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| I purchased the Romanian M-44 Nagant Carbine, used in this article, for around $50 at a local sporting goods store. The bore and finish were in excellent shape, but the stock really left something to be desired. The rifle was probably carried quite a bit, but was not fired very much at all. |
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| It shoots great and is fairly accurate for a very short barreled rifle. I decided to completely disassemble my little rifle and refinish the stock. |
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As shown in figures 1 through 3, the M-44 had pits, dings, and oil stains all over the wood stock.
*Note: Make sure you disassemble your rifle, removing all metal from the wood before proceeding with this project.
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| 1) Wear protective gloves while cleaning and stripping the stock. Easy-Off Oven Cleaner is a very harsh cleaner on bare skin and eyes. The first time I did this project, I did not wear gloves, the skin on my hands cracked and was in sad shape afterwards. The fumes are also pretty toxic. |
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| 2) Easy-Off, Heavy Duty Oven Cleaner is the best and quickest way of removing any type of finish from a wood rifle stock. Really. It draws out all of the oil and grease that has built up in the stock, over the years from cleaning and storage of the rifle. |
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| 3) I recommend you do the cleaning outside. It is easier to use a hose for clean off and you need an area with good ventilation because of the fumes. |
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| 4) Coat the entire stock with a good thick coat of Easy-Off. Wait an hour before rinsing off the rifle. When rinsing, wipe down the stock with a rag to remove oil, dirt, and old finish. Continue applying Easy-Off as many as three times to really get out the years of grime. Afterwards in a sink, use a good detergent and scrub brush to remove any oven left-over Oven Cleaner or debris from the rifle stock. |
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6) Allow the rifle to dry over night before doing any sanding. Even after stripping off the finish from the surface of the stock, you will still find oil stains and such. Don't worry, these stains will likely come out during sanding. Because of the moisture, most of the dings and nicks will swell up and expand, filling in the holes, for you to sand over. The larger dings will not fill in.
*Note: I have heard from several reliable sources that applying a hot, clothing iron's steam to either large or small dings on a rifle stock, through a damp cloth, will lift out the toughest of marks or dents.
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| 7) In preparation for sanding, you should have varying grades of sand paper. I start out with a course 60 grit and slowly work my self to a fine 220 grit grade sand paper. |
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| 8) Make sure you use a sanding block of some sort. It definitely makes the work go easier. Also it gives a uniform surface for the sand paper to rest against. |
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| 9) The sanding is the most strenuous task of this project, depending on the condition of the stock it could take an hour to several days to finish. No kidding. I really do not look at this as an economical endeavor in the way of time. It is really a labor of love. For what your time costs you - you could probably just purchase a nicer stock and throw away the old one. But what would be the fun in that? |
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Figures 11 and 12 show the contrast between "before sanding" and "after sanding ". After sanding the stock, almost all of the oil stains and discolorations have been removed.
*Remember this project is intended for the rifle you want to look nice, but really has no collectable value. Still, try not to sand off any manufacture or armory marks, if possible.
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| 10) I use very dark stains. The wood used in stocks is usually a very dense wood and does not take stain very well. To bring the rifle's finish back to its original color and tone, you will have to use a fairly dark stain like Mahogany, Ebony, or Dark Walnut. |
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| Even using these colors of stain will require three to four applied coats before you get the desired effect. |
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11) Take a wire coat hanger and untwist it. Usually you can hook the hanger into one of the cleaner rod holes, bayonet holes, etc. to hang and allow the stock to dry. When the last coat of stain is finished drying, sand the stock very lightly with a 220 grit sand paper to remove any wood fibers that the stain may have lifted.
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| 12) I like to apply a Satin Finish, Polyurethane finish coat over the stain. I will hang the rifle in an area with good ventilation and minimal dust and particles floating around. I apply very thin coats of finish over the entire external surface of the rifle stock. |
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| I do this instead of applying thick coats, to prevent unsightly runs in the finish. I repeat this step four to five times. Then allow the rifle stock to dry for around twenty-four hours. |
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| 13) After the final finish is dried, you will find that the finish is sometimes grainy to the touch. Don't worry, take steel wool and lightly steel wool the surface until the finish is smooth to the touch. |
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| 14) Reassemble the rifle. |
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| Figures 20, 21 and 22 show the finished product. All of the blemishes, except one large one located on the right, rear of the butt stock, have been removed. All the unnatural wood discoloration caused by man and petroleum products over the years, has also been removed. |
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Every rifle type has a different finish. Try to match the original finish as best possible. The stain and polyurethane method may not work for all rifles. You may have to use Tung or Linseed oil as a finish. Most of the Garands are finished this way. What will work on all rifle stocks is the Easy-Off Oven Cleaner trick. I have been using this for years and really love the quick results. You can really get out all of the excess oil locked in the wood from years of mistreatment or storage.
I know this may article may offend some collectors, that feel you should leave a rifle as is. That refinishing detracts from the value of the rifle. Please keep in mind this is a $50 rifle. The only person it has value to, is me. Also I do not claim to be a cabinet maker or a master craftsman. I just want a durable, good looking finish on my rifle stock.
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