Widely accepted restoration techniques?

Cmiller82

Cmiller82

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How much can I restore an M/38 before I ruin it's value and historical significance?

The rifle needs some cleaning, and the stock has a lot of handling marks... can I refinish the wood? How were the original's finished? Can I use Tung Oil?

I want to be able to post a picture of it after I'm done and not have any of the respected members here weep at the sight of a ruined artifact.

Thanks.

P.S. There is no sarcasm in my post, I genuinely want to preserve this rifle.
 
I recently cleaned up a SMLE and found this page helpful as a starting point for the wood...

http://tfrwiki.midworld.co.uk/wiki/index.php/A_very_basic_guide_to_refinishing_milsurp_stocks
 
M/38, what kind of M/38?

It could be a Mosin Nagant M38 or a Swedish Mauser m/38. The finish is different.

A mosin should be done with a good quality shellac. A mauser should be done with boiled linseed oil.




Your best bet is to clean the dirt off, and simply add another layer of finish on top. Stripping the stock and refinishing will detract from the value.
 
I assume a Swede Mauser. I also saw the pics of the one you posted - DO NOT refinish the stock. Yours is just fine as-is. It might need cleaning, but that's it. HAND RUB some linseed oil on the wood, then buff it off with paper towels vigorously. flush the PT's down the toilet so they don't combust. Do this 4 or 5 times with a day's dry time in between and re-evaluate.

Refinishing stocks that aren;t beat to hell just lowers value - in some cases dramatically.
 
Thanks guys... yeah pics of my Swedish M/38 are in the July purchases thread.

If this rifle shoots well and I like the round as much as I think I will, I'll be getting a CG63 Target rifle. That rifle I don't mind messing with a bit.

I wasn't even looking for a M/38, I wanted a very early 1900 M/96 but I couldn't turn this one down.
 
I think you will want to be VERY careful when messing with a CG-63.

They used factory-rebuilt original actions with the best heavy barrels they could make. The stocks were designed and made by some of the best woodworkers in Europe; it's not just a big, heavy stock. They could have made the stocks a lot lighter but they work better the way they are.

CG-63 was Sweden's effort at building a truly World-class competition rifle.

I think they pretty much achieved their goal.

Be very careful tweaking one.

BTW, most guys who shoot the 6.5x55 for a while fall in love with it. Magnificent cartridge.

Happy shooting.
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To have the most historical value it shouldn't be restored at all.

Like the classics that's cross the block at the Barrett Jackson, orginal non restored examples go for the most money.
 
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