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I've been recovering from ankle replacement surgery and I'm bored. A hunting partner had his late dad's 94 in his safe when his house caught fire. The gun didn't get alot of heat but it was baddly smoke damaged. In typical redneck fashion he decided to clean it up, with sand paper. Then he decided to cover it in spray on laquor. The gun was a litttle short so he added a reoil pad. He has shot a lot of deer with it even after the fire. I needed a project so let the fun begin. I bought a bottle of Van's bluing solution instead of Oxpho blue just as an experiment. This evening I started disassembly and cleaned up the Mag tube. I heated and blued it and I must say it looks good. It had a side mount scope base that he doesn't want, the missing screws were hard to find and with shipping the three screws cost $20. ARG! This isn't the worst gun I've salvaged but it's up there.
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In typical redneck fashion he decided to clean it up, with sand paper.
Is his name "Bubba" , "Junior" or "Pete"?
"Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it." - Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain)
I got bored today and decided to work on it awhile, my ankle is talking to me now. I don't think he sanded the stock, just shot spray lacquor in it. He told me it used to have a blonde stock.The heat and smoke really penatrated the oil finish and wood. Five coats of stripper and six laquor thiner washes later and it was still dark and uneven. I waited for it to dry while I worked on the metal. After a couple hours I started sanding, below is the basic work. I won't be able to get everything out but it will be blonde again. I have a lot more finish sanding before I start to apply boiled linseed oil. The metal is looking ok. Van's bluing solution does a very good job. The barrel and mag tube look very good for a cold blue job. Years ago I remember reading that the 94 Win has a very hard reciever that doesn't accept bluing well. I found that is true. Vans did not achieve the dark blue I wanted but, It looks case hardened! I like that a lot! I have a lot of little pieces to refinish before I start the reassembly and the stock will need at least a week. Speaking of the stock, It was too short for Pvt Stush Bubba so he added a recoil pad. Needless to say it wasn't fitted well or with the correct angles. I wish I had included it in the pics. The stock had a slight curve and the pad didn't so, he filled the gap with black silicone. I had a good time getting the recoil pad off not to mention getting the goo off the stock. I'll square the stock before I install a new Black Pachmire pad. Don't laugh, it will fit him and look kinda like it used to. You can see the right side of the reciever has some pitting, I think this was dad's truck gun.
OH the stories these old guns could tell! I'll never forget the the single shot kids gun with a kinda dragon carved in the side, it was left to rot before I got it. It is now my great nieces favorite gun. If onlt they could talk.
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This is what it might have looked like before the fire. I won't be able to remove all the smoke stain but I'll try to get close without changing the wood to metal fit. I've always thought a little history is a good thing. I'm about half way through with this project, I'm waiting on parts and will fit a recoil pad to it later this week before finish sandinding and oil. I think I'm going to like the case hardened look on the receiver.
I thought about that and bleach. I used the wet cloth and iron to remove scratches and dents before. I'm not sure I want the wood to swell or sand too much especially where I have wood to metal.
Freezer wrote: ↑Sun Aug 09, 2026 11:42 pm
This is what it might have looked like before the fire. I won't be able to remove all the smoke stain but I'll try to get close without changing the wood to metal fit. I've always thought a little history is a good thing. I'm about half way through with this project, I'm waiting on parts and will fit a recoil pad to it later this week before finish sandinding and oil. I think I'm going to like the case hardened look on the receiver.
Look up win 94 blonde stocks.
I dont think it was like the yellow one. That looks like a beech or something. There are pics of blonde walnut stocks that are just real light.
I would talk to him because one light wipe of stain would hide a lot of the smoke damage.
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Pretty sure I used Special Walnut very judiciously bringing the bubba'ed 49-94 back to life.
Last edited by Varmintmist on Fri Aug 14, 2026 3:13 am, edited 1 time in total.
I have minwax "Gunstock" I like to use on restorations but he wants it blond. Not my choice but, not my gun. It belonged to his father and it wants it to look the way it used to or as close as possible. I'm doing this gratis , he a good man and a broke butt.
It's done. I couldn't get all the smoke stain but, it looks OK. I used 10 coats of boiled linseed oil on the wood. I used Van's to blue the metal but the 94 receivers are hard and it didn't set deep, it looks case hardened. I do like the Van's solution better than Oxphoblue. Don't even start about the recoil pad on a 94, it's not my gun! My buddy is recoil sensitive and has a long LOP. Though I didn't photograph it, there was one on it before I got it. Trust me, bubba put it on. I changed the sling swivels to quick change, it added versatlity to this is a truck gun and the clankie, clankie of a fixed sling isn't needed.
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That looks very nice. Im actually surprised the reciever turned out looking color case hardened. Those have alot of nickel content so they were plated to be able to be hot blued. I actually really like the end result.
Justsomedude wrote: ↑Mon Sep 14, 2026 1:53 am
That looks very nice. Im actually surprised the reciever turned out looking color case hardened. Those have alot of nickel content so they were plated to be able to be hot blued. I actually really like the end result.
Yep, what he said! good job on the restoration. Came out a lot nicer than I expected for a gun with the much damage. I don't mind the recoil pad at all. Hey it's not a pristine pre-64 so making it more shootable for the owner is not a bad deal.
Geting the case hardened look took some work. I used a heat gun, a lot of rubbing and multiple coats of Van's. I've used Oxphoblue a lot in the past but a gunsmith friend suggested Van's. I finially found a 4 oz bottle which is all I need for a couple guns now and then. I was at Colonial Williamsburg, Va last week and spoke with the gunsmith there for over an hour, he prefers Laurel Mountian. I may try that next time.
