Restoration of a 1972 Remington/Browning 12 Gauge

If there was any collector value to it, it is now gone. I learned the hard way with a pre-64 Winchester 30.06.

Not a collector item. Just one I wanted to restore. At least when I get done it will work. Before I wouldn't dare to shoot. And also just something I wanted to share with folks here. That's all.

BTW...how did your Winchester turn out? Any pics? Rifles aren't my thing. Shotguns are really what I would use to hunt. Not in an area that allows for rifles.

Have my Great Granddad's Winchester 1886. It was the rifle version in 40-82. He bought it new in Canada when he was running a Horse ranch near Kamloops. Bear were killing colts and he put a stop to it with that rifle. Ended up with a bulged barrel somewhere along the line, my uncle sent it off to P.O. Ackley in 1965. Ackley made a carbine out of it, re-bored the 40-82 barrel to a 45 cal, re-rifled it and reamed and head spaced the chamber to 45-70. Some might say the value was reduced, well maybe for a collector, but not for the family and it shoots just fine. The factory markings om the barrel have not been altered.
jud

looks good man.

patience is the key. go slow and get all of the nooks and crannies.

i don't have any 'collector' guns. my all get shot. i've got a couple of 'heirlooms'. that means they are old and don't get shot much if at all but they aren't worth anything to anyone but me.

i refinished a mauser k98 with nazi proofs that had been sporterized that was my grandfathers. it turned out pretty nice. i refinished the stock with birchwood casey's tru-oil. i put about 6 coats on it one at a time and rub each one out with steel wool before the next went on. it looks like polished glass now. i will kill a deer with that sucker one day.

:good:

Snoop...once I get this where I want it a gunsmith will check out before i fire. I will still need to pattern....aways off though.

With a bulged barrel, the gun would have probably lost at least as much value to a collector as having it worked over as your uncle did.

I agree with you, I'd rather have a worked over and usable rifle than an unshootable conversation piece. Didn't Winchester also manufacture the 86 in .45-70? If so, the shortened barrel and rechambering may not have reduced the value as much as if it had been re-bored and chambered for a more modern round.

I knew that the Browning A-5 and the Remington Model 11 were similar in appearance, but had never taken a close look at the barrel stamp on either before. Interesting that both manufacturers' names and patent info appear there. So I presume that they are essentially the same gun(?).

Looks like your project is moving along well. Stock looks good. I'm sure many of us would like to see the final result after the bluing is done.

I'll share some final photo's. Some of the mechanics are very tedious to remove clean and put back together. Pics are a great source to help remind how to put back together.

Soon...:)

That is so cool that you are restoring this. I have my Grandfather's Browning semi-auto 16 gauge shotgun chambered for 2 9/16" shells. Used it quite a bit when I was a teenager until we couldn't load those old paper shell casings any longer. I liked it better than my Savage 20 gauge single shot. Someone once told me to send it in to Browning to be rechambered, but I prefer to leave it original. I believe my Dad told me it was originally purchased in 1916. Serial number 120415.

Maybe I will try and take a picture to post for you guys. Evan, remind me sometime to show it to you.

Love Tru-oil. I used it when I re-stocked my Swedish Mauser.

Not a flashy finish but good looking. After a couple of years you can hit it with steel wool and put another coat or two on.

Nice job!

Rick

Looks good

I have two A5's. A 1963 20 gauge (round knob) and a 1970's Light 12 (square knob). My father still has his Light 12 that is older than I am, it has NO bluing left on it and has killed a ton of quail and dove. Those old things just keeping going, but those 12 gauge models will kick the snot out of you.

Andy

First off, AWESOME! Second, I've heard the same thing about my wants and desires to do the same thing to my 12 mag A5 I picked up. My response, "I acquire weapons, I do not sell them." So, hammer down.

BTW, after you sanded the forearm and stock, what did you use to bring the color of the wood back out? Stain, linseed oil, varnish? It looks AWESOME!

I'm not going to get rid of this one...:) Too much fun already restoring. I think it may have been dropped in the mud by the previous owner. Every part that could be taken apart is in the process of being cleaned and lubricated. I used a water based stripper for the stocks. Then 220 grit to get the burrs and such smooth. Then I applied Minwax antique Walnut stain and then a polyurethane for protection. The checkered grips were a bit of a challenge so I used a nylon brush to remove any excess grit and stripper. I found some dried weed or grass in the housing. All has been cleaned and now ready for either a hot bluing (or cold). When I get done this thing should last another 40 years if properly maintained. Can't wait to pattern...then dove..:)

Looks great!

I have a 1964 Franchi AL48 in 20 gauge that I am restoring. Got it from my wife's uncle who got it from an old hunting partner of his....partner got too old to go out hunting.

Said it would shoot once but not cycle. I took it home and found it had missing friction rings....finally tracked those down.

Now shortening the stock...his old friend must have been a big guy...it had a 15 1/2" length of pull on it.

Lookin forward to shooting this one...it is really light and fast pointing.

It was about 35 years ago when I was a kid and un-smart. Re-blued it with a blue kit, re-did the stock, bedded it, took off the rear-sight dovetail band and front sight with a bench grinder(yes a bench grinder) cut off about 1" off the back of the stock and added recoil pad. All no-no's as far as collector value goes. Turned out OK but bluing has since turned dull. Has an old Bal-Var (Bausch & Lomb) scope with adjustments on the mounts. Collector value in original condition would be about $1200.

One of my favorite guns is my dad's Itaca 37 Featherweight in 16 ga (2 3/4"). When I started shooting, my best friend had a 20 and his dad had a 12. 12 was a bit much and 20 was OK, but felt a bit light. Could shoot the 16 all day.

I recently reacquired the Ithaca when Dad came out to stay for a few months. Dad had been keeping it in a closet for a few years, and then in the basement (in VA - humid). But since he hadn't been using it, he hadn't been cleaning it. When I found it as we were packing his stuff up, I found that the stock has developed a crack and that there is just a little rust on the receiver and on the barrel. I'm planning to get those things taken care of this year. But unlike JustMapit, I doubt that I have the patience (or the time these days) to do it myself. I'll take it to someone who knows what they're doing.

Have you checked with any of the reloading supply outfits to see if you could get the supplies to load 2 9/16" shells? If nothing else, I'd think you could trim 2 3/4" shells and set the dies a little shallower. But my reloading experience is limited to rifle & handgun, so I don't know for certain.

Why don't you bring that Browning into the office someday? If they haven't carted you off to Folsom State before lunch, I'll come on over to admire it.

Better yet, let's figure out how to get some ammo for it and go try to shoot some birds or clays.

16 Gauge ammo

The link below:

http://www.firearmservice.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/page19.html

Should get you to a source for 2½ inch 16 Gauge ammo. Here's a bit of the blurb on it:

"GameBore 16ga-2 1/2"-1oz, Made for English & American doubles, and early Browning Auto-5 with 2 9/16 chambers! box of 25 rns, case of 10 boxes, 1oz - 1260 fps - 8122 psi."

I still have a 16 Gauge (2¾ inch) Colt Pump (made in France). It ain't worth much, but it's a blast to shoot. I grew up 16s, my Dad, Grand-dad, Brother, we all shot 16s back in the day.

Loyal