Gun Pics and a Request....

[Gottahaveone]

I walked into a local shop with a buddy of mine and we headed for the surplus rack as usual. I saw what I thought was an FR-8 and although it was close, I got my hand on it before he did. It was an FR-8 with the sling and bayo and was marked at $229. I told him I would show it to him after I paid for it and I made a beeline for the register.

It's in what appears to be excellent shape but it was painted with shellac by a drunk 6 year old. A drunk 6 year old who was playing in a sandbox at the time. It has so much sand in the finish that I'm not sure they weren't going for a non slip finish.

I have Mosins and Enfields but this is my first Mauser action. Any tips, tricks or general info that some of you experts might share with me would be much appreciated. I'll post an update after it's been cleaned up and shot.

 

[Gottahaveone]

Close up of the receiver shows some of the 6 year olds artwork......

 

[45B@cav]

I see what your saying about the finish but it's still a nice gun. Sorry I don't have any advice.

 

[heron]

Invest heavily in steel wool . . .

 

[longdayjake]

a little bit of easy off will do you some good.

 

[Gottahaveone]

a little bit of easy off will do you some good.

I've heard that before. Does it have any negative effect on parkerizing? I have denatured alcohol and a rag currently at work on the metal. I was going to use that and 0000 steel wool on the stock. I'm always up for better living thru chemistry. I'd love nothing more than to spray on and wipe off.....

 

[crushbup]

Easy off may harm the wood, as it is a strong caustic. I say just take your time with steel wool and mineral spirits, being careful not to damage the wood.

It shouldn't harm the metal though.

 

[plainsbilly]

graffiti remover best non damaging spray on finish remover on the planet
you can get it at most large hardware stores

 

[xx7grant7x]

What about dissassembly and separation of the wood from the metal, then remove varnish from metal (does paint thinner hurt parkerizing?) then hand sand stock varnish/finish off and give a good classic oil rubbed finish (or buy replacement stock)?

 

[Mike U.]

HOLY CRAP!! That is THE worst bubba-coat-job I've ever seen.
A drunken 6 year old? More likely done by a drunken 6 year old chimp. He probably works at Century too.
I recognize the same craftsmanship that went into the retro-fitting of my WASR.

 

[Gottahaveone]

After breaking it down last night, I spent several hours with a pan of denatured alcohol and an old tee shirt and got all the shellac off of the metal. It actually cleaned up pretty nice. I think for now I'm going to leave the wood alone. After doing some digging on the web, I was a little worried about how comfortable it was going to be to shoot. I kept reading about how loud and hard kicking they were. After my initial trip to the range this morning, all I can say is that those folks have never shot a Mosin M38. People talk about the "light" M44 kicking, but with the bayo attached the M44 actually weighs more that the full sized M91/30. The M38 is another beast entirely. In comparison this little guy isn't bad at all. I think I'll keep it

 

[MilsurpShooter]

Can't say if this is the case with the one you have but the Mauser's have the 3 position safety. If you plan on taking the bolt apart for cleaning make sure the safety is in the straight up and down position when removing it and when you put it back together. If not you get to learn all about manual cocking of the bolt when it's out of the rifle lol

 

[jobu07]

I recommend that you buy a CETME sight adjustment tool for this bad boy. That'l make your life a lot simpler when it comes to zeroing.

 

[DeputyVaughn]

$229.00 for an FR8 is a great deal. The cleanup work to undo the Shellac will be worth it. Great shooters and one of my personal favorites.
The Cetme sight tool is a good investment also.
Easy off (original formula) will strip the stock down to the wood. I've used it in refinishing projects before without any damage to the wood itself. Just spray it on wait 15 minutes or so and rinse thoroughly while brushing with a soft bristle toilet brush. Make sure you let it dry completely before refinishing.

Scott