How do I make my Mosin 91/30 "red" again?

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Okay so I picked up a cheapy 91/30 made in 1943 for $150. I thought I could make it look better by cleaning and refinishing the stock with linseed oil. Now it just looks weird because it's orange-yellow-brown. I wish I would have left well enough alone, at least it's not a sniper or octagon receiver. Any idea on a good stain to get it looking more red, the way it came? Maybe I will just sell it and get another...
 
The Russians used shellac but if you plan to use that you may have to add a little red to make it look right.
 
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Red paint will obscure the grain which you might not want to do. Depending on the linseed oil you used (was it "boiled"?), you should wait a while before any film coats like paint or shellac. I'd just tint some polymerized tung oil with a red-brown stain to get more colour. Like what I did to my SKS earlier this year when I wanted it more red:

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/foru...wly-updated-SKS-wood-stock-refinishing-thread
 
I think mixing a stain with a paint is a dumb idea but anyway, if you do it, use oil based paint with oil based stain, water based with water based, or you will have a very big mess on your hands.... also, you can get tinted stain in whatever color you like.
i'd probably just sand it and paint it a solid color and shoot it, or post a WTB ad for a replacement stock, i'm sure someone has one.
 
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Haha.. okay, not going for THAT much red! I didn't want to ruin the wood grain, so I am just restaining now with some dark mahogany over the BLO and so far it's looking very much how I got it (only cleaner). Maybe I'll post some pics when I'm done but pretty much just looks like a 1943 Izhevsk Mosin 91/30 and I am happy with that!
 
Antique cherry wood stain gives the stock that nice reddish hue and does not obscure the cartouche marks as paint would do. So long as you don't sand the cartouches off during the refinishing process.
 
You have to use the right shellac. You'll have to buy the dried flakes and dissolve/mix it yourself. Check on ebay for "garnet" shellac. It's actually the roughest/cheapest grade, makes sense on mosins. Make sure you buy dewaxed shellac.
 
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