Mosin Nagant shellac repair

[MosinMan13]

I have a Mosin Nagant M38, it has to be one of my favourite rifles, and that combined with surplus ammo being so affordable has me often shooting the finish right off the stock. Mostly from heat, I see the shellac boiling right off the hand guard and receiver area fairly commonly, leaving a dull area of almost bare stock where it used to be.

My question is for anyone here who has or knows a resource for refinishing the stock without stripping it right down if possible? I’ve heard of people use denatured alcohol and a cotton rag to buff the finish back but I’ve not had luck with it. Is there a Soviet method? Or any restoration gurus tricks to repairing the finish without taking the history from this old girl?

Can ad pictures if needed, thanks in advance.

 

[MattE93]

Are you sure it’s the shellac boiling off and not cosmo/oil in the stock sweating out? If it is indeed the shellac you can blend it by applying new shellac to the area and rubbing it kind of. The denatured alcohol in the new shellac will melt the old shellac and blend the new and old together

 

[MosinMan13]

So I just apply it to the area it’s worn off of or the whole stock? I’m sure it’s not cosmoline, I’ve dealt with that before, this is definitely shellac, I can run my finger down it, it’s reddish orange on my hand, and I can rub it back into an area where the finish is gone and it almost looks like new again.

 

[MattE93]

You can just touch up areas that are worn, by blending it into the old stuff. It should “melt” the old shellac and blend it in to the touched up areas