Mosin Nagant Stock
- Thread starter Maxable
- Start date
Strip it down, use a gentle non-toxic stripper for the old finish (3M make s a nice one, sold at cambodian tire).
Many I know use damp rags with an Iron to bring the tends and scratches out of the wood. A Very Light sand, and hand rub on a few coats of Boiled linseed oil, and your good to go.
I suggest this as you are not going to find a matching can of lacquer for the original...if you could you could just do a very light sand, and then paint on some new lacquer.
I'm sure others will be along shortly with better ideas.
Many I know use damp rags with an Iron to bring the tends and scratches out of the wood. A Very Light sand, and hand rub on a few coats of Boiled linseed oil, and your good to go.
I suggest this as you are not going to find a matching can of lacquer for the original...if you could you could just do a very light sand, and then paint on some new lacquer.
I'm sure others will be along shortly with better ideas.
Umm... Ok, I totally disagree with Calum.
The original finish is made with non-dewaxed Shellac flake. It's easy to get. Order some Garnet flake from shellac.net or buy Amber (orange) shellac flake from Lee Valley.
Mix with Isopropyl alcohol and you've duplicated the Russian Arsenal finish. Apply in quick long strokes with a good nylon brush, or use an old cotton sock with some wool inside it as a shellac pad.
BLO on a Mosin is just WRONG. And it WILL cut hte value by 40% or more. Using it is bad advice, no matter how you look at it
The original finish is made with non-dewaxed Shellac flake. It's easy to get. Order some Garnet flake from shellac.net or buy Amber (orange) shellac flake from Lee Valley.
Mix with Isopropyl alcohol and you've duplicated the Russian Arsenal finish. Apply in quick long strokes with a good nylon brush, or use an old cotton sock with some wool inside it as a shellac pad.
BLO on a Mosin is just WRONG. And it WILL cut hte value by 40% or more. Using it is bad advice, no matter how you look at it
Tyler said:
Garnet dewaxed.
The alcohol/shellac mix is dependent on the pounds of cut you want. I use a 2# cut. The shellac will come with mixing instructions - usually a given weight of flake for a given volume of alcohol.
No. But Lee Valley will mail order.
Claven, I guess you're as good a guy to ask as any, given your mosin fever...
WOuld you consider it a terrible bubba job to refinish a mosin in this manner, duplicating the arsenal finish? Or does it seem kosher to you and not deminish the value of the rifle?
WOuld you consider it a terrible bubba job to refinish a mosin in this manner, duplicating the arsenal finish? Or does it seem kosher to you and not deminish the value of the rifle?
Mention refinishing a mosin over at mosinnagant dot net, and they'll rip your head off(don't ask how I know). Some good advice I did get as far as cleaning up scratches on the shellac finish, is to soak a sock in isopropyl alcohol, and wipe it back and forth across the scratch. It will fill the scratch in with the surrounding shellac, no need to match! I think the crazy Finns used something like 50/50 pine tar and tung oil on thier mosins...
). Some good advice I did get as far as cleaning up scratches on the shellac finish, is to soak a sock in isopropyl alcohol, and wipe it back and forth across the scratch. It will fill the scratch in with the surrounding shellac, no need to match! I think the crazy Finns used something like 50/50 pine tar and tung oil on thier mosins...In many collector circles, Mosin Nagants are considered to be the ugly stepchild form an equally ugly exwife, married in a weak moment, then she left you stuck with her unwanted offspring.
The first Mosins that came into the country 30 years ago were mostly the dregs of the arsenal and could be bought by the dozen for $100 includeing shipping to BC from Montreal.
They were mostly in pretty rough shape. There were always a few nice ones in every batch but only two or three at most.
All had mismatched bolts and ammo was nonexistant.
Most of the amnesty guns that were turned in when FACs were brought in were these Mosins that were for various reasons, unuseable to the average gunowner at the time as very few people, other than crazies, handloaded.
I have a Mosin 91/30 sniper that has zero finish on either wood or metal. The stock is covered in dents and looks very much like the original "International Firearms" products. Good thing for me that it has a VG+ bore. It is also one of my favorite milsurps. It was probably only a training rifle, but I wish it could talk to me as it has lots of promise, much more than the perfect safe queens.
To make a long story short, if your Mosin has seen honest use and shows the scars, I would leave it alone. If you'r just looking for a pretty one, there are several places that as new, arsenal refinished rifles can be bought with matching numbers and complete with matching bayonet#, sling and oiler, for around $250 delivered. It's a great excuse to get another rifle as well, If of course you really need another excuse. bearhunter
The first Mosins that came into the country 30 years ago were mostly the dregs of the arsenal and could be bought by the dozen for $100 includeing shipping to BC from Montreal.
They were mostly in pretty rough shape. There were always a few nice ones in every batch but only two or three at most.
All had mismatched bolts and ammo was nonexistant.
Most of the amnesty guns that were turned in when FACs were brought in were these Mosins that were for various reasons, unuseable to the average gunowner at the time as very few people, other than crazies, handloaded.
I have a Mosin 91/30 sniper that has zero finish on either wood or metal. The stock is covered in dents and looks very much like the original "International Firearms" products. Good thing for me that it has a VG+ bore. It is also one of my favorite milsurps. It was probably only a training rifle, but I wish it could talk to me as it has lots of promise, much more than the perfect safe queens.
To make a long story short, if your Mosin has seen honest use and shows the scars, I would leave it alone. If you'r just looking for a pretty one, there are several places that as new, arsenal refinished rifles can be bought with matching numbers and complete with matching bayonet#, sling and oiler, for around $250 delivered. It's a great excuse to get another rifle as well, If of course you really need another excuse. bearhunter
Last edited:
The stocks were hardwood birch and didn't need to be treated with anything. The shellac IS the finish. And no, I would not refinish one unless the stock was REALLY beat and needed restoration to go on a gun without metal wear or something like that.
Is it normal for the shellac to come off with your fingernail?
The stock on my 42 is probably a 'new' one. I'd have no qualms about refinishing it, seeing as the finish is thick in some places, and has runs in it. The reciever looks like it was finished in a hurry, and the stamps look like they were put there by a 12 year old... which they probably were.
Either way, the thing was only $170, it's not like I'd be destroying a collector piece. It would probably look better anyway. But if that rubbing alcohol method works for filling in scrathes, I'll give it a go.
The stock on my 42 is probably a 'new' one. I'd have no qualms about refinishing it, seeing as the finish is thick in some places, and has runs in it. The reciever looks like it was finished in a hurry, and the stamps look like they were put there by a 12 year old... which they probably were.
Either way, the thing was only $170, it's not like I'd be destroying a collector piece. It would probably look better anyway. But if that rubbing alcohol method works for filling in scrathes, I'll give it a go.
The shellac used on the refurbs is often of low quality, and yes, it does come off with fingernail at times. Don;t worry about it. If it ever gets real bad you can touch it up with the garnet shellac and some isopropyl alcohol - really easy to do.
Remember, all the things you think of as "collector pieces" right now, were at one time $170 junky surplus guns. 6 years ago, M1's were $150. Now they sell for upwards of $1000 on this very site.
It's your gun, but if you chop it or refinish it, it will forever be a $150 gun while the originals continue to climb in value
Remember, all the things you think of as "collector pieces" right now, were at one time $170 junky surplus guns. 6 years ago, M1's were $150. Now they sell for upwards of $1000 on this very site.
It's your gun, but if you chop it or refinish it, it will forever be a $150 gun while the originals continue to climb in value
