The Russian Mosin Nagant Forum

I found these photos on an auction site. I can't tell if it's been painted with something or someone went crazy with pine tar. Whatever it is, it appears to have been carefully applied and you can see a brown color/finish peeking through in a few spots. It looks to be a Finn M91. Any ideas what it might be?
Thanks!

Its scaring me whatever it is..

Did you ask the sellar? I sure looks like a coating to me.

I remember having seen that one too. My first thought was that somebody coated it in Rhino-lining!

That rifle has been for sale on GB several times. Unless there is another just like it.

I have seen a finish like that, but not on a firearm, on pieces of antique furniture that had been subjected to attic heat and cold for a very long time.

It looks like the Dupli Color spray on bed liner stuff to me. Or black rough coat trunk paint.

redeuce wrote:That rifle has been for sale on GB several times. Unless there is another just like it.

Is that a picture of you on your Honeymoon ?

What does it look like under the sling swivels and other metal?

Looks like century done vz52 she rifles. By the way Judi (and her mosins) that would be a good rifle for you. (the SHE rifle not the other)

Pass. Whatever the finish it is not Russian or Finnish.

Lotema wrote:I remember having seen that one too. My first thought was that somebody coated it in Rhino-lining!

Believe it or not you are more than likely right! Century did a bunch of trashed stock SHE rifles awhile back to hide the nails and staples they used to tack the broken stocks together. They must have sold pretty good because while after that they did a bunch of broken stock M39's. I tried to buy one but the rules they had at a Tennessee gun show I went to prevented me from doing it. I have never see a Finn M91 done that way but who knows what is next? Bill

I found some. I knew we had some around here!

Perhaps it's owner wound up on the wrong end of a flame thrower?

I guess he didn't want the stock to rust

The seller replied that it is "old finish".

"Truck liner"

I have an M91 with a Bulgarian stock that has a thick, rough, old furniture varnish - sloppily applied too. I just grabbed the pictures and they aren't good, but you can see some of the texture in the glare. It's not a dark varnish, but it's similar enough to consider that auction rifle might - might - be an aged arsenal varnish of some sort.
BTW - my rifle has a toe splice and what appears to be a pine cone right above it and I think the varnish is Bulgarian - not Bubba.