The Old Man

[dpote]

Well, after ignoring the warnings from my friends here on THR, I went ahead and bought "The Old Man". It's a 1951, and still has the wooden plug in it.
I just cleaned it, and it had what looked like sand in the trigger group. Would that be grex or some other shot buffer?
You can see the crack on the wrist in this photo.
I really wanted to resist this, but it seems to fit me really well. Time to try it out on some trap.
Special thanks to Dave McCracken, who suggested I offer $150. Worked like a charm.



Dave

 

[dpote]

Here's the top

 

[Scoupe]

Looks worth it to me. I believe they made more stocks for them at one point.

Enjoy!

 

[The Deer Hunter]

wood plugs?

where in the gun were they?

 

[dpote]

The wood plug is in the magazine for hunting. Sorry, I should have said that.

Dave

 

[RNB65]

Darn, I thought this was a story about Steve...

 

[theCZ]

Let's get some more details...

How long is the barrel?

How is the barrel choked?

I'm curious what the LOP is. I have a Remington 1100 from the early 60s and it has a 14" LOP, it fits alright, but I don't think they make the newer guns so short in the stock.

That thing just looks incredibly smooth, is it?

Buttpad or plate?

 

[dpote]

It's a 30", fixed full choke model with the matting on the barrel. I bet it gets stupid hot during a round of trap.
I just checked the barrel with a caliper and it measures 0.69. That seems like a lot of constriction, but I've heard full back then was fuller than today.
LOP is 13 3/4" from the center of the buttpad to the trigger. Hope I measured that right.
The action is very smooth, with a cool "clack clack" shucking sound that I haven't heard before.
The numbers on the receiver and barrel match, it is a five digit serial number.

Dave

 

[Dave McCracken]

I love happy Beginnings...

A couple things....

The original barrel for Number Six mikes out at .685 and is marked Full. Made in 55. Yours is in the ball park. Yours looks like Six. Pad or Plate?

I don't see much wear on the action bars. Bet this is low mileage.

My oldest has a five digit number. Enjoy.

If it doesn't work out for you, I'll give you what you paid for it....

 

[mattw]

I like the finish.

 

[Kestrel]

That's nice. Something interesting. I have an 870 made in 1951, but it has the corncob forearm. I wonder if that was a transitional year for that, or if one of the forearms are from a different vintage?

 

[sm]

Gotta admit the shotgun looks a whole nicer than I do...and its 4 years older than me.

 

[Beagle-zebub]

Oo hoo hoo hoo, buying other folks' seemingly wrecked guns for peanuts and then resurrecting them is one of the many possible joys of gun nuttery.

 

[theCZ]

I just checked the barrel with a caliper and it measures 0.69. That seems like a lot of constriction, but I've heard full back then was fuller than today.

That's what I've heard too, especially for guns that were made before plastic wads came on the scene. My shotguns that were made before plastic wads were a lot tighter to deal with the fiber (I think?) wads and will now pattern really tight with plastic wads. I'd definately pattern your gun, you might get a kick out of it.

 

[Dave McCracken]

A couple things about very old WMs....

870s, right from Day One, came in models from a plain field model to an upscale ADL. The field model had the corncob forend, the ADL similar to what we think of for 70s models. No checkering on the field stock, the impressed checkering we all know on the ADL.The field model came with a plate, the ADL with a Whiteline red trestle pad.

My first 870, which you must be tired of hearing about,is a field model, Number Six has ADL wood.

There were also Trap and Skeet models.

HTH....

 

[Kestrel]

Dave,

Thanks. Good to know. Yep, mine does have the plate.

 

[kmrcstintn]

nice acquisition...you could always change/update the furniture if the action remains solid & reliable...

mine doesn't have the nostalgic value like yours, but I recently got a modern 870 variant and I am very impressed by the reliability and ruggedness of the action...

good luck and have fun