300s value drop

[woogie_man]

Ok guys I am planning on setting my rifle up for some FT shoots, as well as making it into a hunting rig.

I currently have a Hawke scope coming along with a variety of pellets.  So with the scope mounted I don't plan on using the sights.  I can easily remove the rear sight, though what about the front sight and barrel weight?  Are these easily removable so I don't mess them up out in the field or anything?

Being as I have a small lathe at home, was also thinking of making a muzzle break of some kind for her as well.  Though mounting would be tricky with the barrel weight.

So what I am I going to need to do to remove the front bits, and what am I going to do with the value of the rilfe.  And that being said there are the competition stickers on the side....do these add any value to the rilfe, or am I ok in removing them with out hurting the value of resale?

[Motorhead]

As too muzzle weights, brakes, weights etc ....
Don't screw with it !!!   being only an @ 7-8# power gun likely to screw up the barrel harmonics and loose accuracy.

As for the stickers .... 

One view is AWE ... Wow, rifle has some pedigree being shot in serious competition & must be a good rifle.
Other is Huh ... Stickers ... rifles been around and used in competition, just not the virgin shooter I'm looking for ?

[woogie_man]

Point taken on the muzzle weight.

Is there any way to see what the wood looks like under all of this stain and finish?  I have heard that some of the stocks can have quite nice color and depth to them.  So that may be another way to "make it mine" so to say

[Sfttailrdr46]

Point taken on the muzzle weight.

Is there any way to see what the wood looks like under all of this stain and finish?  I have heard that some of the stocks can have quite nice color and depth to them.  So that may be another way to "make it mine" so to say

My $.02 worth, stickers belong on the plastic Plano gun case you carry it into the competition or the binder that you have all your ballistic and pellet info not the rifle stock, just my opinion not gospel

[woogie_man]

What do you suggest to remove them from the laquer and not hurt them?  Would be cool to keep them atleast with the rifle if not on it.


Would think that Goo Gone will eat through the laquer, and a straight razor blade would chew up the finsih as well.....  Maybe I just need to save up and get a GNIB stock.

[Sfttailrdr46]

  baby oil and 3M green plastic grit cloth should get the stickers off without damaging the wood but you would have to wax the furniture after you were done. Just use a fine grit and don't rub hard

[scrane]

I think that anything you do to a classic gun outside of internal repairs and seals will hurt its value. That said, there are many 300s' around in all kinds of conditions. It is not a rare or especially valuable gun. You have to decide if you are willing to take a hit on resale vs the gun's usefulness to you.
The two German match guns I have came from the factory with a gloomy stain and an unattractive plastic like finish. One of them I have refinished because it had numerous scratches and the other I have left stock. The one I refinished took some work, but ended up looking pretty nice. I was careful to retain the original contours and stippling.
I would recommend that you shoot the gun unaltered for a couple of weeks to get a better idea of what you want.

[Sfttailrdr46]

I think that anything you do to a classic gun outside of internal repairs and seals will hurt its value. That said, there are many 300s' around in all kinds of conditions. It is not a rare or especially valuable gun. You have to decide if you are willing to take a hit on resale vs the gun's usefulness to you.
The two German match guns I have came from the factory with a gloomy stain and an unattractive plastic like finish. One of them I have refinished because it had numerous scratches and the other I have left stock. The one I refinished took some work, but ended up looking pretty nice. I was careful to retain the original contours and stippling.
I would recommend that you shoot the gun unaltered for a couple of weeks to get a better idea of what you want.

probably good advice.

[Sundog]

I would try a hair dryer or heat gun to soften the adhesive and then use some lightweight monofilament fishing line and try to separate the decal from the stock by sawing back and forth.  It won’t work if the sticker adhesive material is very thin.  Then GBG or paint thinner on the remaining adhesive.  The outline of the stickers may still show if they have been on for a while.  After that you could strip and refinish, just a matter of preference.  I wouldn’t want someone else’s stickers on my rifle.  JMO. 

Refinishing a stock is not that difficult and can be very satisfying.  You can likely get an idea of what the wood looks like by removing the action and looking under it.

Good luck.

 

[ac12]

The front sight assembly is held on by a TAPERED pin.
Look VERY CAREFULLY at both sides of the pin. 
One side is larger than the other.   Note which side is smaller.
Support the barrel and front sight, so nothing will move.
Use a BRASS punch on the smaller side of pin and hit the punch with a hammer.  The pin should come out the other side.
Put the front sight assembly into the same box that you put the rear sight.  Labeled very clearly "FWB-300 sights." 
And DO NOT LOOSE THE BOX.

[Bryan Heimann]

I would leave it the heck alone!  And the only "hunt" it would see is in the back yard on pest control duty!  Don't you have another rifle better suited to the field?

[ac12]

As for value

- There is one school that says "leave the stickers alone" as it is part of the history of the gun.
   To these guys, anything you do to remove history will reduce its value.

- There is another school that would refinish the rifle to "look" good.
   To these guys anything you do to make it look good will help its value. 
   They don't care about stickers and history.

In the end it comes down to who will look at and buy the rifle.
But as I've said before, if you loose the sights, you WILL loose a LOT of resale value and a lot of potential buyers.  That is because those sights are not easy to find and when found are expensive.

Have you tried carrying the 300 about?  That is a HEAVY rifle to be lugging around in the field, then add on a heavy scope, ugh.  And field use will sooner or later result in wear, scratches, etc. to the finish.

BTW, the sledge (the sliding upper receiver) was not designed for use in anything other than horizontal angle.  So if you point the rifle up or down, the sledge will not operate as designed, especially pointing up angle.

I forgot your other question, removing the barrel weight.
Forget about removing it.  It is epoxied onto the barrel. 

[woogie_man]

Yah I don't have another rifle to use...already not yet.  The last one that I had I would take to fans and use them there, so not much walking.  Mary attempt to remove the stickers and preserve them with the sights. 

Thanks for the advice guys.  Have to say through the scope these truly are fun to shoot.

[ac12]

Just because you don't have another rifle does not make any more sense to take a 300 into the field.
The 300 is still a HEAVY rifle.  Remove the sights and you may save a 1/2  pound, then add the scope and mount you add maybe 2 pounds.  Then add a muzzle brake to replace the space that the front sight was.  So you are carrying about a 13 pound rifle, without a sling. 
And the 300 is a LOW power rifle that will NOT be able to shove pellets out as fast as say a R9.
Whatever you do to the 300 or want to do, you are limited by its basic design.

Personally, I would stop sinking money into the 300 and get a field rifle.

[woogie_man]

Have hunted with them in the past, really isn't that bad.    Though yes I would like a lighter rifle, been looking at the Tx200.

But for the accuracy they are great, and have taken many small critters with them in the past.

[Sfttailrdr46]

Have hunted with them in the past, really isn't that bad.    Though yes I would like a lighter rifle, been looking at the Tx200.

But for the accuracy they are great, and have taken many small critters with them in the past.

The TX 200 MKIII and Pro Sport sister are both well balanced and Tack drivers You will be happy withe either  or if money is no object get both and have a set of beautiful rifles to play with and one full of stickers to compete with 

[grumpy]

Do you have any pics of the gun. Personally I like the look of the guns with the old match stickers. Now others would say it hurts the value. Id keep it as it is and shoot it.

[woogie_man]

This is the newest pic.   Wouldn't mind selling our trading her so I can get tx200, or something similar.  Wish I had the money to buy that rifle as well as a huntsman....though money is right, so that is a no go.

[robert w]

id leave it alone. but that's me , I have a daisy/Avanti that I got used and it sports a few match win stickers . wish they were not on the gun as the wood is dinged up and needs a little tlc. but they are on it and will stay on it . but hunting with a heavy 300? be too tired to carry your kills and the gun in a half days walk hunting

[ac12]

ps.  If you took off the stickers, I would take $100 off my offering price.
Maybe more if you messed up the finish taking the stickers off.