Mosin-Nagant stock refinishing

I have a 1939 Mosin-Nagant rifle. The metal is in great shape, but it came with this hideous stock. It has been refinished at one time and appears to have poly on it. I'd like to return it to some facsimile of how it would have looked during WWII. I have plenty of experience with stripping and finishing of walnut milsurp stocks, but no idea what kind of wood this is. Stripping the poly off is no problem. I am told that the rifle is a Finnish Capture (don't know much about MNs). I usually mix up my own alcohol-based stain to use on walnut. Would that work on whatever type wood this is? Just looking for ideas before I waste a lot of time. Thanks.

The blond stock looks good.

I don’t know how true this is or where I read it, so it’s certainly worth what you’ve paid for it but...

I once read that the red finish we’re all used to seeing on Mosins is the result of a massive postwar refurb effort. The finish during the war would have looked a lot more natural.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by daveboy

but no idea what kind of wood this is.

---

Is it a beech? Looks like...that should be hard and sand to a white like snow. If that's right it may be hard to get stain to take and you need to thin it with acetone or some such. Some have used leather dye to color their hard stocks. Very effective too, I use Watco Danish oil if the wood will take it. Depends on the color you want.

I posted a similar question a few months ago reference a 1930 M91/30 I was trying to restore to original condition. The metal was excellent but someone had stained the stock black and then spray painted green "camouflage" paint over that. I stripped it own to the bare wood. The general consensus I received from other members here and my own research indicated that pre-war 91/30's received a raw linseed oil finish. It turned out pretty nice and the coolest thing was that it revealed several stock repairs that had been made and were concealed under the old paint scheme. I hope that helps!

If it is a Finnish M-N, maybe that is a birch stock? How about a close-up of the wood?

Whatever the wood - remove the plastic crud and oil it with the very finest linseed oil you can obtain.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Patrick Chadwick

a birch stock

---

Wouldn't that have the little "Feathers" in it?

see How to: Pine tar stock finish | Oklahoma Shooters

or a paste form:
Toms Pine Tar on a Mosin Nagant - YouTube

SRF old post by Candyman, now missing photos & redone since forum crash:
Finnish Pine Tar Finish -Images Missing- - Surplus Rifle Forum - www.surplusrifleforum.org


I like Brickmores or Toms sticky paste pine tar mix like shown on the video
Products

this motivates me to knock off the usual hideous peeling red lacquer on my mosins. thanks for pics.