Pretty M44's

[oldironsights]

I took two M44 that I have not shot to the range with me just to witness how they would do.
After shooting my two Enfields, the wind picked up & I packed up & left, but not before I took these pictures. Temp was 25 degrees F.
They sure are pretty, but I likely will be trading these away for a Fazakerley No4 M2 from 1954.
These were both shooting wide left, so I am not posting the targets.

[Niner]

Nice looking rifles. Like the laminated one particularly. See you have slings for them even. That inspires me to order a sling for my M44 and maybe my two other Nagant carbines.... 91/59 and 91/38.

[oldironsights]

Robert, those slings are recent reproductions.
Likely from China, but I cannot be sure.
Original Mosin carbine slings are very hard to find, the common 91/30 slings will fit, but are too long.
These slings are the correct length for a carbine.

The laminated one is a 1945 Russian refurb with a great bore.
The other M44 is 1952 Hungarian in a beautiful elm stock, but with a well used bore.
The Hungarian shoots a very tight group, just way to the left.
I need to drift the front sight on both of them & re-test.

[DaveGreen1954]

Did you shoot them with the bayonette deployed? That's probably how they were sighted originally.

[Candyman]

Here is my M38 with correct stock and sling. Clay was with me when I picked up the rifle. I had spotted the sling on a 91/30 and got the guy at the shop to throw the sling in with the gun.
The carbine slings are hard to come by.

[ffeng31]

Candyman have you refinished many M44 stocks. I have a few I'd like to do but am afriad to mess with shellac. I have a Russian , Hungarian , Polish , and a Chinese type 53. Were they all shellac finish originally or just the russian?

[oldironsights]

Welcome to the forums, ffeng31!

Yes, candyman has likely lost count of the M44 stocks he has worked on.
Only the Russian M44 stocks were finished in shellac.
The Hungarian, Polish & Chinese were without shellac.

[ffeng31]

I assume then that BLO is the preferred finish... Here's a pic of my girls.. Thankyou for the welcome.

[Candyman]

To tell you the truth, I really don't like Shellac, but I learned how to apply it dur to the need to duplicate the russian finish.
I do a Red Shellac finish, A Shellac with a Pine Tar under coat finish and I also do an Amber Shellac finish.
I will have to wait until I get home to post some pic's.

[Candyman]

Here aer two stock finishes
Russian M44 war time stock BLO Aged Oil Finish. The original finish had been messed up with a cleaner.




This is the M44 stock I re-did with the Pine Tar with a Shellac overcoat. There was almost none of the original finish left on this stock.