Do you guys "restore" the wood on RC K98k's? If so, what do you do?

0 Kudo

Forum Jump

Author	Comment
Mwieczorek	Do you guys "restore" the wood on RC K98k's? If so, what do you do?	Lead	[-]
Posts: 39 (12/21/08 11:06 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Tags : None Hey guys, I've got a little time on my hands during the Christmas shutdown at work, so I would like to tackle a couple of projects up in my gun room. First up is my RC K98k. I know that the Soviet wood finish is part of the rifle's history, but it's UGLY! Do you guys generally remove the Soviet finish work and try to restore the rifle to how it looked when it was new, or do you leave it? Is attempting to do so considered sacrilege around here? The wood on the rifle appears to be in really great condition. Minimal gouges. It is a laminated stock. I'd just like to make it look "nice". My Dad has a BYF 45 bring-back K98k, no import stamps, no Soviet or other bubbafications. The wood on that rifle is really pretty. I kinda wish mine looked like that, too. Let me know your thoughts, and any advice you have for refinishing it. Matt
ParrisIsland79		#1	[-]
Posts: 86 (12/21/08 11:37 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Hey Matt -- I'm an M48 Yugo guy myself, but there's a ton of scoop on stock cleaning etc., if ya go down to the "Maintenance..." section to the "Stock cleaning" catagory. There's a little search window you can type in K98 and go from there. I'm not a moderator or anything, just a Mauser lover. These guys on this board are really helpful -- happy reading. SEMPER FI
PREDEUZECE 44.k98kpage		#2	[-]
Posts: 71 (12/24/08 11:33 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Yes on the stock restoration. You have some "collectors" caution not to remove the ruskie shellac because its part of the rifles history, they consider this arsenal rebuilt rifle a russian rifle, not a German Mauser any longer. Other "collectors" will claim that because the russians tore all the captured rifles down to parts then cleaned, checked, reblued or painted these parts and finally reassembled rifles from these used parts that the rifles have no collector value. Just depends on your opinion of these rifles. Most of us into the RC Mausers will remove the shellac with denatured alcohol and clean the cosmoline off and enjoy shooting these great WW2 weapons. We don't buy them, then take pictures of them, then lock them in a safe, and brag about them to fellow "collectors". We clean our rifles, check them thoroughly for safe shooting and then take'em out and use them like the war horses they are - we shoot them. Some of us try to restore them to "issued or service conditon", like they were in the field in the hands of a German soldier, and don't really care if they are ever all numbers matching. If you're one of us then get a rag and a quart of denatured alcohol - read the directions and warnings on the container - and get rid of the cosmoline and ruskie shellac. Find you some 8x57 mm ammo and enjoy the rifle the way it was built and meant to be used, sending lead down range.
Mwieczorek		#3	[-]
Posts: 42 (12/24/08 04:49 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	None you worry, Predeuzece, I fall into the "shoot it like it was meant to be shot" category. I do have a decent stockpile of surplus 8x57, too. This rifle has been shot and enjoyed thus far. The condition of the stock was just a nagging thing that I'm finally getting around to fixing. I put some pictures of the stock and my finish questions over in the stock cleaning forum. I think this one somehow escaped the commie armorers un-shellaced. Which means its just plain dirty and ugly, and I'm gonna clean it until it looks decent enough to pass muster. Matt
dou 44		#4	[-]
Posts: 2310 (12/25/08 01:36 AM) Host Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	acetone will take off the russian finish .you can then give it a good cleaning and put on a couple coats of tung oil
chemscout		#5	[-]
Posts: 1 (12/30/08 07:50 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I'm in the process of exactly the same thing with my own RC 98. Does anyone happen to know where I might be able to see a color shot of a Mauser as it looked when it was issued in it's day? J.S
h2oys		#6	[-]
Posts: 7 (12/30/08 04:23 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Hi J.S. I've attached a picture of my "vet bring-back" in the background and my reconditioned RC in the foreground. As you can see the wood on the bring-back is much darker, never been cleaned and thus aged 60+ year old wood, versus the cleaned and "new looking" wood on the reconditioned RC. Hope this helps. Norm
h2oys		#7	[-]
Posts: 8 (12/30/08 04:38 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	sorry, the pic did not make it the first time
chemscout		#8	[-]
Posts: 2 (12/30/08 06:11 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Those are good looking rifles. I'm feeling better now about stripping the Russian shellac off of the Mauser. Now I know what it 'should' look like. Thanks very much. I'll post when she's done. JS
chemscout		#9	[-]
Posts: 3 (12/30/08 06:13 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Did you beeswax those? I forgot to ask last post.
h2oys		#10	[-]
Posts: 9 (12/31/08 10:05 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Actually I formerly used just plain lemon oil on the stock, or per Wulfmanns recommendation, another great choice is Ballistol. What I really like about the Ballistol is you can use it on leather, metal, wood, etc.
Wulfmann		#11	[-]
Posts: 468 (12/31/08 02:32 PM) active member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Most stocks are stained so will not be made into the pretty light coloration like h2's fine looking rifle. Another thing to do that will deRusianize your metal is use a wire brush on you grinding wheel. That tones down the blackness which is unGerman like. Remember, the key to gun Godlyness is Germaness!! While I use Ballistol for cleaning particularly for corrosive ammo and I like the fact it does not harm wood or leather I use tung oil or boiled linseed to restore some oil on the laminated stocks. In truth they should have no oil but using acetone, denatured alcohol or lacquer thinner attacks the resin and one of the oil helps to neutralize and solvents left behind. Once oiled, I wipe off as much as possible. I also sand/file off the electro pencil and steam then sand off the Ivan number from the left butt stock Wulfmann "The right to bear arms should not be infringed upon if only to prevent tyranny in government." Thomas Jefferson; Constitutional debates.
Mwieczorek		#12	[-]
Posts: 44 (12/31/08 05:09 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	How does the bolt look after you remove the electo-pencil work? Do you re-blue it? I'm thinking that I might do the same thing, that electro-pencil number on the bolt body looks terrible. "Remember, the key to gun Godlyness is Germaness!!" I dunno Wulf... My H&R M1 Garand + surplus M2 ball + me = 2 MOA groups, centered around the bull @ 100 yards... My JP Sauer RC K98k (with a good bore and muzzle) + Yugo surplus 8mm + me = 5 MOA, 4" off to the left and low @ 100 yards... HAHAHAHA!!!!! Somewhere along the line, I think we started making better weapons than the Germans... Even today, I've shot small bore competitions with my Marlin Contender, H&R M12, and Remington Matchmaster 513T (each of which cost me less than $500) and I've stacked up real well against those uber expensive (like $2500 - $3500) Anschutz rifles. Just giving you a hard time... Matt
Wulfmann		#13	[-]
Posts: 469 (01/01/09 12:04 AM) active member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I use Oxpho blue after heating the metal with a torch. While I agree the Garand is better than a G43 it is rare a Garand is close to being as accurate as a K98k. I have K98ks that shoot under 2MOA and most Garands will not. Consider that to be accepted a Garand only had to shoot 6MOA while a K98k less than 2MOA. If I remember correctly we adopted a version of the MG42 called the M60 and do you think the AR15 is superior to the G36? Also we scrapped the 105 M1A Abrams tank canon and adopted the Rheinmetall 120 smooth bore for our American tank designed with the Germans and sister to the leopard II (We use a turbine drive and they diesel) so if somewhere along the line we started making better weapons perhaps somewhere further down the line we forgot. Try tapping the K98k front blad to the right and raise the rear ladder so you are on target. That sounds more like your fault than the gun and if that shoot worse than 2.5 inches there is something wrong with your bore because I have had at least 60 good bored K98ks and everyone shot 2.5 inches when I was doing my part. Wulfmann "The right to bear arms should not be infringed upon if only to prevent tyranny in government." Thomas Jefferson; Constitutional debates.
Mwieczorek		#14	[-]
Posts: 47 (01/01/09 01:53 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Wulfmann - I was just giving you a hard time! But, you're right, my H&R Garand is exceptionally accurate, and my K98's sight must be off. The Nazi's weapons were well made, but I really don't like their sights. I mean, come on, the sights on the Garand are leaps ahead of the sights on the K98. Same goes for the M14 versus the G-1 and G-3. With a US rifle, if it's shooting lef or right, turn a knob and you're back in the X ring (except for the M1917, but that's a British design anyways). With a Kraut gun, you gotta get out the hand tools to fix windage issues. Just doesn't make much sense to me... Matt
Wulfmann		#15	[-]
Posts: 470 (01/01/09 11:34 PM) active member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I agree the German sites are more difficult to use but if used correctly can be more accurate. But, that requires young eyes. I prefer the Russian block style post maybe not as good in a match but much quicker to get on target. The Germans were worried about Minute of Angle whereas most other countries were going for Minute of Man. If the American sites were better why did Germany win WWII? Actually someone did a comparison using the BSC system used for college football and declared Germany the winner of WWII... The USA came in 4th Wulfmann "The right to bear arms should not be infringed upon if only to prevent tyranny in government." Thomas Jefferson; Constitutional debates.
Mwieczorek		#16	[-]
Posts: 50 (01/02/09 12:08 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	"If the American sites were better why did Germany win WWII?" Yeah, that's why Hitler committed suicide and Donitz surrendered Germany to the allies. That's why we occupied Germany and split it into 2 countries for nearly half a century. Sorry man, those Nazi crums shot at my great grandfather in WWI AND WWII, and the Japs shot at my grandfather in WWII. For some reason, joking about the outcome of the war just isn't funny to me. As for sights, I'd pay to see someone take a K98k out on the Service Rifle leg match course. Try holding the X ring at 600 yards at Camp Perry sometime when the wind changes direction and speed every minute or so with those Mauser sights. Accuracy off the bench in a controlled environment is one thing. It tells you what the action, barrel, and ammo can do. Accuracy while shooting under real outdoor conditions is quite another. Add in the human element where the shooter needs to be able to quickly adjust to changing wind and light conditions and the whole system comes into play. Sorry, those old ramp and post sights (and the fact that you really can't use that Nazi sling for an accuracy aid) just ain't gonna get it done out there. Matt
chemscout		#17	[-]
Posts: 4 (01/02/09 07:14 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	<<<For some reason, joking about the outcome of the war just isn't funny to me.>>> I got a chuckle out of it. JS
Wulfmann		#18	[-]
Posts: 471 (01/09/09 01:59 PM) active member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Wow, someone thought using the BCS method for determining ranking in college football to compare combatant nations in WWII as seriously suggesting Germany won the war. No comment needed, speaks for itself!! Guess gramps getting shot at by those Nazis in WWI explains a little. I am guessing when the Comedy Channel comes on Matt sits there with arms folded saying "I don't get it" a lot "Heil Myself" (Mel Brooks as Hitler) Wulfmann "The right to bear arms should not be infringed upon if only to prevent tyranny in government." Thomas Jefferson; Constitutional debates.
Mwieczorek		#19	[-]
Posts: 66 (01/09/09 03:16 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	No, I find a lot of things funny. I just find it rather disrespectful (and distasteful) to make light of the sacrifice of all those who fought and died liberating the world from the grip of the Axis powers. Perhaps its just the way I was brought up or the time I spent in uniform, but I tend to hold all things regarding our military in high regard. Your first statement was "If the American sites were better why did Germany win WWII?"... All I saw after that was some jibberish about football... Sorry, I tune out as soon as that word is mentioned. Life's too short to spend it on the couch watching grown men playing with a ball. Matt
Wulfmann		#20	[-]
Posts: 472 (01/09/09 04:50 PM) active member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	It was really more about college football needing to have a playoff rather than BCS rating because by that standard Germany won WWII. I never actually meant Germany won WWII And, it seemed like a good laugh taken in context. My father was at Pearl Harbor when it was bombed, his brother, Uncle John was killed in the 8th over Germany a B-17 gunner. My mother's brothers were both in the navy one in the Atlantic the other on the USS Missouri and he was at the surrender. They all fought and some died so I did not have to take everything so serious Wulfmann "The right to bear arms should not be infringed upon if only to prevent tyranny in government." Thomas Jefferson; Constitutional debates.