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I hate to see a bubba-ed military rifle as much as anyone else. Question is, what do you think of restoring the rifle and how much would you do?
Case in point: We received a 1903 Springfield from the CMP last year. It was flooded with cosmoline - even the stock. Paint thinner removed the cosmo but the stock was still soaked with grease. After alternate applications of heat and the thinner I got some of the old cosmoline out. Though the metal looked good with about 95% blueing, the mostly blackened stock still looked like hell with bunches of storage dents. Paint stripper removed the finish and removed even more grease. I used steam to raise the dents and steel wool to smooth the wood a bit being careful not to damage the stock markings. After the wood dried I rubbed several coats of Tung Oil into the stock. When I put it back together the rifle looked like it did a couple of years after issue - used but in VG-EXC condition.
I couldn't stop there though. The receiver serial number indicated a Springfield Arsenal manufacture date of 1933 and the barrel had a matching date of 1933. The bolt however was a non-matching WW2 Remington. After a lot of searching, I located a correct year stripped SA bolt. The headspace was perfect when I slipped it into the receiver.
Except for a few small parts my old warrior is historically correct and he looks and shoots great.
Well, what do you think? Did I bubba or restore? Whatever the verdict I'm still proud of my rifle and the effort that went into it. I'm thinking of doing some work on my Garand next. The metal is good but the wood is really a mess. Wonder if I should even touch it.
Does anyone else do work like this. Any stories of your own?
RIKA
Case in point: We received a 1903 Springfield from the CMP last year. It was flooded with cosmoline - even the stock. Paint thinner removed the cosmo but the stock was still soaked with grease. After alternate applications of heat and the thinner I got some of the old cosmoline out. Though the metal looked good with about 95% blueing, the mostly blackened stock still looked like hell with bunches of storage dents. Paint stripper removed the finish and removed even more grease. I used steam to raise the dents and steel wool to smooth the wood a bit being careful not to damage the stock markings. After the wood dried I rubbed several coats of Tung Oil into the stock. When I put it back together the rifle looked like it did a couple of years after issue - used but in VG-EXC condition.
I couldn't stop there though. The receiver serial number indicated a Springfield Arsenal manufacture date of 1933 and the barrel had a matching date of 1933. The bolt however was a non-matching WW2 Remington. After a lot of searching, I located a correct year stripped SA bolt. The headspace was perfect when I slipped it into the receiver.
Except for a few small parts my old warrior is historically correct and he looks and shoots great.
Well, what do you think? Did I bubba or restore? Whatever the verdict I'm still proud of my rifle and the effort that went into it. I'm thinking of doing some work on my Garand next. The metal is good but the wood is really a mess. Wonder if I should even touch it.
Does anyone else do work like this. Any stories of your own?
RIKA