as most of you know im redoing a 1917 rifle. stock is almost done. now im trying to decide if i wanna reblue it or not. it needs some bluing but isnt horrible. but i dont think its been reblued, ever. some of it almost looks like its been browned instead of blued. i kinda like the old gun look. what do you guys say, leave it looking like a old gun, or re blue and see how it turns out.
to blue or not to blue
- Thread starter bnsafe
- Start date
iccyman001
New member
- Apr 30, 2014
- 5,489
I agree with John and Francis.
cohunter14
Administrator
- Jul 10, 2017
- 5,332
Like Swede said, a lot depends on your purpose. If you are going to try to hunt with it or take it out shooting, you might want to re-blue it. If there is rust, it can eat away at that barrel over time. Don\'t get me wrong, I love old rifle looks as well, but have you considered coating it at all? There are some cool finishes out there that could make for a very unique look and also provide a usable gun. Just a thought...
swede its a remington army model 1917 so yes it is. there is only a little rust on it, mainly just wore bluing. as for the antique, the stock that was on it was a handmade stock from a guy back in the 60s so the action is the only thing left of the original. i think the barrel is even different. so no antique value other than an original 1917 action. i will prob leave it the way it is, i think i like the old gun look. the action has symbols on it that i have no idea what they are, but they are cool. i would hate to blue over that.
as for hunting, i should, hopefully, cross my fingers, draw a co cow moose tag in 2017. im a bow hunting purist but i might bring this gun out just to kill a moose with a hundred year old gun. other than that it wont get shot hardly ever. just planning on passing it down to the kids.
as for hunting, i should, hopefully, cross my fingers, draw a co cow moose tag in 2017. im a bow hunting purist but i might bring this gun out just to kill a moose with a hundred year old gun. other than that it wont get shot hardly ever. just planning on passing it down to the kids.
I assume the gun is still an 30-06. The barrel has been returned or replaced if it is smooth and has no steps along its length. Some people converted the gun to cock on opening. Many also replaced the trigger and or safety. Refinish it the way you like. There is little antique value. Has the gun been drilled and tapped for a scope sight? It is interesting that it is a Remington. I have not looked that up, but I don\'t remember many Remingtons. If the gun were mine I would replace the old trigger and convert to cock on opening. I would make it a good hunting rifle now. The old Enfields were strong and many hunters converted them to magnums. I don\'t care for that, but it too is a personal decision.
I just looked up the Remington 1917 rifle. Remington made about 30,000 civilian sporterized guns in several calibers. It is likely your gun is one of them. In that case you may be doing yourself a disservice messing with it. In other words, I don\'t know what you have or what it is worth. Take it to a knowledgeable appraiser.
its not worth anything other than some 100 yr old action and personal history as its the only rifle my dad ever owned or hunted with. i would sale it for anything, well almost anything, lol. it is a 3006 swede. and when the guy built the stock for it 50 some years ago he must sporterized it then as it has william peep sites on it and a new barrel, at least new for then. the barrel weighs a ton. the action is a marvel for its weight and steel they put in it. turning it into a magnum would be easy but im not going that route. would be cheaper to buy one new if i wanted one. other than possibly hunting a moose for its 100 yr birthday it prob wont ever be used again. i do wish i new why and what symbols are on it and why they put them there. anyway, im still debating but leaning towards leaving it as is, at least for now.
decided to go with the old look. gonna oil the stock one more time tomorrow then polish it next saturday and put it back together. so i reshaped the stock, stained and oiled the stock mutiple times, free floated the barrel, put sling swivels on, put a limb saver grind away pad on, and cleaned the metal inside and out.
iccyman001
New member
- Apr 30, 2014
- 5,489
I can\'t wait to see some pictures!
will do, ive got a few of the start so i will send both. hopefully next weekend. i tried to get the US MODEL 1917 stamp to show up, but it wont. also, i was looking last nite and the barrel has some of the same engravings on it as the action so im not sure rather its original or not. i know its not military if it is. i am gonna research today.
