16ga.com ~ View topic

Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Posts: 7

I happened to have inherit a Win #24 16ga. SxS in FxM, that has put a lot of game on the table in the last few generations. It is a great gun to carry in the woods and afield, all-day and or night, from still and pass shooting, to hip and snap shooting. It’s taken everything in the woods and afield anyhow. It is going through a complete old school gunsmith restoration at this time. Original parts are at hand and being used. It was in very used condition. It is getting an original complete stock and but-plate refinishing. Complete original mechanical parts refinished replacement. Complete action re-case hardened and barrel cold blueing. Barrels are getting a complete hone and pollish to fire Kent Tungsten Matrex and Custom handloaded buckshot and slug shotshells. This gun isint going to sit in a collection. It’s a daily hunter, putting food on my table. This is my gun of choice for running the woods with. Can't weight for it to be completed. I'd love to hunt with anyone, that would have me in there woods.

Enjoy! IMHO, you have a great field gun there. Some folks think of them as a boat paddle -- but their dead wrong -mine is a "death wand" in the field or at down gun sporting clay. For some reason my 24, 16ga shoots better than any other SxS I've ever owned. Moght because of the profile when you look down over the bls. My 24 does not have a case colored receiver but is blued (98%).
Cheers & lead them well!

Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Posts: 7

Thanks, grouser47
I know, I cant weight to get it back in My hands.

I'd like to add some 'before and after' pics to the "Repair and Restorations" PictureTrail if you have any
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=15127852&uid=6511424&members=1
You can send them as a JPEG attachment to revdoc2@cox.net and please let me know who did the work. Thanks! Very Happy

Member Joined: 02 Feb 2006 Posts: 602 Location: western pa

Just curious,but I can't recall ever seeing a 24 with case colors either. Maybe I missed something. About what years would that have been?

Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Posts: 7

Thanks revdocdrew, I made a big mistake not taking any before pictures. It was in very used condition. I will send some after pictures.

Thanks fred lauer, I understand that the recirver is case hardened and needed recased. There was no blueing on it at all. I might be confused about the refinishing of the metals. I left it up to the Gunsmith. Will see when it's completed.

Member Joined: 06 Nov 2006 Posts: 128 Location: NE

BUCKSHOT,
I've looked at and closely examined quite a few 24's over the years, I'm pretty sure that the first shotgun I ever held, let alone fired was my dad's 24, - 45 some odd years ago. I've never seen one that was color case hardened, but I have seen quite a few with no or very little trace of blue remaining on the reciever. I am pretty sure they only came blued.

Your smith may be talking about coloring the reciever or actually rehardening it.

Case hardening is a process of heating and cooling that "hardens" the exterior surface of the metal while leaving the inside softer yet tougher/less brittle. The colors associated with case hardening are the result of the materials the piece of steel is packed and heated in as well as the quenching. Different manufacturers had methods that resulted in different patterns and amount of colors. The top gun restoration outfits actually use the old methods and do a real color case hardening process.

Colors later were and (still are) applied by chemical (cyanide and other chemicals) means that had little to do with actual case hardening. Most of these coloring processes still involve heat and some "restorations" of old case colors can actually weaken the steel.

As I said before, I've never seen, or even heard of a 24 with a case colored finish.

You maybe ought to check with your gunsmith on this.

berg

Member Joined: 01 Dec 2006 Posts: 524

Don't know much about them personaly and they seem to be very rare out here in Washington State. I don't think I've ever seen one in all my perusals of just about every used gunhouse around here. The few folks I've read about that do have them seem to be pretty loyal to them adn all referr to them as their death rays. For some reason the few that do shoot them, love them and have alot of confidence in them. Thats a pretty good endorsement and the fact that they are an old American classic is very cool Cool

. let's see her when she's done Shocked

Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Posts: 7

I am so darn excited! I'm picking up the 24 this friday morning. It is ready for the hunting season. Opening day Dove saturday. That gives me a few hours to check ot the pattern. Hope to get some long over due pics to post.

Member Joined: 20 Mar 2005 Posts: 1522 Location: NH

Good luck with the gun and hitting the doves.

Now where are the pics? Very Happy

Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Posts: 7

I know

Member Joined: 01 Dec 2006 Posts: 524

As I said a while back, have not seen many here in WA State.
But lo and behold I went to a shop last week that has two of them in 16GA.
I just finished reading a book authored by a guy who uses the 24 almost exclusively and also referrs to it as his can't miss rooster gun. Must be something to that. As I said before, seems like the folks who have them are really in love with em. They arent the best looking double around to most folks, but they could become beautifull if they shoot like a death ray.
I just may pick one up since they are only asking about 200 bucks for the ones I know of. One is in pretty poor shape, but the other is purdy solid.

good price. I sold my 20ga 24 for 550.00
Nice gun , enjoy

Member Joined: 31 Oct 2005 Posts: 446 Location: Wisconsin

Model 24's were made from high tensile steel and need only be polished and blued. If your gunssmith is going to heat, anneal and case color, he is going to destroy the tensile strength of the receiver.
BTW, if I were you, I would try to find some 16 gauge Kent TM right away as the supply is drying out and don't be shocked at the price.-Dick

Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Posts: 7

Jig, The 24 was in very poor shape and took a long time to have restored. My gunsmith let me know up front that it would take about a year to restore and that, the action needed a lot of work to bring back to like new working condition. It probably would not have taken that long, if I just wanted it to look pretty over the fireplace LOL. And took the extra money and got a brand new spit shiny new automatic. Just not me though. I hunt in a 16ga.with a Ward and Hercules Single shot anyway, so this is sort of a big upgrade for me. Wow two barrels, I can miss twice as much. LOL I dont know what kine of repore You have with that gunstore, maybe he will let You take them to try out.