wood refinishing mosin nagant

[Smokeyzep]

Just wanted to get some professional opinions on what a good price would be to refinish the wood on a russian cai mosin nagant 91/30? Place I bought the gun wants 120 and I bought the gun for 150 so right there it isnt worth it. Just wanted to see if anyone came up with other prices. Thanks

[Bama Man]

It's just wood, so I do my own.
I have never asked what it would cost to have done, or what anyone would pay me to do.
I would think that a well done job would cost $75.00 anyway.
Look in the yellow pages for wood /antique refinishers, and give some a call.
You may be surprised, or you may get a rude awakening.
Most military pieces are easy to refinish, and I think Nagants are one of the easiest, because there is so much wood you can "clean off", removing dings, etc. without having to steam or fill them.
They have an exceptionally thick wrist also, and, if your careful, you can thin it down some and still keep those military lines but have a lot more comfort.
If it isn't a C&R purchase, and you don't mind changing things, pull the old wood, keep it together, and replace it with the ATI nylon stock.
They look great, and are much more comfy to shoot.
ATI stocks can be had still for under $50.00

[Huggy]

Why not do it yourself? Probably half of that $120 is labor charges anyway. Even if you need to buy materials, it should only be around $15. It's a pretty easy project, and it kinda gives you that warm and fuzzy feeling when you DIY... Ok, for me anyway.

[Vig]

The good folks at the Box o' Truth did a bit about this very project. They used Ez Off Oven cleaner and a brillo pad to strip the shellac and Rit dye to stain.

http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/edu60.htm

[Smokeyzep]

Vig you the man. Can;t see that process costing 120 dollars. Finish product probably the same. Thanks for the site man.

[nhcruffler]

I think it would be a fun little project. I followed the link and it was interesting. I , personally, would stay away from the power sanders on a small project like this. A good sanding block should do the trick nicely. I liked the way they used the Rit dye but then again I usually have some Minwax laying around that needs used up. Have fun and good luck. nh

[phillyd2]

agreed. do it yourself. I was nervous my first time but its actually pretty easy and there is a real sense of satisfaction when your done.

Maybe post some pictures of what it looks like so we can better comment on it. Do you have any dents or dings or cracks?

Do not use any sort of mechanical sander. Just sand by hand. 0000 Steel Wool at the end works magic and does wonders to fix a multitude of mistakes.

I'm not a big fan of dyes but I guess it depends on whats on it now.

[Smokeyzep]

There is no cracks but some dents and discoloration as the finish has come off a little in certain areas.





Would like to restai it the same if not close to the same color. I like the dark redwood look. Cant really see imperfections from these pics but you can imagine since it is an old gun. I just want a complete and new finish on it thats all.

[phillyd2]

That's what I thought. After sanding simply rub it with Boiled Linseed Oil. I've never done a mosin nagant but just finished a M1 and a Carbine with dark walnut wood. The Linseed oil really allowed the wood to show its natural color.

Somebody needs to answer if this mosin nagant stained is stained that color or is it its natural color like the M1 Walnut? If stained then you may need to find a matching stain. If natural the Linseed will bring it out.

Do you also want to bring up the dings and dents or leave as is. For older rifles I usually leave most as is unless the ding is very deep.

[LisaA]

Be careful of putting new stain on old stain. The end result is a muddy, ugly mess. If you want to re-stain the stock, I recommend bleaching the wood first, using wood bleach only. Then you can re-stain the stock. Of course, there are steps to sand with fine sandpaper to get a smooth finish.