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I have had this rifle for about 10 years, and has been neglected for most of them. I don't know why, but one day it just looked at me the right way, and I was inspired to refinish it. The stock was originally a very blonde wood (birch) that had 40+ years of grime on it from less than careful handling. It was nicked, dinged, scratched,...... basically abused from years of bouncing around the back of a pickup or 4 wheeler as a cheap gun is meant to be used. I sanded the stock down from 120 to 220 on the orbital, and then hand sanding with 320 and 400 with a final buff with steel wool. I finished it with 3 coats of dark walnut stain, 3 coats of satin polycrylic, and 1 coat of glossy polycrylic. This little rifle is now ready to be passed to my son this year for his 12 birthday, and will hopefully have a much less abused existence than it has been accustomed to!!

This is a Springfield model 840 bolt action 30-30. After some research I have found that this a pretty rare gun, (rare doesn't mean valuable). The model 840 is the economy version of the model 340 design with the stock being made from birch wood rather than maple. I am able to date this gun pre-1975 due to the way the bolt action and safety work together that was changed in 1975.
http://www.sschapterpsa.com/ramblings/gunsmithing_savage_340.htm

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58 Posts
Very Nice, Your Son is very lucky. Makes me want to break out my dads 30-06 and re-finish it. Great job.
 

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8 Posts
very nice
 

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54 Posts
Looks good.
Did you build the boot rack in the background?
I'd like to see some pic's of it.
 

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bake: yes I did, thanks for noticing. I built the boot rack for my wife for Christmas. It will make its way to a lumberjocks project someday when I add a wooden shelf and bottom to it.





 

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779 Posts
I have a few of those neglected rifles too. Great re-do on the stock and ya, the boot rack is worth posting….......
 

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I refinished several of the birch stocks. I use walnut danish oil to darken it a little like you did. Your son should have it for a long time. I've handed my son a few rifles I've refinished over the years. Its a great feeling.

I had that same gun once. I traded it for the same model in 222. That I still have. I'll admit, it doesn't look quite as good as yours.
 

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413 Posts
Nice refinishing, your son is going to love it I'm sure.
 

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405 Posts
You did a great job bring a new life into an old rifle! I'm sure your son likes it!
 

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Looks nice, good tones throughout the stock. Any reason you went 3/1 on the satin/gloss on the final finish?
 

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19,753 Posts
well done.
 

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ChrisMc45: I had satin poly on hand, and after 3 coats I still didn't have the look I wanted so I went to the store and bought some glossy poly. The finish was just what I was wanting once I put 1 coat on it. Im sure it would have been fine with only glossy, I just had never used it before and didn't have any when I started this project.
 

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Wow, beautiful work…
 
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