CLEANING AN OLD WINCHESTER MODEL 61 22LR

Just the other day I was asked by a friend of mine to clean up his father in laws first rifle . It was purchased new in the 1950s , so when I looked up the model number I dated its manufacture to 1956. Having never had any experience with this model it was very interesting to learn about how it works. It has a little damage to it that will have to be addressed by a professional gunsmith . The main concern for me was to get it cleaned up and lubricated for storage. This Winchester , after some research is actually a sought after little rifle .

[@anderss6818]

It removes the blueing too!

[@moisesfernandezcifuentes7891]

Me falta la piesa que va en la recamara,donde la puedo conseguir en chile

[@raulmorales9967]

Great job,Lookout squirrels.

[@fakeitormakeit83]

Hey thanks for watching and taking time to drop a comment ! 🙂

[@RGabiola]

Thanks for the great video! I grew up shooting and recently inherited the same rifle. I want to clean and restore mine like you did. When you sanded the forearm, did you sand in between the groves also? They are not very deep but I'm concerned about damaging the shape of them. How did you sand this one and make it look so good? Thank you!

[@fakeitormakeit83]

Hey thanks for watching and taking time to leave a comment!. So with wood on guns each situation is different. But the simple answer is i didnt sand the grooves. I always try to be as least invasive as possible but when the woods finish is to bad you have to remove it. I use a series of scrapers to remove the bulk of the original finish and then steel wool to (sand) now sometimes you have to sand . But if you want to try this yourself i would suggest trying to smooth out the finish with 000 or 0000 steel wool then re oiling with TruOil or a danish oil. As long as you don't get too aggressive sanding you can preserve the grooves . I hope that helps ! Also check out mark novac on youtube he has tons of vodeos on the subject!

[@lifeingeneral9111]

never take rust off, degrease then boil Distilled water In a stainless steel Tank

[@fakeitormakeit83]

Ive never done that, but im no expert lol so does boiling actually remove rust ?

[@HHHDRIVING]

hello, i love this video..sir can you please make me a video on the extractor lower chamber..thank you!!

[@maxwilson6688]

I bought my 61 when I was 11 or 12 years old. I'm now 81 years old. The rifle is in very good condition, as am I, but we could both use a deep cleaning, and the rifle needs refinishing of the wood. I bought it from Montgomery Ward Dept. Store. Saw it in their catalog and after I had gone to the store to actually handle it, I was hooked. Love at first sight. My dad let me buy it using his Wards charge account. I paid $55.15 for it and paid it off at $5.00 per month with money I earned delivering newspapers. It shoots every bit as good today as it did in 1952 and the value of the rifle has gone up unbelievably over the years. You probably know what the value of a 61 is today. Wish all of my investments had done as well. Great job on your video.

[@fakeitormakeit83]

Mey mr max thanks for watching my video and taking time to comment ! I love hearing stories of guns being bought right off the shelf and kept forever! Its fascinating how some firearms will increase in value over the years and become more sought after than others . But its the attention to detail and a keen eye for aesthetics used back then that is not quite as present today . Thanks again !

[@The1jonnyz]

I can't get the receiver screw out of the stock. Any advice how to get that sucker out? I broke 2 screwdriver tips trying. I also cracked the stock on the right side, which will be an easy fix

[@fakeitormakeit83]

Oh man! Yeah sometimes those can be a pain! I have a massive flat blade screw driver that is a beast. And i put the receiver in a padded vice jaw. And slowly with alot of pressure turn the screw. And its also a good idea to squirt some kind of wd40 down in there on top the screw head. Ive seen they make a type of screw driver that you hit with a hammer and it makes a impact type motion to break loose tough screws . Good luck and let me know how it goes !

[@The1jonnyz]

@@fakeitormakeit83 thanks for the reply! Yeah I sprayed Kroil down the hole there, hoping it will end up traveling to the threads. I ground the end of a long screwdriver to provide a tighter fit. Also ground the sides of it flat to make it tighter. I'm going to let it soak a couple of days. It would be nice if you could get to the threads through the receiver somehow!

[@fakeitormakeit83]

@The1jonnyz i wonder if the freezer trick would work on that . Like put it in the freezer for a while then try and break the screw loose 🤔

[@The1jonnyz]

@@fakeitormakeit83 I had a 16" screwdriver that a ground the tip down a bit to make it fit tight. It has a 5/16" shank. I put the driver in and put the wrench on the shank and broke it loose! Got the receiver off and I'm good to go. Just have to repair the crack in the stock. Appreciate your video and your. help! Bought this rusty old girl for $40 from my FFL yesterday. It's a 1962 vintage

[@fakeitormakeit83]

@@The1jonnyz hell yeah ! I totally forgot about using a wrench on the shank!

[@everready19373]

Man I'd love to find a rifle like that.

[@fakeitormakeit83]

I know right !? I wish this one was mine !

[@Jeanie363034]

I have one in near mint--my 87 year old mother gave me hers. It was made in Feb 1947

[@waynehanson5950]

Great job! I really enjoyed your video

[@fakeitormakeit83]

Thanks so much for watching my video and taking the time to comment!

[@wbeimarhincapiemarin9353]

Hola amigo tengo una de esas pero le falta el resorte de tubo y la pieza q dosifica las balas al serrojo

[@wbeimarhincapiemarin9353]

Me podrias mostrar bien como funciona

[@fakeitormakeit83]

The best i can guess from google translation of your comment is that you are missing a part . You can look at numrich gun parts website to maybe find a replacement. Thanks for watching and taking time to comment !

[@martinvolpe2518]

eBay

[@dococc5480]

I have one of these and they are one of the smoothest pump action .22's ever made.

[@fakeitormakeit83]

Your absolutely right! This little 22 is awesome! Thanks for taking time to watch my video and drop me a comment ! I really appreciate it!

[@nickdipaolofan5948]

@@fakeitormakeit83 I own a few model 1890's, a 1906, a 62, and recently bought a model 61. These pump .22's are designed to well and are clearly over-engineered for a .22. I love them. I have heard that the 61 is the king of all the models. I have not shot mine yet, but the fit and finish on it makes me excited to see how it shoots compared to my other models. I'll find out this weekend.

[@fakeitormakeit83]

@@nickdipaolofan5948 Wow! It sounds like you have an awesome collection! I also had the feeling it was a bit over engineered lol i think thats why i liked it so much too lol definitely let me know how it shoots when you try it out ! Also thank you so much for watching and taking the time to comment!

[@nickdipaolofan5948]

@@fakeitormakeit83 Thanks for the reply. Yes, these Winchesters were built during the days of hand fitting and attention to detail. You will never see wood and steel merge together so perfectly as when these were made. Even if they attempted it today, I fear that this kind of hand fitting is a lost art. How does yours shoot? Do you still own it? Yours is looks like it has had a rough life, but I wouldn't be surprised if it still functions flawlessly.

[@nickdipaolofan5948]

@@fakeitormakeit83 Sorry, I just realized this was a friends rifle. scratch my question regarding whether or not you still own it.

[@wessmith6215]

I just had the pleasure of buying a 61 in WCF. Looking forward to cleaning it and putting it on display. Great video!

[@fakeitormakeit83]

Hey thanks for watching and commenting! And congratulations on your new purchase! Thats going to be an awesome project!