Milsurp After Hours

Ok all I need a hand,the new refurb M91/30 has got the worst case of mange I've ever seen,that shellac finish isn't so tough is it? it's flaking off pretty bad and I don't think it'll last too long with the use I'm giving it,granted all I'm doing is carry it but I'm getting a handful of it with each use.

The upper handguard is the worst,but it's coming off the main stock a bit too I guess I could leave that part alone or should I just refinish the whole lot?

And what should I use to A-get it off and B-replace it with.

I've seen some oil-and-wax jobs that look nice,even some with pine tar thrown in.

Gimme a list of stuff to get so I do it right.

To refinish your Russian Mosin to look great & in keeping with the spirit of a correct restoration, you might try the following.
Supplies you will need.
Screwdriver.[ You will need to disassemble the rifle completely.] 90 degree pair of snap ring pliers to remove the stock recoul lug.
Quart of denatured alcohol, 0000 steel wool, & plenty of old rags. Rubber gloves. Cotton balls.
Chestnut Ridge gunstock stain.....
http://www.chestnutridge.com/products/misc.asp
Get the small bottle
A small container of Zinsser Bulls Eye amber shellac
http://www.zinsser.com/product_detail.asp?ProductID=31
Some of those cheap foam on plastic paint brushes.

Remove all of the metal from the rifle stock9you can leave the band retainers if you do not have a small pin punch]
Do not try to remove the end caps from the upper handguard.

fter donning the rubber gloves, dip the steel wool in some denatured alcohol & begin removing the old shellac. Wipe down as needed. Continue until all traces of the old shellac are gone.
Allow the stock to dry, then buff the wood with the 0000 steel wool until smooth.
Wipe the steel wool residue away.
Now, wearing rubber gloves, wet a cotton ball with the chesnut ridge alcohol based dye & begin staining the stock.
When you have the tone you like, let dry, then buff with the steel wool again.
You can now begin to apply the bulls eye shellac to the stock.
I like to pour some in a smaller plastic container, thin with denatured alcohol, & tint with the chesnut ridge stock stain.
Remember, the birch stocks will not accept a pigment based oil stain very well. It is best to use the alcohol based dye.
Since the dye & shellac are both based with alcohol, they really compliment each other.
Apply thin even coats of shellac to the stock and allow a six hours to a day between coats.
The shellac will remain soft for a week, so do not handle or re assemble until cured.
When the shellac is fully cured after about six coats, buff with 0000 steel wool until smooth.
You may then wax the finish with the 0000 steel wool, buff & wax again with a soft cloth.
Your rifle will then be ready to reassemble.
You will be amazed at the resulting finish & how deep & lusterous the shine will be.
If you are not up to the task, send me the stock & I will have it done in a few weeks time.
I have all of the needed stuff already.

Also, let me know when the M44 arrives. It was shipped last Tuesday, 09Feb10.

This is the M44 stock I redid with Pine Tar , with a Shellac overcoat.

I'll look into that stuff,inspecting the stock last night (second time I've had it apart) I can see the lower stock is fine,a few scuffs but the laminate is holding the shellac wonderfully,the upper handguard...en no so well it had a few spots where is was rubbing off when I got it after a few days dragging it along in the woods it's starting to flake off.

I took the plastic brush (think toothbrush) out of my gun cleaning kit and got most of it off.

I have a spare upper guard here and some wood stain,I may fix up that one for a temp solution,got it for $5 since it had been sanded.

Alrighty,I can see dear Stalin should've gone after the bright spark who thought shellac would make a good stock finish.

The '43 Izzy had a shedding problem and looked a bit like it had the mange so I went through my ideas on what to do,I could re-shellac but I didn't care for the idea of what it does,so I went ahead and took it off.
It pretty much came off with a toothbrush and some rubbing alcohol......

Now I had a unfinished laminated stock and a few days til I go to the store,looking about I found my linseed oil,which I always keep a few containers of around.

Hrm......

Reading the instructions seemed easy enough so I went at it,the results are nice and somewhat historically accruate,sorry for the pic it was dark out and I'll get a full shot tomorrow.

Here's some better pics of the results.





Looks good to me,and it's ten times as good as the Shellac.

Looking very good, Krull!

You will be getting a M44 that will be a smaller twin brother to that one soon.

Here is a re-sniper I just finished this week.


She shoots as well as she looks, too!