February 5, 2013, 11:27 PM | #1 |
Member
Join Date: October 2, 2011
Location: ID.
Posts: 89
|
To repair or not?
My father gave me his weatherby vanguard 270, (howa) in the 1990's. It got run over, barrel bent, stock broke and scope ruined. My son has been wanting me to get it fixed because it was his grandfathers. There is a recall on the bolt but it was a verry accurate rifle before this happened. Any advise or comments?
|
February 5, 2013, 11:41 PM | #2 |
Senior Member
Join Date: November 6, 2011
Location: Burien,WA
Posts: 897
|
Wet,
if the vanguard 270 is going to be a true family heirloom, then i say yes get it fixed.
__________________
Rugers:SR1911 CMD,MK 3 .22lr 6",Sec. Six '76 liberty .357 4",SRH .480 Ruger 7.5",Mini-14 188 5.56/.233 18.5", Marlins: 795 .22lr 16.5",30aw 30-30 20",Mossberg:Mav. 88 Tact. 12 ga, 18.5",ATR 100 .270 Win. 22",S&W:SW9VE 9mm 4",Springfield:XD .357sig 4", AKs:CAI PSL-54C, WASR 10/63, WW74,SLR-106c |
February 5, 2013, 11:41 PM | #3 |
Senior Member
Join Date: March 5, 2008
Location: Sunny California
Posts: 1,281
|
I think it would basically cost you what the rifle is worth to fix it. It would be the price of a barrel, which isn't too much, and a new stock plus gunsmith fees and a scope.
I'd fix it if it were me. Or just transfer it to your son when he is older and let him fix it.
__________________
There is no such thing as a stupid question, only stupid people. |
February 5, 2013, 11:58 PM | #4 |
Senior Member
Join Date: January 16, 2013
Posts: 211
|
The recall only aplies if the bolt was removed and put back wrong.
Sent from my CZ85 Combat |
February 6, 2013, 02:06 AM | #5 | |
Member
Join Date: August 23, 2006
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 53
|
Quote:
If you decide to part with the gun, I'd be interested in the action. |
|
February 6, 2013, 05:47 AM | #6 |
Senior Member
Join Date: December 14, 2012
Location: Southern Appalachian Mtns
Posts: 1,520
|
You can buy a brand new Howa Barreled action for under 400 bucks, and the complete rifle w/ a cheap scope for not much more than that. So unless just the action itself has sentimental value, you'd be money ahead to go with a new Howa.
On the other hand... If you wanted to do a custom build off the Howa/Weatherby action you already have, you would spend more but would have a nicer end result. That would also open up a ton of options for caliber choice as anything based off a .30-06 would work by just rebarreling.
__________________
DEO VINDICE |
February 6, 2013, 06:41 AM | #7 |
Senior Member
Join Date: September 27, 2012
Posts: 397
|
Make a deal with your son. You spring for a rebarreling job and a semi inletted stock unfinished stock if he will study up on the processes of bluing (or whatever finish he likes best) and stock finishing and then let him complete the rifle. This will take awhile so you can put off getting a scope till the rest is finished.
I'd stick with the .270 chambering, unless you already have a .270 in the family and want something of larger or smaller bore. Let the son decide on caliber, unless you run on a great deal on a take off barrel or something on sale. The better the barrel you chose the better the finished rifle will be. If your son is really interested in shooting you might want to look into getting and action wrench and making a barrel vice, then you can oversee his cranking on the barrel. Finish reaming may be necessary. |
February 6, 2013, 07:04 AM | #8 |
Senior Member
Join Date: March 5, 2009
Location: NY
Posts: 317
|
Hmmm, I wonder how much the factory would charge to make it right??
|
February 6, 2013, 07:11 AM | #9 |
Junior member
Join Date: February 2, 2010
Posts: 6,846
|
By the time you rebarrel, restock, and rescope, it won't really be the same rifle. If it were me in this spot, I'd just remove the ruined parts and put the action away until Son decides he wants some specific rifle and then let him have it rebuilt as he wants it.
I've gifted my Grandsons with new, unused Mauser actions so they can decide what type and caliber of rifle they want after they've reached an age to understand that the action is the "heart" of the rifle and so I have given them part of my own "heart". |
February 6, 2013, 09:20 AM | #10 |
Senior Member
Join Date: June 15, 2008
Location: Georgia
Posts: 10,804
|
Think of this as an opportunity to build a custom rifle. I'd have a gunsmth install a high quality aftermarket barrel, probably in a cool, unusual chambering such as 280, or 338-06. I'd then have it restocked in a McMillan Edge in the Sako Classic style.
|
February 6, 2013, 11:37 AM | #11 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 5, 2010
Location: Santa Fe, NM
Posts: 474
|
bent barrel?
it's ruined. put it in the back of the safe and start afresh. |
February 6, 2013, 12:02 PM | #12 |
Senior Member
Join Date: December 11, 2009
Location: Northern California
Posts: 1,766
|
Take it to your gunsmith and see what it'll cost before deciding of course but if your son wants it as an heirloom, how can you say no to that without justification!
|
February 6, 2013, 12:22 PM | #13 |
Senior Member
Join Date: November 18, 2005
Location: On the Santa Fe Trail
Posts: 8,239
|
Here are some prices for you to think about, $400-700 is the cost to rebarrel back to .270 Win or other .30-06 based cartridge. Replace the stock minimum $100 for a Boyd's. Scope of decent quality around $200 plus another $50 minimum for bases and rings. You are looking at a minimum of $750 to get the rifle up and running again.
You can probably buy a new Vanguard S2 and scope it for that or you can pick up a new Savage 11 THXP with Nikon Prostaff scope and pocket a $200 savings. You can possibly pocket even more money if you go with a Ruger American or Marlin XL/XS rifles. I'd have a GS check it out and make sure the action isn't tweaked as well, before you make a decision on what to do with the action. Then pick your poison, you have a good action to build a decent custom rifle on. Sell the action you have about $250-300 down payment on a different rifle, or at least that amount to put in your pocket.
__________________
NRA Life Member |
February 6, 2013, 01:13 PM | #14 |
Member In Memoriam
Join Date: March 17, 1999
Posts: 24,383
|
If I wanted to fix that rifle, I would call Weatherby and talk to them before going to a local gunsmith or trying a DIY fix.
Ultimately, it becomes a matter of balancing the repair cost against the sentimental value of the rifle. And that is not something I can advise you on. Jim |
February 6, 2013, 02:20 PM | #15 |
Senior Member
Join Date: February 13, 2006
Location: Washington state
Posts: 15,248
|
As taylorce1 said, if the barrel is bent and the stock ruined, there is a chance that the action is bent as well. For the cost of fixing that rifle up (even using cheap components), you could go out and buy a new one. Or buy a used one "just like Grampa's" and have some cash left over.
Stock- $100-$300 Barrel- $100-$300 Thread/chamber/crown- $100 Blue- $100 Scope & bases- $200-$600 Total $600-$1,000++ Cost of a new Weatherby Vanguard combo- $500
__________________
Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services |
February 6, 2013, 03:28 PM | #16 |
Senior Member
Join Date: December 14, 2004
Location: Maine
Posts: 3,694
|
I agree with sending it back to the factory, if they'll do the work. They might, if you tell them the story.
Otherwise, I'd just buy a similar rifle to celebrate the grandfather's use of that kind of rifle and have the grandfather's name engraved on it. |
February 6, 2013, 07:34 PM | #17 |
Senior Member
Join Date: August 1, 2010
Location: Tampa Bay
Posts: 4,556
|
Why not? Even if it didn't have sentimental value, their actions are known to be pretty smooth, and accurate out of the box.
I don't take it as a "given" that because the barrel got run over, that the action got bent.. Depends on where the tire ran over the barrel, and how much if any stress was placed on the action. Look, building a rifle off an action is done everyday...especially us DIY'ers that use Savage actions. Only "issue", and it really isn't one...is the metric barrel threads, it's just a matter of finding a smith that doesn't mind metric. Get a nice blank, have it threaded and chambered. Depending on your son's interests, and how close to what "Grandpa" had it he wants it, it might be an opportunity for a caliber change if one would be beneficial. Is it going to cost more than a new factory rifle? Sure... but you could take advantage of the opportunity to build a semi-custom with a trued action, match-grade barrel (could go with a varmint barrel if target is his game) and it would be something that could shoot better than him for a long time to come...and then hand down to his son. Either way, unless you're sure the action is toast (and like I said, I really doubt that's the case unless it got run over directly) hold on to it, it may be a project he'd want to undertake himself when he's older. Handing down firearms, is steeped in American tradition. |
February 6, 2013, 08:14 PM | #18 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: June 15, 2008
Location: Georgia
Posts: 10,804
|
Quote:
For around $1,000 he could have a full blown custom rifle with a match grade barrel and a custom stock built to his specs. It would be far better than any out of the box $500 Vanguard and a bargain considering he already owns the action. I say go big or not at all. That assumes the action wasn't damaged. If it were, I'd take it to the nearest gun buy back program. |
|
February 6, 2013, 08:39 PM | #19 |
Senior Member
Join Date: December 10, 2012
Posts: 6,164
|
Fix it if its sentimental. From a dollars and cents standpoint it is much cheaper to replace.
|
February 6, 2013, 09:11 PM | #20 |
Senior Member
Join Date: October 25, 2001
Location: Alabama
Posts: 18,532
|
I agree with Picher.
Send it to Weatherby with a sad story of Grandpa's Gun Run Over and they might discount rebuilding it with whatever parts are salvageable. If they won't, put the wreckage on a plaque and hang it on the wall. |
February 6, 2013, 09:29 PM | #21 | |
Member
Join Date: August 23, 2006
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 53
|
Quote:
|
|
February 7, 2013, 09:51 AM | #22 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: November 18, 2005
Location: On the Santa Fe Trail
Posts: 8,239
|
Quote:
I wouldn't send it back to the factory, it will cost as much if not more than a new rifle in most cases. I really doubt they would warranty the rifle since running it over isn't a manufacturing defect. I've tried a time or two to buy factory parts to.change something on my Savage and Remington rifles (mainly stocks) and they wanted ½ as much as I spent on the rifles.
__________________
NRA Life Member Last edited by taylorce1; February 7, 2013 at 11:03 PM. |
|
February 7, 2013, 12:36 PM | #23 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: December 14, 2004
Location: Maine
Posts: 3,694
|
Quote:
Before sending, you should ask the factory how much it would cost to fix, given the known problems. If it's more than a new rifle, consider getting a new one. Don't forget that shipping and handling will also cost between $25 and $100 each way. Reminds me about the guy who had his grand-dad's ax. He'd replaced the blade twice and the handle four times, but he maintained it was the same ax! |
|
February 7, 2013, 12:50 PM | #24 |
Senior Member
Join Date: August 5, 2012
Location: Carthage, NY
Posts: 231
|
Toss the damaged one, buy a new Howa and tell your son you got it fixed...Looks just like new!
Probably be a wash on the money spent and your son gets a newer (better?) rifle out of it. And you will have something to grin about every time he takes it out or talks about it. Grandpa won't care...he might even get a laugh out of it. |
February 9, 2013, 12:59 PM | #25 |
Senior Member
Join Date: December 10, 2012
Posts: 6,164
|
Lie to your kid. Wonderful advice?
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
|