[wkato]

Bought four rifles the other day and one happens to be a 1925 M91 Dragoon. The old guy I bought it from says he bought the rifles many years ago and they've always just hung on his den wall. Well all those years has left the old Dragoon stock looking pretty dry and dirty, not to mention he never cleaned the cosmoline off the rifle either. Not worried about the clean up but what do I put on the stock afterwords? Did the Dragoons originally have an oil finish?

Also what the second year stamp of 1928?

 

[Ken in Iowa]

Isn't 1928 the serial number?

I would consider a light oil cleaning with BLO and see what it looks like.

BTW, is there an SA stamp on the left side of the barrel shank?

 

[quark]

That's a serial number.

 

[Lancebear]

WK,

Looks nice just the way it is. I would take the rifle down and clean the metal properly. Stock is another issue. Far as I know from what I have read here, original finish would have been shellac. I would wipe the stock off with clean rags inside and out. Then do the hot day in a black garbage bag treatment on the stock. Wouldn't do any more, unless the stock is dry as driftwood. Doesn't look like that is the case.

Clean yes, but don't put another finish on that nice ole rifle. Good catch!

LB

 

[Mike O]

Beautiful historical rifle! I wouldn't do anything to it but clean the bore. My advice is don't touch the wood or put any kind of oil or anything on it. A wipe down with a towel is the most I would do. Aggressive cleaning of the wood and metal will negatively affect the value of the rifle.

 

[wkato]

That's my thoughts but man is it dry. It's currently out in the garage disassembled metal is now clean wood has been wiped down, nothing else. S/N you say, never even thought about that, guess the 1925 year made me think 1928 was also year stamp. What about the hand guard, it has two long cracks that can be easily opened up, should I glue the cracks or not? Could the wood be oiled from the inside only?

The other three rifles in the group consisted of a MLE 1907-15 Berthier, Model 1893 Spanish short Mauser in 7 x 57 and a Italian Vetterli. Being a Swiss Vetterli rifles collector I'd have to say I'm not to impressed with the Italian Vetterli, she'll have to go.

 

[Pahtu]

That stock is right as rain, nothing needs to be added to help preserve it. The handguard? I have used vasoline or old cosmoline on the outside of the crack and then a drop or two of runny superglue on the inside of the handguard. A couple double wrapped rubberbands to keep tension on the crack. This has helped repair many a cracked handguard on my MN's...

Pahtu.

 

[martin08]

That one doesn't appear to have an [SA] stamp on the left side shank, nor numbers lined out on the rear base. Stock not heavily sanded, either. Can anyone say, "Non-Finned Dragoon?" Getting very interesting, here. Do numbers match?

The original finish would have been an oil type finish, so it doesn't have to shine like shellac to be beautiful. A lightly damp cloth will do. What a nice find.

 

[Pahtu]

That one doesn't appear to have an [SA] stamp on the left side shank, nor numbers lined out on the rear base. Stock not heavily sanded, either. Can anyone say, "Non-Finned Dragoon?" Getting very interesting, here. Do numbers match?

The original finish would have been an oil type finish. A lightly damp cloth will do. What a nice find.

martin, I am not convinced the original finish on Dragoons was an oil type finish - the few examples I have seen online that appeared to be close to original had a worn shellack finish - Some examples had been oiled, either by someone here in the U.S. or the country they came from - No written proof, just observations over several years.

Pahtu.

 

[Vic]

Original finish would have been a reddish amber shellac. I'd use
RIG on it and the metal and leave it.

 

[mdmosin]

I am guessing SCW on this one.

 

[atob37]

I would second the RIG. Just keep it from rusting, nothing else. And nice score. Very nice score.

 

[wkato]

Whats SCW?

Someone ask if the numbers match, unfortunately, no. She does have Initials carved on the bottom of the forearm. Butt stock is stamped with a circle and I believe CCCP around the inside of the circle, pretty faint though. Most metal parts carry the Tula stamp. Also barrel bands are the spring type so kind of incorrect for an early Dragoon.

 

[martin08]

SCW= Spanish Civil War

Russia shipped many Mosin Nagants to Spain in the mid to late 1930's. Probably where the parts swaps took place, and why it has no Finn evidence.

 

[atob37]

Your bolt head appears to be Remington marked, although that looks like a Tula star on there as well.

 

[wkato]

SCW - makes sense now that I see it spelled out.

Bolt head has a star on the extractor and the lug

 

[mto7464]

wood looks good leave it alone.

 

[mdmosin]

Whenever you find a pre-1938 Mosin totally mismatched with no import marks, odds are good that it saw use in the Spanish Civil War. True there are a few bringbacks, but the SCW rifles were imported by the thousands.

 

[zeebill]

You know you said the wood has been wiped down and I see a great difference in the before to current wood pictures. May I ask what you wiped it down with? It looks much dryer after the wipe down so I had to ask. Bill

 

[mto7464]

Why did you clean the wood after many collectors recommended against it? You will never get that been there done that aged look that we all enjoy.