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Post by masterofnone on Jun 11, 2023 1:17:12 GMT -5
Hello everyone! Thanks for adding me! Some of my questions were answered by reading the forum posts! (Amazing what you can learn by reading instead of asking for an answer to something that's been asked by every newbie that comes across a 24!) LOL Working on this rifle for a good friend, he picked it up a few years ago, I didn't have time to work it over right then, so it sat forgotten, in the back corner of my safe. I don't know where it was before he got it, but the thing was filthy! To the point that a complete disassembly and cleaning was needed before I could tell him if it was safe to fire or not. The plan was to Clean and inspect everything, replace the stock, (cracked, what a shocker) 0000 Oot steel wool the barrels and misc. parts, touch up bluing as needed. Strip and re-clear the receiver, (question one: did Savage clear coat their color case hardened receivers? None of the pics I've seen look like they did.) strip and stain the fore end to match whatever stock I wind up using, and oil finish both pieces. Assemble it all, then shoot it till the cows come home. Then as I am disassembling the receiver I realized, as dirty, grimy, and scratched up this thing is...it has NEVER BEEN FIRED. Questions two, three and four: Do I touch up the barrel bluing, or leave it original, even though it's not perfect? Strip and re-clear the receiver, (if they were cleared)? Hold out to find an original stock so that it is a Monte Carlo with checkering? In other words, how badly will I screw up the value and rarity of this rifle if I do anything but keep it stock? I look forward to all of your expert advice! Thanks!!      |
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24combo
Frequent poster
If you build in a swamp you may have frogs.
Posts: 113 
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Post by 24combo on Jun 12, 2023 21:50:57 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum from Fl. Thanks for the pics.
The .357 over 20ga is a little less common than a .22lr over 20ga. I'd try to leave it as original as I could. I think I would repair the stock, clean her up really well and shoot it. Then your friend could decide how much more work he want's to put into it. I'm not sure about the clear coat on the receiver. It looks like that one has some type of coating on it.
When you finish it show it off here with a few new pics.
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Post by vancmike on Jun 12, 2023 22:48:13 GMT -5
Just to underline 24combo's advice, the .357/20 combo is, in most markets, significantly higher priced than most other combos. If it were mine, I'd repair the stock (even a discrete peg would not devalue it significantly), then clean and buff the rest. Don't reblue nor refinish anything.
Yeah, the pressed/stamped basket weave is butt-ugly. But it's true to the model year.
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Post by sidewinder on Jul 10, 2023 23:58:43 GMT -5
Just curious about how you reached the determination that it had "never" been fired? I own a few Savage 24s, the .357/20 gauge being one of them. I agree on the idea of leaving it as original as possible, for value sake. Welcome to the forum from Tennessee.
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Post by vancmike on Jul 19, 2023 0:16:36 GMT -5
I just looked at your cracks again. Were it mine, I'd repair the cracks with a dutchman/bowtie. The internet machine has lots of examples. Just widening the cracks and inserting glue/epoxy may well not work, especially if the stock has ever been oiled.
For the dutchman, you could either use a contrasting or try to find a wood similar to the stock. Even contrasting wood would not lower the value much...in my opinion
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