit that fits).....

[Range Rider]

There is something sorta sacred about or ancestors weapons.  Trade that rifle off and you will be very sorry in the end.

[Dand]

Thanks guys I'll probably hold onto it. A snap decision to trade could lead to years of regret. The M70 locks up with a sound like a fine bank vault - very distinctive sound compared to the clatter of my M700 actioned 300. 

Truly, I'm no so sure my oldest boy is capable of a lot of sentimental feelings - he's very impulsive and very challenged to have much appreciation for family history but who knows 5-6 years from now. His younger brother has a much different personality and may have some feelings for the gun.

I've been encouraging him to work and save money so we could join forces on a stainless gun. Since it was my idea he didn't seem to have much enthusiasm for it. Teenagers!!

I'll start looking for a composite stock that could be put to use.

Mikey,  when I refinished the gun I used True Oil I think. I did soak it into the interior surfaces as well. Now I noticed that being sloppy with some bore cleaner has eaten a bit of the finish on the stock below the gas relief hole on the right side of the receiver. May have to figure out how to touch that up. Probably have similar issues inside the stock.

Good points on rust prevention on the M94. I'll have to go over it.  And I hadn't thought of the paste wax option. That gun needs the attention of a good refinisher for wood and metal. It was my first and so far only attempt at some "customizing" and it shows. Since it was a post 68 I haven't shed a tear for it. But it IS my first big game gun and I shot my first moose with it so it does have some sentimental value to me.

thanks again for leading from temptation.
Dan

[Winter Hawk]

You can do what I did with my model 88.  I decided it was a using rifle, and I had the Black-T finish done back in '93.  It took away the collector's value, but SE Alaska rain didn't bother it, nor long rides in a skiff with the resultant salt water spray, as long as I greased the bore. 

Black-T has been replaced by Gunkote as the next generation of Teflon finishes.  Just make sure that ALL of the parts get done, that they get bead blasted first, then Parkerized, and finally the Gunkote applied.

My suggestions.

-WH-