If it were mine I'd leave it alone.
I like the originality and a little patina doesn't take away enough in my eyes to warrant changing it.
Even if I were to refinish, sanding would be the last thing I'd do.

That said, it's your to do with as you please!

 

Is the stock walnut or hardwood?

Walnut. all 61s came with a walnut stock. Think i'd leave it along too.

 

It didn't leave the Winchester factory looking like that. So I can't imagine why people would quibble about preserving its originality at this point. I'd Zip strip it and put a paste of Oxylic acid crystals and water on the blackened spots if necessary to get them back to a normal appearance, then refinish it if it were mine.

 

It didn't leave the Winchester factory looking like that. So I can't imagine why people would quibble about preserving its originality

Because that would NOT be "preserving its originality" But rather removing its originality and changing the wood to most likely look in much better condition that the balance of the rifle and therefore look quite out of place.

Michael

 

Noremf use to advocate what he called "refreshing the finish", do a search for him (now deceased unfortunately) and you'll find his prescription, which I've followed on a couple of older rifles myself. If I can find the PDF he sent me I'll post it but likely one of the smart kids has it close to hand and can pull it up. No sanding was done on mine.

Before

After

 

Noremf use to advocate what he called "refreshing the finish", do a search for him (now deceased unfortunately) and you'll find his prescription, which I've followed on a couple of older rifles myself.

Sounds similar to the Formby's method, made famous in a million TV commercials while Formby was alive. His "secret formula" consisted of a mixture of toluene (lacquer thinner) & methyl alcohol, which slowly dissolved & redistributed the finish without stripping it to bare wood as a chemical stripper does. It was used by rubbing lightly with 4-0 wool dipped in a bowl of the solvent. I've used it & liked the results, though don't expect a sow's ear to be turned into a silk purse. Don't think the original Formby's is still made, but there are substitutes.

 

Ah ha, go to the "stock making, repairing" forum here and you'll find most of what Noremf posted on the subject.

 

4eyes,

Could I get the serial number of the rifle so that I can add it into my survey of the 61's?

Thanks
Michael

 

You might want to reconsider refinishing the stocks on your 61 if you bought it as an investment. If not done well, refinishing may lessen the value to most prospective buyers. On the other hand, if that rifle will be yours to keep and hand down some day, I say go for it...it belongs to you, does it not? I have refinished some of my rifles in the past and I will do it again if given the opportunity and the conditions are right. Among those that I have refinished are a Winchester 63, a Winchester 69A and a Marlin 39A. Here are 2 pictures of the 63...before and after...you be the judge.

 

I’ve got several Winchesters that are less than pristine but very nice. I won’t touch them. I have a M70 pre 64 I got new as a kid and a m97 shotgun I saved from Bubba poly choke job. Both these guns hade no blue issues. They had no dent, cuts, scratches into wood either. Well I took my time and stripped them, sanded and finished with pumice. Then I applied a bowling pin finish to them. Everyone says how good they look. I wish I had left them be, they don’t look like old Winchesters anymore. I ruint them.

 

Thanks for the comments. Think I'm going to try for a refreshed with minor sanding finish

 

The plot thickens. Did a 0000 steel wool rub down. The blotches on the butt flaked off as did all the finish on the fore arm. My suspicion is that someone touched it up with poly and the poly isn’t sticking to the lacquer. Now I have two pieces that don’t match.
The plan of action I’m considering is to use Minwax antique restorer on the butt and some walnut stain on the forearm then finishing both with tung oil.
Comments and suggestions appreciated.
Also posted in the stock finishing section.

 

The plan of action I’m considering is to use Minwax antique restorer on the butt and some walnut stain on the forearm then finishing both with tung oil.

Pretty sure that's the same product formerly sold as Formby's, the rights to which Minwax purchased. Wouldn't be surprised if you can find the old Formby's TV demonstration on You Tube.

 

Great info!
Seems like there is a fair amount of burnt gunpowder that escapes through the front of the action giving the forearm a dark patina. Going to try and keep some of that.

 

Tip o’ the hat to Trapt, after you mentioned purple I could see it in the stock.
With some Minwax Gunstock 231 which is reddish and hand rubbed purple highlighter 😁I’ve gotten to here and am feeling pretty good 👍
Going to finish it off with satin spray lacquer.

 

Tip o’ the hat to Trapt, after you mentioned purple I could see it in the stock.
With some Minwax Gunstock 231 which is reddish and hand rubbed purple highlighter 😁I’ve gotten to here and am feeling pretty good 👍
Going to finish it off with satin spray lacquer.
View attachment 301003

Sorry, I've been busy and didn't take the time to reply sooner. I was just making an observation about Alkanet root stains so you could decide how you wanted to proceed. But who knew you could fudge it with a combo of Minwax Gunstock and hand-rubbed purple highlighter? If it's that easy to apply, looks good, lasts a long time, and needs very little maintenance, what am I to stand in the way of progress and new discoveries in the useful arts and the field of firearms technology?

I can still see just good enough to repair and refinish old guns. So that's what I do for a past time nowadays. I have enough "mad money" to buy about one old inoperative "gunsmith special" or "parts" gun per month. I usually offer to pass them along to my children and grandchildren when I'm finished and keep whatever's rejected and leftover. There's a rule here that says without photos, it never happened. So I'll post a few to keep the conversation going.

Here's the info Twobits would be interested in collecting: I finally bought my current Winchester 61 (S/N 162741) in March of 2020 just to have something to do during the Covid 19 shelter-in-place regime. It had a badly bulged barrel that rendered it useless. The receiver had been drilled and tapped for a scope, and the stock had a botched repair on a six-inch-long hairline crack. It sat there for several days and accumulated 4 bids, but no one else was willing to "Buy It Now" for $350. I figured if nothing else, I could part it out myself for more than that:

I fixed the crack in the stock and found another period correct 1951-manufactured barrel on Ebay for $60. The original barrel on mine had the roll stamp behind the rear sight. This replacement came off an earlier 1951 model, when they briefly had the roll mark in front of the rear sight. IIRC they stopped doing that somewhere in the serial number 30,000 range:

While I had the barrel off, I sent the receiver off to Micro-Arc Welding (aka Pullman Arms) and had the old scope holes and a small gouge repaired for $150. I recouped most of that cost by repairing, relining, and refinishing the old bulged barrel before I sold it on Ebay:

I usually collect spare stock and forearm sets with original factory finishes and just put them in my parts drawers for safe keeping. That way I can use the ones on the gun as guinea pigs. My Winchester 61 is currently wearing an oil-borne Alkanet root recipe the late Jack Rowe used on his gorgeous red shotgun stocks:

 

They look awesome!

 

Wow!