K31 Restoration Finished! Bubba or Beautiful?

[Shrinkmd]

Thanks again to all the good people here, at Surplusrifle.com, Reid Coffield at Battenfeld Technologies (maker of Miles Gilbert stock refinishing kit/video, who personally wrote back, as well as replacing something in the kit which was dried up), Blue Wonder, Swissrifles.com, and everyone else who helped me turn this beaver chewed, shellac flaking, grey-metal dog of a rifle into what you see before you.

This is my first attempt at either stock or metal refinishing. I've learned a lot, made a bunch of mistakes, fixed some. I hope the Blue wonder holds up, as there was some rust on it, but I cleaned it, did another full round of rebluing, and oiled it up good. Hopefully it will last!

I promised my wife that I would refinish her dollhouse next, but don't expect to see those pics here

So what do you all think? Bubba, or beautiful?
(Serials obscured)

For some "before" pics, check out the related threads:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=175450

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=123854

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=181523

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=192785

 

[Shrinkmd]

Some more pics...

That's it! Now it's time to go shoot this rifle! Range reports next time

 

[LooseGrouper]

B-U-T-Ful! That's my vote.

I think even Cosmoline will have a hard time arguing with your results, and with the way you've kept to the spirit of the rifle...but I could be wrong.

 

[Don't Tread On Me]

Looks fine to me. I don't think the JBT on the receiving end will be critiquing its looks....

 

[Rexrider]

Looks beautiful to me. I say you did a great job. You did not in any way "bubba" your rifle. You restored it. There is a big difference. It's not like the rifle was worth $10,000 in its original condition and then you refinished it.

Now...if you slap some rails and a reddot scope on it...... then there might be a problem.

 

[OCJ]

The bayo looks completely out of place, but other than that, you have turned it into a beautiful rifle. As far as value goes, if I did a job like that, the rifle would be worth MUCH more now to me as it now has all that time and effort into it.

 

[Limeyfellow]

A nice refinishing job. You are just restoring a rifle to its former glory rather than making it a bubba. Generally I am okay with this in most circumstances, especially if its been really knackered by someone else. I tend to count it only as bubbafied if you had altered the parts, but as long as you give it back its original finish, restoring the colour it brings out a sense of pride. On a $100 rifle its value is so low its not so painful to restore. Just make sure you don't remove any of the markings, engravings and stampings and you are fine. I just redone a Lee Enfield No4 Mk1 that some mean git had sprayed really thick polyuethane all over the stock on a really botched sanding job with a mechanical sander. Its now a beauty with the metal work touched up and restored and the wood recieving loving additions of BLO to restore it with all the markings in place and an originally used finish, so in several years time should have a nice red tint to it.

 

[kimbermaniac]

She looks good to me,now go and do some shootin!

 

[rangerruck]

me likey.

 

[Shrinkmd]

The bayo looks completely out of place, but other than that, you have turned it into a beautiful rifle.

I guess the wood colors don't match. It's what AIM Surplus sent me, what can I do? Gotta put it on the end at least once to see the whole package.

 

[BillinNH]

I hope mine looks as good as yours when I re-do it. Nice job.

Bill

 

[MechAg94]

What did you do to the bayonet blade? The one I got from AIM is nice and shiny. Did you get it with that color?

 

[dfaugh]

No Bubba here....

Bubba implies you chopped it up somehow, into a non-original configuration.

Looks like a very nice job, especially for a first attempt at restoration.

I'm restoring an 1918 Enfield that WAS Bubba's, hope it look as good as this when I get done.

 

[Shrinkmd]

Bayonet is shiny

The picture just came out funny. I wanted to do some natural light shots off a tripod, but I was in a hurry and just used the flash! My AIM bayonet is, indeed, shiny. Nicely greased, looks brand new.

OOPS PLEASE DELETE THIS DOUBLE POST. THANKS!

 

[Shrinkmd]

Bayonet is shiny

What did you do to the bayonet blade? The one I got from AIM is nice and shiny. Did you get it with that color?

The picture just came out funny. I wanted to do some natural light shots off a tripod, but I was in a hurry and just used the flash! My AIM bayonet is, indeed, shiny. Nicely greased, looks brand new.

 

[Red Tornado]

That looks great. Of course, you know you've destroyed the collectibility of the rifle. Tell you what, I'll take it off your hands for $150, and we'll agree never to talk about it.

Seriously, nice job.
RT

 

[ocabj]

I don't really have a problem with restorations. My only peeve is with people who restore to sell the rifle as "un-issued" or "like new" without telling the unsuspecting/unknowing buyer that it was restored.

 

[El Rojo]

If it was in super rare condition and a beaut, then you would be in trouble. However these things are a dime a dozen right now and some look pretty beat up, so why not? Hell, you can't take any of this with you when you die and having a piece of eye candy to collect dust in the safe really doesn't do anyone any good except your ego, so why not. Look great. Well except there are two parts on your receiver where the black looks totally off. It almost looks like you put a square box over two areas.

 

[Squidward]

If the results of the poll are not to your liking, send it to me; I don't care what others think.