Fun little Winchester 1890 project

[JDHasty]

I bought a color case hardened Third Model 1890 action from an acquaintance and was owed a nice stock blank set.  The stock carver called and said he had a butt stock that he thought I would appreciate that had real nice looking wood, but that the guy that ordered it would probably reject it due to it having knots in it.  It pays to establish a relationship with outfits you trade with, they know you and what you would like. Knots have never bothered me. 

The inletting went well and the wood has a couple seal coats of 50/50 polyurethane/mineral spirits and three or four coats of Pro Custom oil finish on it currently.  It will get another 25-30 coats, but is already starting to show its stuff.  The grain in the pump handle is really nice, the wood has an open grain though. Although it doesn’t look like much now, the grain will slowly but surely fill in and it will end up looking nice.  I don’t wet sand my oil finishes, I have nothing against it, but I just do things my way and slowly fill in the pores and grain. 

Anyway, I’m just getting going on this project.  I have some custom barrels in 22 LR on order that will probably not be delivered until the fall.  They will be octagon, top flat matted full length w/the squiggly pattern Winchester used back in the day.  Correct roll markings, but w/o dovetails cut for the magazine rings or sights.  I intend to use all four on custom Model 90 projects that will have a tang sight, so we won’t be cutting a rear sight dovetail.  I’m not sure if any will be cut down and used to make youth rifles with non standard length magazine tube, so we will cut the turn in dovetails for the magazine rings when that is decided. 

This first rifle will have a straight grip and crescent butt plate, at least a couple we will bend the lower tang to fit a pistol grip stock and fit a shotgun butt plate to. 

[JDHasty]

I like to bed steel butt plates so that if/when the rifle is dropped on a solid surface the entire impact load isn’t taken up by the thin edges of the wood that are the only thing in contact with the butt plate. 

I’ll put a little dab of brown Pro Bed in the void at the bend next time I have some mixed for another project.  The void doesn’t show when the butt plate is on, but it won’t hurt to fill it anyway.  The mud line is so thin around the entire butt plate that you really have to look for it to see it.  I’ll get some photos next time I have it put together. 

Pretty snazzy looking receiver.  I like it anyway. 

[Twispriver]

I really enjoy your threads. Thanks for sharing

[wadu1]

I really enjoy your threads. Thanks for sharing

You can say that again, I've looked at the wood three times now.

[Skillet]

I really enjoy your threads. Thanks for sharing

You can say that again, I've looked at the wood three times now.

 
You could maintain an OnlyFans account with that furniture.

[Alchase]

I like to bed steel butt plates so that if/when the rifle is dropped on a solid surface the entire impact load isn’t taken up by the thin edges of the wood that are the only thing in contact with the butt plate. 

I’ll put a little dab of brown Pro Bed in the void at the bend next time I have some mixed for another project.  The void doesn’t show when the butt plate is on, but it won’t hurt to fill it anyway.  The mud line is so thin around the entire butt plate that you really have to look for it to see it.  I’ll get some photos next time I have it put together. 

Pretty snazzy looking receiver.  I like it anyway. 

That Receiver is really cool, and that stock has incredible grain.

[JDHasty]

I’m glad people get something out of these posts.  I have a couple more 1890 projects coming up. 

I’ve got some decent 1890/1906 actions. I’m almost always fiddling around with 1890s/1906s.  I’m going to get a couple pistol grip stock blank sets headed my way, one feather crotch Walnut and one fiddleback maple.  Once I get the stock blanks I’ll have John Taylor bend the lower tangs on a couple trigger guards and weld a stud on them. 

I think half nickel on the Walnut one and full rust blue on the maple one.  No rings on the pump handle on either.  I’m still making up my mind on crescent vs shotgun butt plate.  Once my mind is made up I can get that moving. 

I’ve also got a couple nice Stevens Favorite actions that I’ll be doing something with.  The little Stevens make up into a cute little rifle. 

[JDHasty]

Making progress.  Not much to do other than wait on my barrels at this point.  I talked to the stock blank carver the other day, he is looking for just the right wood for my pistol grip stock sets.  I’ll get the butt plate off to be color case hardened when I send other stuff to be blued. 

[Dan-o]

Really nice work, Dan.

[JDHasty]

Thank you. 

1890’s and its derivatives 1906, 62 & 62a are attractive in a lot of ways.  They are affordable and make up into a very nice looking rifle, but what I really like about them is that if we are at the range we can have lever actions, semi auto, bolt action and whatever else and people seem to gravitate to them for some reason.  I think it is referred to as fun factor.