Refinishing stocks on Milsurps

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thehypnotoad

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I was just wondering what the opinion is on refinishing milsurp stocks, espcially Russian rifles. Does it hurt the rifle's value? I just finished refinishing an old, incredibly dirty Lee Enfield No1 MK III stock (it was a good condition drill purpose so it had the ugly yellow and red paint on it) to de-sporterize my rifle. After stripping it, carefully sanding (preserving cartouches), staining, and finishing with tru-oil, the gun looks and feels superb. I didn't feel bad about doing it to an old DP rifle stock, but I want to do it to my Russian surplus rifles now to get that smelly, perpetually greasy finish off. I don't feel bad doing it to my SKS, but what about a Mosin Sniper or SVT-40? Would this hurt the value of the rifles?

Thanks for any input.
 
refinishing any surplus will cause it to lose value, But if you don't care go ahead, some of the milsurps I have, I have refinished if they weren't that collectable and I plan on keeping them, but most I leave all original
 
I don't feel bad about restoring any gun if it really needs it, I feel that if its in poor condition and you make it nice again, that you enhanced it rather than destroyed it. However if your Mosin sniper and SVT are in fairly decent shape, I'd do no more than give them a thorough cleaning on both the wood and metal and leave it at that.
 
For Collection purposes, better to have only 20% original finish on a gun than to have a modern refinish job. If you refinish them it will lower the value of your guns and help to push the value of untouched guns even higher. Even the common SKS will rise also, since new imports are now full of ugly import markings.
 
Define collectable, made by the millions, is the real reason there is no collector value
 
"made by the millions"

Ya, I have been hearing that story for 40 years now about Lee-Enfield, K-98, M-1 Garands, Winchester 94 carbines, etc............! Just look at the prices now.
 
Refinishing is a big NO-NO for milsurplus, no matter how many of them were made. But in the end of they day it is your property so up to you. Just don't be surprised when your improvements decrease the value of rifle.
 
The history of that DP stock is now lost - obliterated really. It does sound like you made a valiant effort at trying to 'restore' the stock and I am sure it looks much nicer but the history is gone - wiped from this earth.

Now don't get me wrong - there are times when a restoration of sorts is necessary and this forum has seen many discussions on the above topic. Generally - be as conservative as possible. In your case - simply cleaning the stock would have met that standard. You took the opposite route and probably did far more harm than good. At least you didn't put a polyurethane finish on top. Just because you make something look aesthetically nicer - doesn't increase it's value.

Now, after my scorning, I will address your second question - which is in regards to your Mosin Nagant Sniper and SVT40. I would not re-finish them - likely they have a post war shellac ranging from blonde to deep red. Often there may be chips or scratches in the shellac and there may be the presence of cosmoline. In extreme cases the schellac may be chipping away from the stock entirely.

If just chipped or scratched - use a lint free cloth and remove the cosmo. If the cosmo is persistent - place the rifle in a black plastic bag on a warm day and let the cosmo bleed out. Pull the rifles out every few hours and wipe with the lint free cloth. This is the only restorative care required.

In extreme cases where the shellac is chipping or flaking away - some people use an alcohol based cleaner and a brush/cloth (methohydrate would work). Dip the brush or cloth in alcohol and rub in the direction of the grain. This process thins out the original finish and blends the finish - somewhat restoring it. If done right - it can be very hard for someone to tell if this process had ever been done. This process is not necessarily recommended as some original finish will be lost. Other alternatives would include purchasing shellac flakes, stripping and re-shellacking the rifle. If done correctly - this method is hard to identify as a restoration and would be considered a period correct restoration - however the rifle will always be re-finished.
 
If you need to refinish them, ("refresh" is a better term), use what is currently on them, or what was originally used. For SKS rifles, Mosins, SVT's you can usually refresh the rifles with just a little alcohol. The shellac may look cracked and bad, but a little soak in alcohol and brushed back over the stock will make it back to normal. You can also get shellac flakes in the proper color and reapply if too much has fallen off over the years. Alcohol will smooth over gouges, unsightly marks, and those cracks. I use isopropanol, but methanol and ethanol will work great as well.

With enfields only raw linseed should be used. If the stock is especially dry use a double boiler with the linseed oil and/or heat up the stock with a heat gun or blowdryer. Same with mausers. If you need to take off crud, use 00 steel wool or finer. No sandpaper. Furniture stripper then a steam/iron combo if its really bad and you want an overhaul.

Do not use varnish/polyurithane on any of the above. Looks stupid, decreases value, and is a pain to take off.
 
Refinishing generally reduces value but you need to examine what you have to decide whether the loss in value is real, or merely theoretical. You should try not to destroy a genuinely historically significant piece. If you don't care about its history, sell it and buy a shooter with the profits.
Refinishing a historically incorrect stock (for example a pre-war Mosin with wartime stock) doesn't particularly hurt the value since the stock isn't correct in any case (even though it was probably created during refurbishment). A "common refurb." is not a collector's piece. "Serious" collectors may opine about the "lost value" but they have no intention of buying it anyway.
If you are going to loose sleep over the $20 discount for refinishing a common Russian rifle you probably should take up another hobby. In the majority of cases, the "lost value" amounts to less than the cost of a pizza and a 12 pack.
 
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If it's a refurb I would go ahead...probably doesn't have much original finish anyway. I used 50/50 Boiled linseed/turpentine...very happy with it. But, whatever makes you happy and you are not about to sell it.
 
BEFORE you start "restoring" or refinishing any milsurp stock, be absolutely sure of what you've got. There are some real sleepers out there. As some of you know, I owned an ugly old M91 Mosin Nagant for years, thinking it was just another old Russian rifle taken in by the Finns. Well, it was that, for sure. It is a SAT barreled M91. (look this up on 7.62x54r.net)

Do your research. In the case of the SAT rifle, the "it's your rifle, do what you want with it" doesn't apply. It is my responsibility to keep the rifle in the condition it came to me in order for future generations to observe and appreciate. :)

Put the sandpaper and spar varnish away for a while, and do some reading. :p
 
DP stock on a restored sporter, absolutely go ahead. People will run from it if it has a possibility of being a DP, get told not to fire it etc. Even refurbed rifles are collectible. It's what was done in the service. Imo new rifles that left the factory and sat in a rack have the same history, it's how they left the factory. Non refurbed beat to death and not molested by bubba wear every scar of the history.
 
I notice that a lot of folk who jump to "restore" think that these milsurps look better with a "shiny" finish - truoil, varnish, etc. That is what 1960's and 70's did for us - a "shiny" finish became a "nice" or "fancy" finish. These things are/were military tools - function before anything else - not show pieces.
 
Potashminer said:
I notice that a lot of folk who jump to "restore" think that these milsurps look better with a "shiny" finish - truoil, varnish, etc. That is what 1960's and 70's did for us - a "shiny" finish became a "nice" or "fancy" finish. These things are/were military tools - function before anything else - not show pieces.
Click to expand...

I can't figure out whether this is an argument for or against the practical aspects of refinishing a "military tool". Wood exposed to the environment needs a protective finish - function before anything else.
 
Since we are re-finishing etc. I picked up a like new stock set for a VZ-24 some years ago, I don't think it ever had any finish applied but this is just a guess on my part.
The question is - what was the finish normally put on these stocks, shellac / some sort of oil / what? --- John
 
Only refinishing or restoration that is really beneficial is when someone else dicked with it or it was damaged after it was in service.
Other than that I would leave it.
 
Most of the Russian stuff is refurbished so if you refurbish the way they did it back in the day who will know but you.
 
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