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Old December 5, 2013, 12:40 PM   #1
JNad
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Ward Westernfield 600

Okay, I am looking to help a buddy, and need the experience of any out there who have done similar.

I have a buddy who has his Granddad's Ward Westernfield 600a.

I have been helping him nurse it back to health. It was a single shot gun when we started. One look told me it was F-I-L-T-H-Y. So, over a few adult beverages and some good conversation we cleaned it up very thouroughly. It was immediately improved.

By-the-way, I have read in some places that some of these were Remington model 58's rebadged and built on for the budget minded, and that some were 878's rebadged and built for the budget minded. His is an 878 "clone".

Anyway, we shot a round of sporting clays, and it ran, flawlessly, for about 60 rounds. We obviously want it to do better. Dirt was all that stopped it.

So my plan is this: Obviously, clean it very thouroughly again. I have a 58, and I am going to put my spare action spring in his gun to see if maybe the spring is getting a bit weak. Lastly, I want to slick the action up a bit if there is any grit in it.

I propose to to lap the action bars a bit IF NECESSARY. Check the barrel extension where the bolt locks in for any burrs, stone down if they exist, and make sure the bolt parts are all moving freely.

Am I missing anything? Thanks.
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Old December 5, 2013, 04:26 PM   #2
BigJimP
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I don't think you're missing anything obvious....
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but the only Western Field shotgun I know much about ...is one I still have, and its an old 16 ga bolt action / that was given to me in about 1960 as a kid ...and it was used then.../ and that won't help you ....??
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Old December 5, 2013, 04:49 PM   #3
JNad
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Thanks BigJim. I WILL report back, but it may be a little while. My buddy lives in Iowa and I live in Missouri. Thus, it will be a few months before we get together again.

I don't know the history of it's care, but I suspect maybe it got stored with the bolt open and may have compressed the spring a bit - weakening the spring. I remember thinking we had it fixed after we cleaned it thouroughly the first time. I wasn't looking or feeling too carefully for any roughness in the action, but I don't recall any jumping out at me. When it stops, it is JUST BARELY shy of being locked up.

His Dad shot my Model 58, and they both used it to finish the round with, so my 58 ran for well over 100 that day. I would like to get his Ward doing the same, and they are so similar there is no reason to think it wouldn't do it with the proper TLC.
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Old December 5, 2013, 05:00 PM   #4
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I have an old westernfield 20ga. bolt action with poly choke. I haven't a clue about when it was made or by whom. it is a cool squirrel gun since it only cost me $100.00, I like the pump better still though.
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Old December 6, 2013, 01:20 PM   #5
BigJimP
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I'd probably replace the springs / if you can get them somewhere...

and like you said - just a little TLC...and it'll probably be fine.
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Its good to keep these old guns in the family ....but at some point, from a practical standpoint....if it becomes too big a hassle, they become "wall hangers"....and its time to move on to a more modern action in a semi-auto or a pump gun ...since there are a lot of pretty good options out there for under $1,000.

I love old cars, old guns...etc ....../ but at some point...there is newer and better technology out there.../ especially if he just wants a gun to run properly in the field.
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Old December 6, 2013, 02:52 PM   #6
JNad
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I am with you on that last part for sure BigJim. I am looking to add a Franchi Affinity in 20 after the holidays. They are such a natural fit, and couldn't be more simple in terms of operation. GREAT guns for the money.

My buddy likes guitars more than guns, so I am just trying to keep his gun going enough for him to have fun shooting when we go.

I love the old guns, cars, and motorcycles, but I love the new ones too.
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Old December 6, 2013, 06:20 PM   #7
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Good luck on the project -- hopefully you can get your buddies gun up and working 100%.

Last edited by BigJimP; December 6, 2013 at 07:39 PM.
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Old December 14, 2013, 08:29 PM   #8
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I bought a Westernfield/ Wards Model550AD for $100 as a pawn shop. It had a 30 " tube and a 5 shot magazine. The wood was sorta light and I felt it would make a good HD Gun!
I chopped the barrels to 19 1/2" and started shooting it for pratice. Well I have come to find that the shell detent((holds the shells in the Magazine) is either worn down or plain worn out allowing anything over 3 shyells to fall out the bottom of the reciever. Sure the gun ws shot, a lot!
Numrich lists the part under $20. I'd pay a shop to put it in and check the gun out.
At least I have a fully functionl 12 Ga pump untill I get her fixed!
That's why they call them HD gun Projects!
The gun is totally a Mossberg totally reliable!
BPDave
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Old December 17, 2013, 07:03 AM   #9
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It may be a copy, but I don't believe it is a Remington. To the best of my knowledge, Remington has never produced any "store brand" guns. They all say Remington. Ditto for Winchester and Browning. Mossberg, Savage/Fox, High Standard, and Marlin made a bunch of them if memory serves, and some of them represent outstanding values, depending on the model, if you are looking to actually use them and are not a "collector".
P.S - storing properly designed coil springs compressed will not cause them to take a set. Cycling is what wears them out. Different than flat springs, and that's why they got largely replaced.
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Old December 17, 2013, 08:38 AM   #10
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virginian-in-la, I don't disagree with you about the Remington store branding their guns, but i bought a westernfield 16 ga pump second hand back in 1970, and the plastic butt plate had the Remington logo on it. True a butt plate is easily replaced, but this one fit perfectly to the stock, and did not look altered to fit. No where else on the gun showed any evidence of Remington. But maybe if the butt plate is original then maybe at least they supplied some parts.
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Old December 17, 2013, 09:41 AM   #11
Cowboy_mo
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virginian-in-la, I don't know about Remington but I definitely disagree with you about Winchester.

My brother had a "Ted Williams aka Sears" .30-06 that was identical to a Win Model 70 and multiple gun experts agreed it was mfg. by Winchester. Ditto for the "Ted Williams shotgun he owned that was identical to a Win model 1200.
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Old December 17, 2013, 10:42 AM   #12
JNad
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See the History of Remington Firearms by Roy Marcot, page 120. This particular model of Ward Westernfield was made by Remington between 1967 and 1969.
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Old December 17, 2013, 07:28 PM   #13
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Live and learn I guess. I did know about those Winchesters for Sears but had forgotten.
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Old December 31, 2013, 03:42 PM   #14
JNad
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I finally got together with my buddy. We cleaned it all up. The bolt was running fine, but Holy cow were the action bars tight. I did not find any burrs, and everything was very smooth, but MAN was it tight. Thus, we lapped the action bars in, and I went ahead and installed a new action spring. I think we could still do some more lapping, but I find it best to do a little too little rather than a little too much.

We didn't shoot, so I won't know how much we improved it, but It was markedly better just in feel when we were done.
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