Figured i would bring back this thread since i decided to put the m44 stock in my car to bleed out the cosmo. It was too hot so the shelac bubbled. That prompted me to strip it with circa 1850 then stain it with minwax gunstock which is very red then finish it with circa danish furniture oil which requires a long dry time. Ive updated the pic. Quite a process to finish the arctic beech wood for sure!
Still have to say M44 way over SKS!!!!!!
First off when it comes down to it I'm fairly new with red rifles, And don't own many other center fires either.
I've had two SKS over the last five years and sold them both last year. It came down to me wanting a side-by-side shotgun and I already fired a crate and got kind of bored of them. I also got to shoot my friends Mosin-Nagant 91/30 and liked it too.
I made a trade to a member here a couple months ago for a late production re-furb M 38 and I have to say it's the most enjoyable rifle ive ever shot. Mind you recoils like a shotgun but with a good artillery hold it's very manageable.
On firing it produces from the muzzle a 2 foot airspace and then a 5 foot fireball. With non-corrosive ammo I get inside the black at 50 yards but I've only shot it on a few outings. Using corrosive it fires 10 inches high at 50 yards. I find non-corrosive cheap enough for the amount you want to shoot it and enjoy yourself.
As for cleaning I took it to the range two weeks ago and fired 50 corrosive rounds. The only cleaning I preformed Was to run several swabs down the barrel with Windex, I then gave it another swab at home let it dry and then stored it with a good layer of penetrating film oil. It's still corrosion free, part of the reason I moved my SKS was the cleaning. The M38 is a very well-built, light and extremely enjoyable Firebreathing dragon of a rifle I'm not really doing a comparison with the SKS it's just in my opinion the best red rifle.(without bayoet and long barrel it's actually the same size as the SKS and lighter) Yes I'm sure the SVT is great in it's own merits but for a simple rifle this is to me is king of all plinkers and may have shot a few nazis to boot.
EDIT: On Mar 17-2016 I swapped the M38 for a 1948 M44 with a refub stock, all the fun except a little heavier with a pig sticker. I also picked up a case of corrosive ammo from Tradex which is all i shoot now. My cleaning regiment has also changed, i get home put on the kettle with a steel bowl. Place the muzzle in the bowl with the bolt and pour water through the barrel from the chamber. I added a tube to a funnel to not slop the water around. I then run patches and hit the bolt and barrel with penetrating oil and then into storage. I use SP3 which used to be called Gibbs from the USA wonderful stuff.
The M44 still makes fireballs but is actually pleasant to shoot with the extra weight of the bayonet. Think i might put some marshmallows on there next time im out.
Still have to say M44 way over SKS!!!!!!
First off when it comes down to it I'm fairly new with red rifles, And don't own many other center fires either.
I've had two SKS over the last five years and sold them both last year. It came down to me wanting a side-by-side shotgun and I already fired a crate and got kind of bored of them. I also got to shoot my friends Mosin-Nagant 91/30 and liked it too.
I made a trade to a member here a couple months ago for a late production re-furb M 38 and I have to say it's the most enjoyable rifle ive ever shot. Mind you recoils like a shotgun but with a good artillery hold it's very manageable.
On firing it produces from the muzzle a 2 foot airspace and then a 5 foot fireball. With non-corrosive ammo I get inside the black at 50 yards but I've only shot it on a few outings. Using corrosive it fires 10 inches high at 50 yards. I find non-corrosive cheap enough for the amount you want to shoot it and enjoy yourself.
As for cleaning I took it to the range two weeks ago and fired 50 corrosive rounds. The only cleaning I preformed Was to run several swabs down the barrel with Windex, I then gave it another swab at home let it dry and then stored it with a good layer of penetrating film oil. It's still corrosion free, part of the reason I moved my SKS was the cleaning. The M38 is a very well-built, light and extremely enjoyable Firebreathing dragon of a rifle I'm not really doing a comparison with the SKS it's just in my opinion the best red rifle.(without bayoet and long barrel it's actually the same size as the SKS and lighter) Yes I'm sure the SVT is great in it's own merits but for a simple rifle this is to me is king of all plinkers and may have shot a few nazis to boot.
EDIT: On Mar 17-2016 I swapped the M38 for a 1948 M44 with a refub stock, all the fun except a little heavier with a pig sticker. I also picked up a case of corrosive ammo from Tradex which is all i shoot now. My cleaning regiment has also changed, i get home put on the kettle with a steel bowl. Place the muzzle in the bowl with the bolt and pour water through the barrel from the chamber. I added a tube to a funnel to not slop the water around. I then run patches and hit the bolt and barrel with penetrating oil and then into storage. I use SP3 which used to be called Gibbs from the USA wonderful stuff.
The M44 still makes fireballs but is actually pleasant to shoot with the extra weight of the bayonet. Think i might put some marshmallows on there next time im out.
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