please don't bubba a mil-surp gun

[Cosmoline]

If this is bubba I shall probably continue. It may "diminish collector value" but while alive, I can enjoy a gun that looks better. Guess I am like one of my doctor friends, "if it's not pretty, it doesn't shoot well"

I see nothing wrong with restoring the stocks. I know that museums and collectors prefer nothing be done, but wood is a living thing and needs to be cared for. Esp. when we're dealing with 100 year old hardwood stocks from forests that have been gone for generations, a little TLC and some BLO is a fine idea. To leave the thing covered in grime and cosmoline never made much sense to me. That said, it will generally reduce the value of higher end collectors items.

Rebluing is a bit more iffy, esp. since it's almost impossible to reproduce the original blue. The ones I've seen have a decidedly flat appearance to them. Plus, a nice patina will serve to prevent rust outbreaks.

 

[Cosmoline]

Right now, there is NO collector market for M44's.

Ha! You can sell me an SA, DDR or MO marked one for a C note then.

As I said, you don't know what you don't know, and if you think there aren't any valuable M44's you don't know much.

 

[shootinstudent]

That Krag sporter is a work of art.

That said, works of art don't come off the kitchen table in an hour's free time.

You'd think a gun engineered to be carried and shot rapidly all day long would lend itself to being appreciated in original form. I like milsurp guns as they are, and I have to agree with Cosmoline's comment here: it's best to learn to take advantage of the strong points they were designed with.

My proposal is, if you want to bubbafy a surplus rifle....save yourself some cash and buy one of the thousands that's already been "customized." They're cheaper than the mil-spec guns, and might even have some of the work done already!

 

[cracked butt]

Bubba ,being the wonder that he is, decided to destroy a VERY rare Swiss 1900 short rifle 1 of 176 made. Put on a bakelite butt plate, cut the stock with a saw and sanded it. This rifle left original un-messed with ,would be worth a large amount of money. Now? GRRRRR!

I feel your pain.

I picked up this 94/14 carbine a few months ago that someone had discarded the very valuable hardware from. I was able to find the missing parts from Numrich's and ebay- the missing parts cost me about as much as what I paid for the carbine itself. Its worth abotu what I put into it, but it would be worth twice as much if it had the original matching parts.:banghead:



It doesn't even have the scrubbed receiver and idiotic '33/50' import markings that is most commonly found.

 

[cracked butt]

Maybe to make ammends for attempting to restor the carbine I should chop 6" of this rifle, sand out the stock disc depression with a belt sander, put a rubber recoil pad on it (them 6.5x55s kick like one of dem mules ye know) strip the deep rust blue off, (does anyone do cold rust blue anymore) plate it with nickel, maybe buy one of those bolt kits where I hacksaw the bolt handle off and screw a new one on, and topthe whole thing off with some sort of combloc night vision scope.

 

[R.W.Dale]

I for one am not particularly upset over my find, If it had been original I would have not been interested in the slightest.

One of the rarer Mosins an EX Spanish Civil War rifle.

In my mind a nice classic sporter has MORE history to it than an old battle rifle in original condition, Some examples had many many hours of hard work and craftsmanship put into them. I respect that. I'll go even further to predict that within 10yrs time old custom sporters will become highly sought after in an ever increasing sea of plastic guns.

Much more so than todays beanie baby style milsurp market.

OR is it Pokemon "gotta collect em all"

 

[cracked butt]

Might as well do me up a .308 and a 7.62x39 in one of those neato 'pully-slidy' rifles too.

Cool people 'tankerize their Garands- here's a nice candidate:


Hey lookey! This one already has a scope, we could throw the old scope away and put on something cool- like a Simmons 8-Point, the name sounds like a trophy deer you know, so its gotta be a good scope.

 

[cracked butt]

This is the closest I'll ever come to being a bubba...

 

[cracked butt]

Much more so than todays beanie baby style milsurp market.

Yup the guys who collect the 'beanie babies' are certainly crying.




One of those easy to find Pokemons:

 

[R.W.Dale]

 

[Hoppy590]

oh arisakas/ dont get me started. my fav shop has 2 one BUTCHERED wood with mum and AA sites. i may get it to save her

 

[Il Duca]

Here's one you guys will love:

[/IMG]

Smith Corona 1903-A3, done sometime in the 60's according to the guy i bought it from. One of my favorite rifles.

 

[Stachie]

I am in the process of creating a "Bubba" out of my Yugo SKS. Unlike others who simply change the stock or add a scope, I have managed to maintain my patience throughout the process. I am upgrading everything possible, focusing on U.S.A. made parts (take that ATF 922r). I am almost done, but I have decided to order a competition trigger assembly; until I accumulate the cash necessary to purchase said item, my designated marksman/urban sniper "Bubba" will wait in pieces in my gunroom. For me, perfection is everything; I reload and would never think of shooting Wolff ammo in this masterpiece.

I want to transform this firearm into its true potential.

Comments from the peanut gallery?

 

[kungfuhippie]

Comments from the peanut gallery?

Just one question;
How much money have you dumped into you "designated marksman/urban sniper"? And let us know how well it shoots.

 

[.45Guy]

Some beautiful examples of Bubba's handiwork Well I can't find a picture of the Argentine Mauser with scope bases held on with wood screws. Next time I'm in Manitowoc I'll snap another picture.

 

[hexidismal]

Personally I have no issue whatsoever with modifying mil-surps. Other than risking the monetary value of a rare firearm perhaps. To me though, a gun is just a gun, and all the better to improve it's functionality if possible.

 

[shootinstudent]

Stachie,

Just a request:

After it's all built, you should use an eletric pencil to inscribe "Chuck Norris does not hunt because the word hunting infers the probability of failure. Chuck Norris goes killing" on the bolt carrier

 

[44AMP]

I collect both

Original milsurps AND well done sporter conversions. Did a few myself back in the 70s.

Other than buying "bolt on" accessories (so the rifle can be returned to original condition) it isn't economically feasable to build the kind of custon guns we used to. And the aftermarket bolt-on stuff just doesn't appeal to me.

Today I can find beautifully done sporters from the past for rather cheap. I have a 1903 Springfield in .25-06, a 1909 Mauser in .458 Win Mag, and an Arisaka in .308 Win. And 98 Mausers in .22-250 and .308 Win. All of these rifles have absolutly lovely wood on them. Two of the stocks have contrasting wood pistol grip caps and forend tips. One has a checkerd wooden buttplate. The checkering is flawless, as is the polish, blueing, engine turning and other metalwork. And they shoot!

I also have about dozen or so milsurps in "issue condition". Arisakas, Mausers, SMLEs, Moisin Nagants, Tokarev SVT 40, 1903 Springfield, 1917 Enfield, M1 Garand, etc.

So do what you want. If you do a fine job, your work will be appreciated by someone, someday. If you do a hack job, well then Bubba, we appreciate that too. It just makes guns in good condition more valuable.

Someday I might figure out how to get pictures on the computer,:banghead:

 

[RockyMtnTactical]

I've "bubba'd" a few guns. It doesn't bother me as long as it is used.

If it's gonna be a safe queen, keep it the way it was supposed to be...

 

[davera]

I saw at a gun show

A few weeks back, at the Montgomery AL gunshow, I happened on a beautiful Arisaka type 99, very crisp chrysanthemum and Japanese markings - but drilled and tapped for a scope, sporter stock and rebarreled in .257 Ackley Improved Roberts (or improved ackley roberts or roberts improved ackley ... what ever). I mean - could you rebarrel a milsurp in a more obscure cartridge?

I looked at the vendor and said - this is just a shame and a crime - he agreed.