M44 cleaning up (refurbishing?)

[RBJ13]

I bought a Mosin-Nagant M44 at a gun show in January and I would like to fix it up to be in good working order this summer. I can't do it yet because the semester isn't over yet. Can anyone tell me how to properly clean it up and possibly refurbish it? (I think it still has the Cosmoline on it)

 

[Scutter01]

There are several very good threads on INGO about removing cosmo from old rifles. Have you tried the search function?

 

[Sasquatchhunter]

search "mosin" in the thread search or better yet "cosmoline" and you'll get some good stuff. HOWEVER. ..I recommend totally taking it down and cleaning it from there. It's real easy, just a matter of removing the barrel bands and taking the 2 screws out. It probably wont hurt the accuracy either once everything is tightened back up.

P.S. I can relate to the "Im at school and all my guns are at home" blues...college sucks

 

[Doug]

Mosin 44

First, go here: Collecting and Shooting the Military Surplus Rifle (2006) - Surplusrifle.com
Then, go here: Main Page

Good Luck!
Doug

 

[RBJ13]

Thanks a bunch to all of you, hopefully I'll get it all prettied up this summer and get a good fireball picture!

 

[Scutter01]

7.62x54r.net

 

[RBJ13]

thanks for all the help everyone!! I have all of the metal pieces cleaned up and ready as of now and will start work on the wood later this week!!

 

[Scutter01]

Can't wait to see the finished rifle!

 

[hotfarmboy1]

Can't wait to see the finished rifle!

Same here, I love my mosins!

 

[swissrifles1]

Denatured Alcohol and a bronze wool pad(or the like)to take off the old shellac, steam out any shallow dents with a steam iron and a wet rag on the dents. Do not get the wood so wet that it warps when drying. use towels to sop up the crud/cleaner. Let dry overnite. Use 800 grit or steel/bronze wool to knock down the raised wood fibers. Wipe off wood with a sticky cloth or blow clean with compressed air. Apply a wood stain(red mahogany?) to the stock. Let dry overnite. Apply a coat of clear shellac, let dry overnite, steel/bronze wool the stock lightly to remove air bubbles and rough spots in the shellac. Repeat the reshellacing process to your personal desire, (usually 3 coats). Here is a 91/30 stock I redid. (The old shellac was flaking off badly and the refinished rifle looks better than the picts. show).

 

[Crystalship1]

Denatured Alcohol and a bronze wool pad(or the like)to take off the old shellak, steam out any shallow dents with a steam iron and a wet rag on the dents. Do not get the wood so wet that it warps when drying. use towels to sop up the crud/cleaner. Let dry overnite. Use 800 grit or steel/bronze wool to knock down the raised wood fibers. Wipe off wood with a sticky cloth or blow clean with compressed air. Apply a wood stain(red mahogany?) to the stock. Let dry overnite. Apply a coat of clear shellak, let dry overnite, steel/bronze wool the stock lightly to remove air bubbles and rough spots in the shellak. Repeat the reshellaking process to your personal desire, (usually 3 coats). Here is a 91/30 stock I redid. (The old shellak was flaking off badly and the refinished rifle looks better than the picts. show). http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y2...s/?action=view&current=2006_0703Mosin0044.jpg
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y2...ns/?action=view&current=2007_1011Tula0003.jpg
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y2...ns/?action=view&current=2007_1011Tula0001.jpg

Nicely done!!!

 

[Scutter01]

Nice! I've been kinda keeping an eye out for a beater M44 I can refinish, but the sub-$100 ones are getting hard to find.

 

[88E30M50]

I did my Hungarian M44 in pretty much the same way, except I used Tung oil for the finish. I did 5 coats of Tung oil and am happy with the results. My son used boiled linseed oil on his 91/30 and it turned out nice too. He started to play with beeswax and pine tar but neither of us liked the finish. It was very authentic, but had the same dull, greasy finish my M44 had before refinishing.

I used a polyurethane on my M38 but did not like the finish and redid it with the Tung oil. It looks great now. The poly finish looked kind of plasticy.

 

[swissrifles1]

Thanks. The Finns used pine tar and maybe something else(not sure?). the Russians used shellac. I have also used tung oil with good results. Alot of Walnut stocks are finished with BLO, turpintine, beeswax combo.

 

[Hoosier Gun Coat]

In the past I have saturated the stock with Easy Off oven cleaner. Wrapped it in paper towels and soaked the towels down. Stuck it in a plastic garbage bag overnight. It removed the cosmo as well as the old linseed finish.

 

[swissrifles1]

Easy Off has been NOT recommended by others, because its harmful to wood fibers. During the summer months you can put a cosmo stock in a garbage bag with paper towels in the hot sun and bake it out.

 

[Dr. Pretorius]

@swissrifles1

Very Nice Job!!! I really need to pick me up another Mosin

 

[Benjamin]

You did a very nice job. I did an M44 a while back but it was not as nice. I was told when I bought the rifle that it saw action at Stalingrad. I don't know if that's true or not but it very well could be. Nagants are great and cheap to shoot with surplus ammo just make sure you clean them after every trip to the range.

 

[whiskeytangofoxtrot]

Use a steamer to get the cosmoline out. Mineral spirits on the metal parts.

 

[swissrifles1]

Thanks again. WhiskeyTF, thats another good option.