[Horse'nround]

Sweet little gun. Mine is a 71' in 30-30. They're nice guns to have just because of the history. My vote is Don't touch it. Love it for what is. Every mark is a story, whether you know the story or not when you pick it up it talks to you.
I got to hold an 86' once at a gun show. OOoooo! Makes me shudder just thinking about it. I guess the owner could tell I was dying to touch it. He said go ahead and pick it up. It was standing up in the original finger jointed wood box with the Winchester name still on it and box of UMC 45-90's at the bottom, the lead bullets were fuzzy white with time. A well worn leather saddle scabbard was on the table in front of it with a placard telling its story. When my hand touched the forearm it was like an electric shock went through me. The rifle was covered with patina and the octagon barrel heavily pitted and had some smooth ware marks from the scabbard. As the story goes, the guy is the 4th generation owner. His great grandfather got the gun in 1887 in either Texas or Oklahoma to work a cattle drive. He drove cattle form Texas to Montana in to the late 1890's before getting his own ranch in Wyoming. I couldn't begin to imagine the stories that gun could tell. To hold a of piece history like that!! Coolest day at a gun show EVER!!

Don't take away it's stories.