Refinish Wards Western Field 36B? Several Pics

[epijunkie67]

I've got a Wards Western Field Model 36B rifle that dates from the late 30s. It's a single shot bolt action 22LR. I've had it for probably 20-25 years now. Usually it just sits in the closet or the safe. Looking around on line it seems to have been made by either Mossberg or Stevens since they both made the 36B.

Lately I've been considering refinishing some of my old mil surp rifles and got to looking at this old 36B. I thought I might start off by refinishing it before the larger mil surps as something to practice on. But before I started digging in to it I thought I might check here just to make sure I wasn't tearing up something unique. Nothing I've found on line seems to indicate that it is, but a quick check is never a bad idea.

The only unusual thing I've found about it is the barrel length. The resources I've found on line say the barrel is 22" but the one on mine is 23.5". It actually measures 24" even from the tip of the barrel to the end of the closed bolt face.

Here are some pics. Should I refinish this first as a practice piece, or last as a keeper piece?

 

[Smokey Joe]

Collector value...

Epi Junkie 67--As you probably know, if you remove the old finish and refinish you greatly reduce the collector value of any firearm. Even if the original finish is in bad shape.

Now, that said, there is probably not a lot of collector value in an old Wards Western Field single shot .22. But there is some--people do collect these. So if you EVER would want to sell this rifle, don't refinish it; keep it stock. From your photos, the finish doesn't look too bad anyway.

My inclination would be to leave it as is, but I don't do any unnecessary maintainence I can avoid. And if the rifle stays in the family, and your grandchildren are hard up for $$, they'll thank you for leaving it alone.

If it was me and I wanted a stock to practice refinishing, I'd get one of the very common milsurps and do that. Or get a Boyd's stock for the milsurp, finish that, put it on the milsurp, and keep the original stock as is.

However, it is YOUR rifle, and you have to decide what you will do with it, and also live with the consequences. Please keep us posted on this, whatever your decision. Oh, and BTW, how does the Western Field shoot?

 

[BrocLuno]

Your rifle, do what you want. It's only a $100 rifle on the best of days.