[Fatelk]

I have a 1954 Russian SKS I bought at the local gun shop a couple days ago. It was cheap because someone had painted it all black, metal and wood. When I got it home and started stripping off the thick layers of paint, I found that some !$&*$% had decided to sand the original finish off before they painted it. It's really in pretty good shape, and I think it will look fine after blueing and refinishing, but I want to do it right.

What is the proper finish on the wood? The stock markings are there, but faint (raised by the paint stripper?). I'm hoping they will come back and be visible when I refinish it.
How should I prep the metal to make it look as original as possible when I have it reblued? I do not intend to try to pass it off as original, but I would like it to look nice. Also, it's missing the bayonet and cleaning rod, I need to find replacements. I assume Chinese should work OK, but wish I could find Russian.

For $150 I figured I couldn't go wrong, but it's more of a project than I hoped it would be.

 

[Vic]

Is the blue under the paint? If so strip the paint with a citrus stripper and or acetone and leave it alone. The color should be a mahogony color-deep red brown.

 

[Fatelk]

Alas, no. The original finish has been pretty badly defaced.

 

[Vic]

Oh good lord.

 

[Fatelk]

My thoughts exactly, when the paint started coming off. From the looks of it, it probably wasn't too bad before Bubba got his hands on it.

I wish I knew of someone nearby that wouldn't charge more than the rifle is worth to reblue it. I do know someone who has a setup to Parkerize, but I don't think that would look quite right.

The wood I think I can salvage myself; I'm just a little unsure of what to use.

 

[NavyGunner]

Good grief, that poor SKS. It looks like Bubba wanted an economy "Black" rifle really bad. Good luck with your restoration project.

 

[JIMMY C]

Well the glass is still half full. No matter what that poor rifle has been through it's still a genuine Soviet SKS rifle which was made to shoot!!

Like an ugly girl is still fun in the dark get some dark maple stain and do what you can, then have what fun you can with it at the range. No matter what you do to it that rifle has already seen worse!!

Oh, and about the metal finish....Thats overrated! leave it like it is. Just keep it oiled and no worries.

 

[coneten]

Some more sanding and some steel wool on the metal..it's a future "First Gulf War" bringback..without papers of course.

 

[mriddick]

You can always buy a new unnumbered hardwood stock, they are around in the $45 range.

 

[farmflyer]

Fatelk,

You have a diamond in the rough, especially if all serial numbers match including that poor mistreated stock! If this sks was in decent shape before Bubba, then he reduced the value by 1/2 or maybe 2/3.

I agree with JIMMY C, nothing at all or cold-blue at most on the metal. Do your own best at putting color and finish on the stock. Then just enjoy it!

I would have paid that for it, too.

John F.

 

[Bucko]

There is a small pin at the rear of the handguard tube that you can carefully drive out with a punch which will allow you to seperate the wood from the tube. Just make sure you have the metal part on a flat surface and not the wood because they can crack in the middle. Good luck with your project, any sks is a sks worth saving.

 

[Fatelk]

Thanks, everyone. I think maybe some good cold blue is in order. A true hot blue would be cost prohibitive for this project, I think. Anyone know which cold blue works best? Some parts are sanded lightly, but others are sanded bare and shiny, like the magazine.

All the numbers match on the metal and handguard, but not the stock. It looks great mechanically. Bore is bright and shiny, I assume chrome. At least Bubba kept the hacksaw away from it.

So for the stock, some dark stain, then tung oil or something?

$150 was still good, considering condition? My wife was not happy, as I've spent too much money lately, and told her I wouldn't buy anything for a while. If I can convince her I didn't get taken, that should help.

I have an NVA SKS I've been needing to list on Gunbroker for a while now. I plan on taking more photos and posting a thread about it soon, to see what you all think about it. I ran across it at the same shop a couple years ago, for cheap because they didn't know what they had. I figured out what it was (thanks again sksnut) and need to sell it to finance other projects, have just been putting it off. Anyhow, that's for another thread soon.

Thanks again for all the help. I'll post more photos as the work progresses.

 

[sn1945]

I have absolutely no interest in Russkie type weapons. But I have to say it looks like the rifle was lit on fire and doused in water then left for a few days to ferment. Why is the stock green anyways? Mold?

 

[JIMMY C]

I think it's a reaction with the stripper. Many of the strippers have copper sulfate in them. It reacts with some finishes giving the green tinge.

 

[sn1945]

I think it's a reaction with the stripper. Many of the strippers have copper sulfate in them. It reacts with some finishes giving the green tinge.

Yeah, that does look a lot like the green tint that you get when you run Hoppe's 9 through a bore just right after shooting FMJ bullets.

 

[SKSSean]

Good luck on your project, here's a Russian stock I got from another board member that had painted it blk with truck bed liner. It took a little work but she looks good now. If you need it let me know.

SKSSean

 

[AKBLUE]

If you know anyone who is an AK builder or who uses GunKote I would recommend a coat of satin black. Much like a Russian refurb finish. It is applied very thin .004 recommennded. Bake for 1 hour at 325 and good to go. Or if you have a compressor (35 PSI spray pressure)and an airbrush the GunKote is about $28 a pint which is good for dozens of rifles/projects. Very durable. Cold Blue may work as well but can be a bit more iffy on complete coverage.
Good Luck with your project.
If you come up empty on a blade bayonet send me a PM. I have a Chinese blade that will work, I believe.

 

[Yugom5966]

That stock isnt too bad. A coat or two of red mohagany, and then some amber shellac and youll be set. The original finsih was shellac BTW.

 

[Hans Jahn]

Looks like the numb scull screwed up a SKS that was not rebuilt .

Alas, no. The original finish has been pretty badly defaced.

 

[Bill In Indiana]

Wow...first thing to do is put it back together and then take it with you while you hunt down the moron that did it. Then hit him with it repeatedly untill his urge to do that to guns passes...