Made a handguard for my M1891

[Jim]

I acquired this M91 disguised (mislabeled) as a 91/30. The seller had it laying on the counter in front of the racked 91/30s. The store owner commented that it didn't fit in the rack with "all the other 91/30s." Duh... I helped him out by taking it off his hands.
It has the Finn [SA] stamp on it. But, it came minus the handguard.

I finally got off my duff and did something about it. I just used some western redwood I had laying around to make one as a test piece. I scorched the wood in places with a heat gun to simulate the Finn stock wood and stained it with, of all things, some bottled brown shoe 'scuff coat'. I then finished it with linseed oil and wax mixture I whomped up myself.

Concerning the brass end pieces, I had an original large end and with it as a pattern, made the narrow end myself. One thing that had me going was trying to figure out how I would rivet it w/out busting everything. I have no idea how it was originally done but since I am more concerned that it lookright than actually be a direct copy, I hit on using soldering wire. I stuck a piece of soldering wire up through my vice jaws, melted it done to a ball and hammered it flat. I cut off the wire leaving a stem. I glued the end pieces in and drilled the holes. Put the flattened wire through from outside and soldered in the inside using a drum sander to smooth the inside.

I imagine the original wood was birch. I'm thinking of trying to make another from hickory. Anyway, here is the finished product.
Attachment 92359Attachment 92361Attachment 92362Attachment 92360

Information

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[browningautorifle]

Looks good, bet it's just as durable and tough...as the original.

[Eaglelord17]

Unfortunately the originals were not very durable and tough (as evidenced by so many M91s missing handguards). To save a penny it cost the Russians a pound in constant replacement of the handguards.

OP it looks great, colour looks pretty closely matched, and at a glance you can't easily tell the difference between a original and your repro.

[browningautorifle]

Unfortunately the originals were not very durable and tough

Guess I should have included one of these when I said that...
The woodwork is as tough as cooked squash. One can gouge it with a thumbnail...I was being facetious...

Yes, the new one is excellent...

[Jim]

Yes, the original's were quite fragile, thus necessitating this little project.

I get the humor. And thanks all for the comments.
Jim