New Project: Westernfield Model 30

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DocRock
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New Project: Westernfield Model 30

Post by DocRock »

From 1946 - 1948, Stevens made the Westernfield Model 30 for Montgomery Ward using the wartime 520a reciever, with high grade checkered maple and civilian length barrels, mainly 28" like mine, which is choked Full. So this is the same receiver as the famed 520a, built extensively in WWII both as a trench gun (20.5" barrel with heat shield and bayonet lug) and for anti-aircraft gunnery training with longer barrels.

This JM Browning design is sophisticated and elegant with the takedown feature. The machining on the receiver is amazing, giving a strong lock up. The heft of the receiver is impressive.

The wood is knackered. Stock is broken and missing chunks at the top tang on both sides and the forend has a hole in it. The metal is in better shape and the receiver has cleaned up nicely. The barrel bore is brighf , shiny, and uniform. On the inside. On the outside, something was done to it that caused a pronounced line and several patches of discoloration in an otherwise nicely patina'd plum coloration.

I have ordered new wood and I'm pretty sure this going to get the faux trench gun treatment, but I want to work harder on the barrel first to see if it can be recovered.

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Bill in Oregon
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Re: New Project: Westernfield Model 30

Post by Bill in Oregon »

Great project, Doc. I have played with three or four from this same tribe, including the earlier "humpbacks. I agree that takedown feature is ingenious.
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DocRock
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Re: New Project: Westernfield Model 30

Post by DocRock »

After a lot of work de-rusting and cleaning this gub up, the receiver is looking pretty nice - lots and lots of time with the steel wool and a bit of Oxpho blue to help even the finish out.
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The barrel however has some irreparable (at least by me) discoloration - a big line along the top of the barrel, several patches around the mag tube clamp, and some quite unsightly patched around the muzzle. That's even after several hours with emery cloth and steel wool.
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.45colt
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Re: New Project: Westernfield Model 30

Post by .45colt »

This is a really cool project !! can't wait to see this one finished. :D .
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DocRock
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Re: New Project: Westernfield Model 30

Post by DocRock »

Well, I've had another good go at the barrel. I can't entirely get rid of the discoloration, but I browned it and let it scale up a bit, then went at it hard again with steel wool and hit it with Dychrophan. That brought out a nice rich plum color. The line is still there but less pronounced. I've ordered the heat shield and bayonet lug. Won't decide until I get it whether to cut it or send it to Mike Orlen to either open the choke up to LM or thread it for screw chokes.
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DocRock
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Re: New Project: Westernfield Model 30

Post by DocRock »

Waiting for the last, hopefully, coat of Waterlox to cure and I should have a pic of the much better looking gun assembled tomorrow.

Found a knackered IC 28" barrel that should be on the way now, that I will cut down, plum blue, and fit the heat shield to - it needs reaming to fit the Stevens barrel. So, I will keep the original barrel, now much better looking, but I'm having it sent to barrel guru Mike Orlen to lengthen and polish the forcing cone to take some of the kick out of the old gun, and having the barrel threaded for Invector chokes. That will give me an original 28" barrel with screw in chokes for birds and a cut down cyl bore faux " trench gun" barrel for hoots and giggles. :D
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GunnyMack
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Re: New Project: Westernfield Model 30

Post by GunnyMack »

Why not have both barrels threaded for tubes? I would just because you are already having both barrels worked on. Besides you might find a bit of choke benefits that short barrel. Cylinder bore is great and does well but I have an O/U that I put together from a box of parts and it has 24" barrels and no chokes. The wall thickness isn't enough to cut threads in. It's a good skeet gun, fair for sporting clays but not a distance gun for sure. Just my 2 cents.
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Rube Burrows
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Re: New Project: Westernfield Model 30

Post by Rube Burrows »

Great project. Looks like it will be a fun one.
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DocRock
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Re: New Project: Westernfield Model 30

Post by DocRock »

The “semi” finished stocks needed a lot of fit and finish. Still needs another couple of coats of Waterlox.

I’ll be doing the refinish and cut on the shorty barrel, and fitting the the heat shield which will need reaming, as the Stevens barrel is a little larger OD than the Winchester 97 barrel that the heat shield was made for. Plus, with the barrel cut short, there is almost certainly not enough barrel wall to thread for screw chokes. The original barrel is choked quite full and there’s plenty of material for threading.
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Bill in Oregon
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Re: New Project: Westernfield Model 30

Post by Bill in Oregon »

Congratulations on a great save. I always found these pumps to come up for me as well as the Auto 5s -- in other words, perfectly.
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GunnyMack
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Re: New Project: Westernfield Model 30

Post by GunnyMack »

You might be surprised how much wall thickness is there at your cut, also there are thin wall tubes ( or were) on the market. Looks like the Ol girl has cleaned up very well!
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Pitchy
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Re: New Project: Westernfield Model 30

Post by Pitchy »

Cool for sure, looking great. 8)
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DocRock
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Re: New Project: Westernfield Model 30

Post by DocRock »

GunnyMack wrote: Thu Mar 05, 2020 5:55 am You might be surprised how much wall thickness is there at your cut, also there are thin wall tubes ( or were) on the market. Looks like the Ol girl has cleaned up very well!
Good advice. I'll measure when I make the cut.
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DocRock
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Re: New Project: Westernfield Model 30

Post by DocRock »

So, I sent the original barrel out to Mike Orlen, and in a nine day from me to him and back turn-around, he threaded it for Invector chokes (which I already have) and lengthened and polished the forcing cone.

Finally got to shoot it. Took the teenager out to shoot sporting clays and broke birds at four stations with it. I had put a slip-on Pachmayr decelerator pad on it, and LOP was way too long. There is a lot of drop at comb in the stock and I was worried about that but sight line along a barrel with no rib was perfect. Even with the recoil pad off, the kick was fine but LOP is at the limit and the left hand is pretty far out on that corn cob. Will have to shorten the stock.

Next, get going on cutting the second barrel and fitting the heat shield.
.45colt
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Re: New Project: Westernfield Model 30

Post by .45colt »

Great Job!! :mrgreen: .
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DocRock
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Re: New Project: Westernfield Model 30

Post by DocRock »

Pursuant to a good suggestion, I obtained all the forend hardware and wood so that I can assemble the second barrel as a true switch barrel, ready to slide into the receiver and run.

Took everything back to bare metal today and re-blued it and for started on the wood which is deeply impregnated with oil and absolutely black. Will take a few days of stripping and degreasing.
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DocRock
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Re: New Project: Westernfield Model 30

Post by DocRock »

Finally got the second barrel cut down, had to have it turned down slightly on a lathe to fit the Win ‘97 heat shield, fitted it all up, and now have two complete barrel assemblies 28” threaded for chokes and the faux ‘trench gun’.
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gamekeeper
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Re: New Project: Westernfield Model 30

Post by gamekeeper »

Interesting thread on a great project..... :D
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