wartime Russian wood finish

[Schnitzelmahn]

I think that it is important that we as collectors, between us, retain at least some Soviet rifles which have not been fully refurbished purely as an historical record if nothing else. The vast majority in Soviet hands at the end of the war appear to have been either scrapped or refurbished. I strongly suspect that the reason for the Soviet refurbishment of its own and captured weapons wasn't just to have a vast store of weapons to hand in case the West suddenly decided to invade but at least in part to provide employment to it's people.

I have heard it suggested that the Germans in WW2 achieved the dark brown stain seen on some K98 rifle stocks by soaking the stocks in the used engine oil which had been drained from the sumps of diesel engines. There is probably no way of finding out if this was definitely done but would be a plausible explanation why some laminated K98 stocks are a dark brown colour while others are a blonde.

they were issued bare (a good example is the one on the k98 wiki page in the swedish army museum, it was donated by nazi germany in 1940) and linseed oil was applied by the soldiers once issued and was part of a soldiers maintenance of the rifle (Care of Weapons / der Erste Zug). but thats another topic :P

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