I wanted to post pics of this here because I am pleased with the results. My late Uncle sporterized this 1903 back in the 60's, as everyone was doing. It has a serial number over the 800's, and I once dated it to 1918 birth day. The barrel has a faint 8-18 in the end, so I believe it is original.
My Uncle started with a very nice Bishop stock blank, and cold blued the rifle. I bought the rifle from him long ago, and he has since passed. I have killed quite a few deer with it, and it was scratched up and the blueing was quite faded. I decided it was time for a face lift.
I began by adding a contrasting grip cap, using mahogany with maple accent, to the fore end and grip cap, from wood I had laying around (I make knives and have a small stash). I wanted the "Weatherby" look, so I added an inlay in the grip cap, using ivory from a hippo tusk. Then finished it with a high gloss finish. I also glass bedded the action, and floated the barrel.
For the metal work, I sanded and polished it until it looked like a chrome parade rifle. I did not get all of the pitting out of the receiver because I wanted to preserve the serial number. But it is better than it was. The rest of the rifle was not pitted, and the bore is like a mirror.
I paid a local gunsmith to hot blue it, as I am not equipped. I believe he bead blasted it to allow the blueing to have an even finish, and it came out pretty nice.
Functionally, the trigger has a small bit of hard steel tig welded to it, I think Inconel, to give it a nice single stage trigger. Other than that, the mag follower was shaped so the bolt will close on an empty magazine.
I also installed a new brown Pachmeyer recoil pad before I finished the stock.
I now need to work up another load after the re-work, and take it hunting again!
Thanks for looking!
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