K31: Refinish stock or not?

[Live Free Or Die]

I recently posted this thread about refinishing my Yugo SKS stock. I really enjoyed doing that, and I'm considering refinishing my K31 stocks (both of them). It seems that the level of opposition some people have to refinishing milsurp rifles is usually commensurate with the perceived historical significance of that rifle, and also its relative rarity.

I understand that it's ultimately my call to make, but I'm soliciting advice because I might not have considered all aspects of the potential refinish. To give some context to the situation, here are some pictures of the first K31 that I'd consider refinishing:

Although the photos are sub-par, you can see the stock is in reasonable condition. There's a lot of dirt/oil/scratches, but most of the scrapes, dents and gouges are quite shallow -- 1/16" or less. I think it would be relatively easy to turn this stock into a real beauty without too much sanding at all.

Ok, I'm 75% in favor of refinishing, and 25% unsure. Any advice?

 

[10mmshooter]

Although I am not one who will criticize people for making alterations to their own property, I will chime in here.

Personally, I think that K31 looks pretty good the way that it is. The fact that it shows some wear is perfectly acceptable for a used service rifle and yours looks pretty sharp as is IMHO.

If the rifle is in your collection simply to shoot and be a piece of eye candy...Go for it. But, if the historical significance of the weapon factors into your situation even a little bit...I'd leave it as is. Either way....Nice looking weapon you have there.

 

[jagdpanzer347]

Livefree, I'm personally not real big on refinishing milsurp rifles. I think you lose a lot of the rifle's character. Why not try a good cleaning with Murphy's soap and maybe a little heat and mineral spirits. It may clean up a lot better than you think. Your rifle's condition seems similar to mine, which I'll start cleaning up in a week or two. Ultimately though, do whatever makes you happiest and get out and shoot it! Just my two cents.
-jagdpanzer

 

[Live Free Or Die]

That's an interesting point re: cleaning versus refinishing. I guess it would be pretty easy to spruce it up with a good cleaning and see what it looks like before committing to a full refinish.

 

[Cosmoline]

I'd just clean and wax with that one. Frankly the wood on that rifle is unlikely to have much interest if you strip it down. Unlike some of the birch stocks on Finn Mosins or certain fancy Walnut stocks on early Mausers, there's just straight grain hardwood on that K-31. As long as the wood is protected, there's no real point to sanding and redoing it.

That said, it's hardly a great sin to do it. The rifle's value is pretty limited now, and I don't view reviving the stock wood as a bubbafication. But I usually leave them alone unless there's embedded cosmoline or the existing "finish" is just filth and the wood is slowly drying out and cracking apart.

 

[ARperson]

Haven't you ever watched Antiques Road Show? Altering the pieces ALWAYS results in lower values. Better to have it original and imperfect that altered and...what? cleaner?

I too don't see any big need to refinish the stock on any milsurp. Patina. It wouldn't have that wonderful visual history with a refinishing.

 

[alamo]

I don't see anything wrong with cleaning the stock with acetone or laquer thinner and then putting on a few coats of tung oil or BLO. All you're doing is cleaning the gunk / oil / dirt out of the stock and reapplying what was used on most military stocks - BLO or tung oil. I wouldn't describe this as "refinishing".

 

[KrankyKraut]

I'm thinking about refinishing my K-31, imparting that reddish finish some of them had when new. I saw a picture of a rifle that was refinished in that fashion, and it looked spectacular. Does anybody know how to get that look?

 

[cracked butt]

Just rub on a coat or two of a mixture of 50/50 BLO/orange shellac. Its supposedly the the mixture that was used to originally finish the stocks and used to maintain them as well.