Remington model 12a restoration

Hey everyone! I inherited a Remington model 12a from my grandpa when he passed. This is the gun that he used to teach me to shoot so it has tremendous sentimental value. I would love to restore it, trouble is I don’t even know where to start. It has minor surface rust and the wood is a little beat up, but overall it’s in pretty good shape. Do I replace the wood stock or refinish what I have? Do I need to send it to a gunsmith to get the bluing redone? Any tips are greatly appreciated.

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I am curious what comes up. I have my grandfathers Winchester model 94 that I’d like to restore. He bought it for $50 right at the end of WWII when firearms were difficult to find.

Cool. I have my great-grandfathers Marlin Model 31. I gave the stock some TLC a few years ago, and I considered re-blueing it, but I decided to leave it as-is. I shoot it occasionally. One of these years, I will probably shoot a pheasant with it, have the bird mounted, and retire the old gun.

Here’s a post I made about it a few years ago. Unfortunately, the pics are no longer hanging around.

Wow. A terrific rifle and a great piece of family and Remington history.

Do you know what year your model is from?

These “takedown” rifles were very popular with traveling sportsmen in the first half of the 20th century. As more people moved off the farm and into cities, they wanted guns that were easy to travel with as many still traveled by train. Remington had the 12, Winchester, Browning, and Savage all had similar pump and autoloading takedown rifles.

I also have a Remington 12A, it was my great grandfather’s rifle. He used to sit in his chair and shoot .22 shorts across the room and into a bullet trap that sat in the formal parlor across the hall. Having met Great Grandma, I could never quite envision her allowing target practice in the house, but so say all the relatives.

Tom, as an FYI the Model 12 is very prone to having the chamber blown out over time, which allows the cartridge case to expand when fired and eventually the rifle will break the extractor. I mention this just so you know, don’t let anyone tell you the rifle is junk should this happen. You can (and I have) had the chamber sleeved which restores function.

Restoration tends to be rather specialized these days. I would contact some of the better old gun dealers like Puglisi’s and ask who they recommend for that specific rifle.

I would keep the original wood if at all possible. Remember, guns of this era were generally oil finished, so while a modern process can be used to simulate the look with better protection, please don’t allow it to be done with a glossy poly look. That is a modern look that isn’t correct for such a pretty little vintage rifle.

To FrancisK, there are loads of old Winchester restoration specialists out there. For your rifle, I would seek out one of them. The key with a specialist is that they will know things like the correct bluing process that was in use at the time your rifle was made rather than just using a generic one size fits all bluing process that will produce the wrong color.

Good restorations these days cost good money, but IMO it’s worth it because a good resto done now will preserve the rifle for 2-3 generations. Think of that! Your great grandchild or great-great grandchild having the opportunity to shoot a rifle that belonged to a forefather from 5-6 generations past. What a legacy.

Grouse