Mosin M38 and re-finishing the stock

[kokopelli]

I lucked into an M38 mosin carbine from a friend of mine. It's a 1944 build, one of the very last 38's. These were just put into a new -at the time- M44 stock after they stopped producing 38 stocks.
Anyway, the old shellac finish was badly worn. There was still cosmoline in the nooks and crannies of the gun too, so I took it apart.
I scraped off the old shellac from the stock, and I'm contemplating what to do with it. I may re-shellac it to 'restore' it, or I may just stain it and be done with it, I'm not sure.



more pics:

http://s22.photobucket.com/albums/b341/ ... 20Carbine/

oh, and the guys at arfcom curio and relic forum had a cow when they saw I've 'ruined a collectible' firearm!

[kyswede]

It is your gun. Do what you want to it. I am a collector, but I have been known to modify a gun to fit my wants /needs. Now if it was an all-matching WW2 Mauser worth $2-3 grand it would be different.

[etownguy]

I used Birchwood & Casey True oil on mine and really like how it turned out. find my thread about re-finishing the stock for pics.