Stolen Rifle Recovered 15 years later

[Moserkr]

Hey y'all,

I am back in possession of my Remington 700 30.06, after not seeing it for 15+ years. It was stolen when I was young, early 20's. It's in ok shape, please take a look at the pictures. The rifling in the barrel is good, just dirty. I haven't cleaned it yet. One big gouge in the wood, lots of knicks n scratches, and minimal surface rust.

I want to refinish the stock, take it apart and clean it up really nice. Should i glass bed the barrel? Never done that before but I have the materials and confidence for such a thing. Thinking about leaving it with iron sights but i may put a different scope on it again. Current scope is a bushnell 3200.

Any suggestions on the best way to fix that gouge and refinish the stock? Suggestions in general on what I should do? Doesnt have to be perfect. Stripping the wood down and oiling it instead of the gloss finish was my thought. I think some of the work @p_ham has done gave me that idea. Are the blackish end pieces plastic, and how do you get the knicks/scratches out of that stuff?

Appreciate the input and looking forward to shooting this rifle again.

Thanks,
Moserkr

 

[perma]

Holy cow, you can’t just leave us hanging without telling us the story.

Sweet rifle, my dad has the same exact one, down to the cartridge.

 

[fowladdict]

Do tell how you recovered it.

 

[Gr8bawana]

Just clean it up real good and put a good scope on it. Use that Bushnell for pounding tent stakes.

 

[Moserkr]

Sorry! I didnt think much of the story. I was in college at the time living off campus. My father bought me this rifle, my first one. I took it hunting a few times but was never taught how to big game hunt, I learned that on my own years later. So I never shot anything with this rifle. I was out n about one day and came home to a kicked in front door, a bunch of my possessions missing. I only had 3 guns at the time, 2 were taken, this rifle and a weatherby 12ga o/u. I knew who did it because they left their cell phone at my house, but it was a friend of a friend, and he was kind of a drifter type. Made the police report and forgot about it.

15+ years later, I get a letter in the mail from a sheriff's department saying the rifle has been recovered. I jumped through a lot of hoops, paperwork, and fees, then 2 months later picked it up.

I checked the arrest records for the county it was stolen in. Only one person within a few months of the recovery was arrested for possession of a stolen firearm. She was a native lady that went off res with a car full of loaded/stolen firearms, likely including mine. Guessing the gun was traded around for drugs. But its back in my hands! Not a glorious recovery story, cops just got lucky to find it one day.

 

[Moserkr]

Just clean it up real good and put a good scope on it. Use that Bushnell for pounding tent stakes.

Haha its a bushnell 3200 elite firefly so you can light up the reticles with a flashlight, they glow green. Its in good shape but yes, I will put my leupold on it if anything.

 

[FairWeather]

Congrats on getting it back. I had an 870 express stolen about 8 years ago. Filed the police report, but I don’t expect to ever hear back about it. Honestly when I called it in the police dept. sounded like they couldn’t care less.

 

[Moserkr]

Thanks @FairWeather Pretty much. Second time my house was broken into (different one), more guns stolen, the city cops didnt care one bit. They even had the plates from the car used in the crime, and talked with the owners of it. No arrests. No recovery of property. Wouldnt give me the address so I could do their job. I have a lot more respect for the sheriffs and highway patrol out here, they dont mess around. Pure luck I got it back, you just never know. At least I have a nice safe now to store stuff in.

 

[perma]

Sorry! I didnt think much of the story.

We’re some selfish SOB’s that like a good story, lol. Thanks for sharing, happy to see it come full circle.

 

[buckbull]

cool ending. i didn't think folks ever got their stolen firearms back.

 

[Dave N]

Think you talked about this before? Kinda remember the Indian woman part.

 

[Moserkr]

Think you talked about this before? Kinda remember the Indian woman part.

Yea I think i mentioned that in the my first rifle thread a month back or so. Just got my hands on the rifle today.

 

[Moserkr]

All cleaned up and oiled. I remounted the bushnell scope since the bases were loose. Completely disassembled to get all the rust. Just a tiny spot of pitting on the barrel. Rifling is great though, happy about that. Action is tight, smooth. Will start doing my homework on how to refinish the stock and any other upgrades I should do. Next non-rainy day I will take her down the road to the woods for a shoot.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Just clean it up real good and put a good scope on it. Use that Bushnell for pounding tent stakes.

Bushnell elite line up was made in japan and would probably hold up just as well as most folk's darling scope brand.

I'd maybe upgrade those rings though! Never had rings like that but I've had a lot of rifles come through with similar rings that seem to have a floating zero when i'm working public sight in day at my local private range.

 

[Moserkr]

@Wind Gypsy you are correct, scope is made in Japan. Will keep it and use it for now, but will likely end up on another rifle. Surprisingly good glass for its price point at the time. The scope is the original I put on it, as are the rings. Not a fan of the rings either, but that was my Dad's idea at the time. The idea of seeing under the scope to use the iron sights is cool, but in reality it doesnt work well.

 

[cahunter805]

That’s pretty cool getting the rifle back. I would think the only way to fix that gouge is with some wood filler or sawdust mixed with glue to make a filler. If you go this route I would fill it using a couple thin layers also.
I agree on switching the bases and rings to something more stout also.

 

[Moserkr]

Thanks @cahunter805 The gouge doesnt really bother me right now since its position is out of the way of normal use. The filler idea is good but would it show that its been filled is my question. Id rather have the scar vs an obvious filled in spot.

As far as bases and rings go, I have a nice set on my other cheap rifle with a decent leupold scope. Plan is to swap to the leupold scope. But, has anyone done the quick detach bases with success? Id love to be able to use iron sights or the scope without losing my zero. I hunt some thick country for deer/bear and that would be handy.

 

[p_ham]

The dents you can steam out with a damp towel and iron. Try to get them at least 90% before you do any sanding.

The gouges in the checkering can be filled with a mixture of superglue and sawdust. You can either get your sawdust from under the recoil pad or find a piece of wood that is a close match color wise. Once they're re-cut and refinished you'll barely be able to tell.

The scratches in the walnut and ebony tips can be sanded out. The chunk out of the grip cap will take some work to blend but should turn out fine. Sanding scratches really show in the ebony so you'll have to take those to 2000grit likely.

The big gouge in the butt would have to get an inlay. It looks like its deep enough that it would take some heavy reshaping to go away, then your stock lines would be wonky.

 

[mtmuley]

Thanks @cahunter805 The gouge doesnt really bother me right now since its position is out of the way of normal use. The filler idea is good but would it show that its been filled is my question. Id rather have the scar vs an obvious filled in spot.

As far as bases and rings go, I have a nice set on my other cheap rifle with a decent leupold scope. Plan is to swap to the leupold scope. But, has anyone done the quick detach bases with success? Id love to be able to use iron sights or the scope without losing my zero. I hunt some thick country for deer/bear and that would be handy.

I bet you could kill stuff with that rifle as is for a long time. mtmuley

 

[Brittany Chukarman]

I'd send that off to p ham. It would be just like getting a new rifle again and starting all over. A new legacy.