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| I purchased the Romanian M-44 Nagant
Carbine, used in this article, for around $50 at a local sporting
goods store. The bore and finish were in excellent shape, but the
stock really left something to be desired. The rifle was probably
carried quite a bit, but was not fired very much at all. |
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| It shoots great and is fairly accurate
for a very short barreled rifle. I decided to completely disassemble
my little rifle and refinish the stock. |
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| As shown in figures 1 through 3,
the M-44 had pits, dings, and oil stains all over the wood stock.
*Note: Make sure you disassemble your rifle, removing all metal
from the wood before proceeding with this project.
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| 1) Wear protective
gloves while cleaning and stripping the stock. Easy-Off Oven Cleaner
is a very harsh cleaner on bare skin and eyes. The first time I
did this project, I did not wear gloves, the skin on my hands cracked
and was in sad shape afterwards. The fumes are also pretty toxic. |
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| 2) Easy-Off, Heavy Duty
Oven Cleaner is the best and quickest way of removing any type
of finish from a wood rifle stock. Really. It draws out all of the
oil and grease that has built up in the stock, over the years from
cleaning and storage of the rifle. |
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| 3) I recommend you do the cleaning
outside. It is easier to use a hose for clean off and you need an
area with good ventilation because of the fumes. |
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| 4) Coat the entire stock with
a good thick coat of Easy-Off. Wait an hour before rinsing off the
rifle. When rinsing, wipe down the stock with a rag to remove oil,
dirt, and old finish. Continue applying Easy-Off as many as three
times to really get out the years of grime. Afterwards in a sink,
use a good detergent and scrub brush to remove any oven left-over
Oven Cleaner or debris from the rifle stock. |
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| 6) Allow the rifle to dry over
night before doing any sanding. Even after stripping off the finish
from the surface of the stock, you will still find oil stains and
such. Don't worry, these stains will likely come out during sanding.
Because of the moisture, most of the dings and nicks will swell
up and expand, filling in the holes, for you to sand over. The larger
dings will not fill in. *Note: I have heard from several reliable
sources that applying a hot, clothing iron's steam to either
large or small dings on a rifle stock, through a damp cloth, will
lift out the toughest of marks or dents.
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| 7) In preparation
for sanding, you should have varying grades of sand paper. I start
out with a course 60 grit and slowly work my self to a fine 220
grit grade sand paper. |
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| 8) Make sure you use a sanding
block of some sort. It definitely makes the work go easier. Also
it gives a uniform surface for the sand paper to rest against. |
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| 9) The sanding is the most
strenuous task of this project, depending on the condition of the
stock it could take an hour to several days to finish. No kidding.
I really do not look at this as an economical endeavor in the way
of time. It is really a labor of love. For what your time costs
you - you could probably just purchase a nicer stock and throw away
the old one. But what would be the fun in that? |
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| Figures 11 and 12 show the
contrast between "before sanding" and "after
sanding ". After sanding the stock, almost all of the oil
stains and discolorations have been removed.
*Remember this project is intended for the rifle you want to
look nice, but really has no collectable value. Still, try not to
sand off any manufacture or armory marks, if possible.
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| 10) I use very dark stains.
The wood used in stocks is usually a very dense wood and does not
take stain very well. To bring the rifle's finish back to its original
color and tone, you will have to use a fairly dark stain like Mahogany,
Ebony, or Dark Walnut. |
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| Even using these colors of stain will
require three to four applied coats before you get the desired effect.
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| 11) Take a wire coat hanger
and untwist it. Usually you can hook the hanger into one of the
cleaner rod holes, bayonet holes, etc. to hang and allow the stock
to dry. When the last coat of stain is finished drying, sand the
stock very lightly with a 220 grit sand paper to remove any wood
fibers that the stain may have lifted.
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| 12) I like to apply a Satin
Finish, Polyurethane finish coat over the stain. I will hang the
rifle in an area with good ventilation and minimal dust and particles
floating around. I apply very thin coats of finish over the entire
external surface of the rifle stock. |
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| I do this instead of applying thick
coats, to prevent unsightly runs in the finish. I repeat this step
four to five times. Then allow the rifle stock to dry for around
twenty-four hours. |
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| 13) After the final finish
is dried, you will find that the finish is sometimes grainy to the
touch. Don't worry, take steel wool and lightly
steel wool the surface until the finish is smooth to the touch. |
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| 14) Reassemble the rifle. |
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| Figures 20, 21 and 22 show
the finished product. All of the blemishes, except one large one
located on the right, rear of the butt stock, have been removed.
All the unnatural wood discoloration caused by man and petroleum
products over the years, has also been removed. |
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Every rifle type has a different finish. Try to match the original
finish as best possible. The stain and polyurethane method
may not work for all rifles. You may have to use Tung or Linseed
oil as a finish. Most of the Garands are finished this way. What
will work on all rifle stocks is the Easy-Off Oven Cleaner trick.
I have been using this for years and really love the quick results.
You can really get out all of the excess oil locked in the wood
from years of mistreatment or storage.
I know this may article may offend some collectors, that feel
you should leave a rifle as is. That refinishing detracts from the
value of the rifle. Please keep in mind this is a $50 rifle.
The only person it has value to, is me. Also I do not claim to be
a cabinet maker or a master craftsman. I just want a durable, good
looking finish on my rifle stock.
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