Hey gang,
You guys have already given me some good advice...now I have a couple more questions.
I picked up this 1899 M96 a couple months back. It was a bit of a spontaneous purchase...what sold me was the bore was like new and the metal was in nice condition. Not numbers matching and a mismatched handguard (so I thought) and what appears to me to be an overly sanded stock (check out the fingergrooves and top of comb).
The mismatched color didn't bother me as much as the fingergrooves did.
I found a used walnut stock here on the board and put the rifle in it tonight to see how everything fit.
I was surprised on two accounts:
1. The original beech stock and handguard are both stamped matching the reciever. So if they match why the color difference? Did a former owner stain only the main stock and leave the handguard? Is the handguard an arsenal replacement that was then stamped by the arsenal? The stamp font is the same on the stock and the handguard.
2. The original beech stock is actually thicker than the new walnut stock (when measured with calipers). I expected it to be narrower due to the the appearance of being sanded. Any ideas?
I buy and shoot my rifles for my own enjoyment and not anyone elses but I still have to ask what do you guys think is better?
The original stock numbers matched to the receiver:
The new walnut stock:
The beech stock is in much nicer shape but the finger grooves ruin it for me.
I swapped all the metal parts onto the new stock with the exception of the barrel band springs. I've never tried to remove them from a rifle stock and it always seemed like they would be difficult to remove.
Anyone remove these before?
As you can see they have a lot less bluing than the metal I swapped over to the new stock.
Pretty impressive that the buttplate fits this nice on a different stock:
I haven't swapped the stock disk yet. Tack holes visible.
If I stick with the walnut stock I'm going to steam it and clean it up a bit. Not as nice as the beech stock but more authentic looking IMO.
What do you guys think?
Thanks,
John
You guys have already given me some good advice...now I have a couple more questions.
I picked up this 1899 M96 a couple months back. It was a bit of a spontaneous purchase...what sold me was the bore was like new and the metal was in nice condition. Not numbers matching and a mismatched handguard (so I thought) and what appears to me to be an overly sanded stock (check out the fingergrooves and top of comb).
The mismatched color didn't bother me as much as the fingergrooves did.
I found a used walnut stock here on the board and put the rifle in it tonight to see how everything fit.
I was surprised on two accounts:
1. The original beech stock and handguard are both stamped matching the reciever. So if they match why the color difference? Did a former owner stain only the main stock and leave the handguard? Is the handguard an arsenal replacement that was then stamped by the arsenal? The stamp font is the same on the stock and the handguard.
2. The original beech stock is actually thicker than the new walnut stock (when measured with calipers). I expected it to be narrower due to the the appearance of being sanded. Any ideas?
I buy and shoot my rifles for my own enjoyment and not anyone elses but I still have to ask what do you guys think is better?
The original stock numbers matched to the receiver:
The new walnut stock:
The beech stock is in much nicer shape but the finger grooves ruin it for me.
I swapped all the metal parts onto the new stock with the exception of the barrel band springs. I've never tried to remove them from a rifle stock and it always seemed like they would be difficult to remove.
Anyone remove these before?
As you can see they have a lot less bluing than the metal I swapped over to the new stock.
Pretty impressive that the buttplate fits this nice on a different stock:
I haven't swapped the stock disk yet. Tack holes visible.
If I stick with the walnut stock I'm going to steam it and clean it up a bit. Not as nice as the beech stock but more authentic looking IMO.
What do you guys think?
Thanks,
John