Refinishing an 870

[Splitear]

I posted this gun a while back when I got it home. It’s an 870 Wingmaster Magnum. It was painted black (spray paint probably) and I decided to refinish the stock back to the original walnut.

I started the other day with applying several coats of citrus stripper. It took off the black paint really easily, but uncovered another layer of brown with spray paint camo green and black underneath it. That brown has proven to be a bit harder to remove. The stripper is hardly budging it, and all I have right now is coarse grain sand paper and fine steel wool. I did put some work in with the steel wool and it did some of the job. I’ll pick up some finer grit sandpaper and knock the rest out followed by more steel wool. Then I’ll seal it, use tru-oil and finally wax it. I think it’s going to look really nice when finished.

It has a smooth slug barrel, so at some point I’ll pick up a field barrel for it and have a nice combo gun. 

[cervidchasers]

Its amazing what a little time and elbow grease does to these old stocks.. really brings out the character and quality of real workmanship of the past.

[Wolc123]

I’m liking the old double a little more, is it an Ithaca ?

 

Edited January 5 by Wolc123

[Splitear]

8 minutes ago, Wolc123 said:

I’m liking the old double a little more, is it an Ithaca ?

 

Western Field made by Ithaca.

It was my Uncle Tom’s old shotgun. I’m hoping to get out and kill a few squirrels with it before season is out. 

Edited January 5 by Splitear

[grampy]

Great work! It looks great compared to what you started with!

[mowin]

Looking a lot better than the black.  Nice job. 

[Splitear]

Just now, grampy said:

Great work! It looks great compared to what you started with!

Thanks, still a ways to go but positive progress. 

Edited January 5 by Splitear

[The_Real_TCIII]

Then track down the criminal that pointed it in the first place!

[Bucndoe]

Use a metal scraper. You will be amazed at what it takes off and how easily. I'm doing a couple now

 

Edited January 5 by Bucndoe

[Splitear]

30 minutes ago, Bucndoe said:

Use a metal scraper. You will be amazed at what it takes off and how easily. I'm doing a couple now

 

Dude, you saved me so much time and effort. I just went down and tried this and goodness gracious, this is a game changer. Thank you. 

[Bucndoe]

17 minutes ago, Splitear said:

Dude, you saved me so much time and effort. I just went down and tried this and goodness gracious, this is a game changer. Thank you. 

Roger that. Wood comes out much better when done instead of sanding

[Splitear]

1 minute ago, Bucndoe said:

Roger that. Wood comes out much better when done instead of sanding

I think I’ll still need a little sanding, but this will do 99% of the work. Seriously, thanks for sharing this. 

[Doebuck1234]

55 minutes ago, Bucndoe said:

Use a metal scraper. You will be amazed at what it takes off and how easily. I'm doing a couple now

 

Will keep this in mind if ever run into a refinishing situation!

[Wolc123]

2 hours ago, Splitear said:

Western Field made by Ithaca.

It was my Uncle Tom’s old shotgun. I’m hoping to get out and kill a few squirrels with it before season is out. 

It reminds me of the old Ithaca 12 ga side by side that was my grandfathers first gun.  I used it to shoot on a few trap leagues, before I got my Remington 870 wingmaster, with a short smoothbore deer barrel and a 34” fixed full choke barrel.  

That 870 34” full choke barrel threw too tight of patten for regular trap, but it was very good for occasional extra long range shoots.  It was sought after for that purpose, and I sold it (for a pretty good profit) and replaced it with a 30” fixed full choke 870 barrel.  My trap scores improved quite a bit with that 30” 870 barrel compared to the 34”, and the old Ithaca side by side.  
 

I shot quite a few years with the 30” barrel on my 870, and we would always have one or two “side by side” shoots, where I would bring out the old Ithaca.  I ended up breaking the main spring on one of those (maybe 20 years ago), rendering it the “mantle piece” that it is now.  Maybe I’ll get it repaired someday, but I really have no legit usage for it.  
 

I always liked side by sides and I would frequently tell the over under guys shooting trap: “if God wanted you to shoot one of those, He’d have put your eyes that way”.  I still have another of my grandfathers old doubles (a J. Stevens Springfield 16 ga. choked I/C and mod and that is my favorite rabbit/grouse gun.

 It’s no “lightweight” though and actually weighs a little more than the longer 12 ga Ithaca mantelpiece. 
 

[Splitear]

I’ve got some more work to do but it’s looking really good.

I need to clean out the checkering on the foreman that got gunked up in cleanup and a few more coats of wax (photos have 1 coat of beeswax). I did end up staining it a bit since I like a darker colored wood. I’m very happy with the outcome so far.