Mod 69A

[DocAitch]

I just acquired a Winchester Md 69A which should be a great little shooter, especially for teaching the grand kids.
It is a little rough externally but the bore looks good.I am considering having it restored.
Any thoughts?
DocAitch

 

[dist1646]

I haven't seen one with aperature sights before. I would leave it alone, more character that way. They are sweet shooting guns.

 

[Mooseman]

It looks pretty good to me. I would clean it and use it as it is.

 

[amoebicmagician]

I like those sights.

If the bore is in good shape, I'd say go for it. This would be a great rifle to teach the kids on, give them a good appreciation of how to use some iron sights and act as the fundament on which can be built a lifelong love of marksmanship

 

[Sev89]

Can't comment on whether or not you should restore it. But they're fantastic little rifles! I've got one that belonged to my great grandfather. It's the only .22 I'll shoot, with ammo being as scarce as it is.

 

[Boom Boom]

DO NOT RESTORE IT. That's a beautiful rifle. Their value has gone up a lot in the past few years. Enjoy it as is. The more you with mess with it, the less it will be worth.

 

[JoeRinMD]

I would definitely keep the aperture sights on it for teaching your grandkids. The NRA junior smallbore program I helped had a few Winchester 69As that they used for the younger kids. They can be very accurate rifles as long as the bore was cared for and not allowed to rust into a sewer pipe. Their light weight was easier to manage than a full-on smallbore rifle like an Anschutz 1903 which weighs more than 10 lbs. The only disadvantage (for younger shooters) is the relatively long barrel which was the standard at the time.

As far as restoration, my opinion is that it depends on how badly gone the rifle is currently. If it's been neglected badly, then you have little to lose by restoring it. I have a 69A that was in pretty bad shape externally but with a good bore. I refinished the stock, exposing some very nice Winchester walnut. Here though, my suggestion would be "no sandpaper"! Just a stripper to remove the old finish and then something like TruOil to bring back the original luster. The metal on my 69A was in sad shape, so I used DuraCoat to give it a nice matte finish.

Your pictures appear to show a rifle which doesn't need a ton of restoration. For the wood, you may want to try something like Murphy's Oil Soap to clean it, then Scot's Liquid Gold to hide the scratches in the finish. Then, finally, a wax to bring out the shine. Given the rifle's age, you should probably do a field strip, rather than a complete disassembly, then use a solvent to dissolve any hardened lube in the action. On the blued metal, I might try using Kroil to dissolve the surface rust, then following up with a heavier-bodied oil to protect the blueing. On the polished metal surfaces, a fine Scotch-brite pad would probably polish them back to a mirror finish.

I love bringing back those nice old rifles. It gives me a real connection to fine old craftsmanship embodied in them.

JoeR

 

[Augie]

Nice pick up, they are great rifles. As others stated I would just do a good cleaning and leave it alone,your pics make it look in reasonable condition.
Original Winchester's have continued to maintain or increase in value. I've got the next step up from yours, a 1949 Model 75 Sporter.

 

[DocAitch]

Sweet.
DocAitch