pics from new member

[GLUGLUG]

Basic round receiver 1942 Izhevsk. Can't seem to get a good pic of receiver stamp. As I mentioned in my first post I didn't do the refinish job and don't know who did.
Someone said it could have been done by the Soviets but I think it looks too good for that. Paid $120 for it.

[Junk Yard Dog]

I see red shellac, Soviet refurb, after WW2 the Soviets took millions of their leftover weapons ( and even the enemy's weapons) and refurbished them in a program that lasted almost 30 years. They stashed them in a Ukrainian salt mine to be issued to the Soviet people in the event the west invaded, a war that never happened. Now you get to play with one of the rifles that was intended to kill you. Nice looking 91/30

[BuckeyeSgt]

Nice rifle. Welcome to the Forum. JYD always gets to the point...in a very subtle way.

[Ban-One]

Is that polyurethane on the stock? Looks awfully smooth and shiny. Shoot it and enjoy it!

[Three_Dogs]

Looks like my refurbed 91/30, I think its a typical arsenal finish.

[desdem12]

[husker51]

Welcome to the forum! My first one was a 1937 91/30. Enjoy!

[breckenridge]

Is that polyurethane on the stock? Looks awfully smooth and shiny. Shoot it and enjoy it!

I was thinking it looked like poly to me too, its awfully smooth. I'm just a beginner with the Mosins though so I could very well be wrong. If it is shellac I wish my arsenal laminate was that smooth. Mine looks like a vodka-infused Boris went at it with a rough paint brush! Either way, enjoy it!!

[bunkysdad]

I don't know about poly, or red shellac, because on my computer these pics are too small to get a good look at. Is it just me and my computer? However I think it's great that you got yourself a wartime 91/30. I just love these. The roughness on the receiver is correct for being wartime produced. Do you have the rougher receiver?

[zeebill]

Looks like my refurbed 91/30, I think its a typical arsenal finish.

I sure don't! Looks like tru-oil special to me, far too smooth for a refurb shellack job. Looks nice though! Bill

[GLUGLUG]

I don't know about poly, or red shellac, because on my computer these pics are too small to get a good look at. Is it just me and my computer? However I think it's great that you got yourself a wartime 91/30. I just love these. The roughness on the receiver is correct for being wartime produced. Do you have the rougher receiver?

It's not too rough, but not perfect either. You should be able to click on the pics to go to imageshack to get a better look. Unless for some reason it only lets me do that since I uploaded them
I'm going to go shoot it at a friends land today and will try to get some photos in the sun, they'll probably turn out better.

I re-sized this one so you can see it better.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Poly and thick shellac both look the same in pics, most refinishers go for the light look when they redo a stock. One quick way to tell is to take a Q tip, dip it in some form of alcohol and dab at some tiny, and out of the way spot on the stock, it the Q tip starts to turn color then you have shellac, if not then it's poly.

[zeebill]

Take that one picture you have up and look real close at the glare spot and to the left end of it is a chip in the finish. See how the edges are not rough like they should be if it were a fresh chip or a finish that was not smoothed out or recoated with something or maybe even steel wooled to smooth that finish or the chip out of prominence. I rest my case and you proved it for me. Bill

[Junk Yard Dog]

I am on a tiny non HD laptop screen and you think I can see that?

[zeebill]

Good Lord Man I am 68 ad half blind and can see it! Come youngster I know you can see it! You shoot better than me! Off to listen to live music downtown! Maybe that is the problem JYD you need some time out and about to sharpen your vision. Few beers heaven knows what you can see! He he! Bill

[bunkysdad]

That resize did the trick. That picture came out just right.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Good Lord Man I am 68 ad half blind and can see it! Come youngster I know you can see it! You shoot better than me! Off to listen to live music downtown! Maybe that is the problem JYD you need some time out and about to sharpen your vision. Few beers heaven knows what you can see! He he! Bill

The laptop screen is 15" and non HD Bill, on my regular screen I can see stuff

[zeebill]

The main keys to detect refinished stocks are look for chips and see if they are smoothed out and if they are the rifle has been redone or at least smoothed out with steel wool or wet dry sandpaper. The other point to look for is the sharpness of the edges on the stock, if it is the original finish the edges will be almost knife like sharp on say a refurb and fairly sharp on an original finish non-refurb. Many people use wet dry sandpaper with say tru-oil to take the shine away but it is easy to spot once you know what to look for. Frankly I see so much of it being done I really don't take points off even though I will tell the seeler I do. Got to use all the bargaining points you can to get the price down if possible. Shame many people feel this has to be done but they do I am afraid. Bill

[Junk Yard Dog]

The best way to tell an original Soviet refurbs finish is if it looks like a five year old slapped it on. Runs, overslop onto the metal, grease not removed and now locked under the shellac. All hallmarks of an original refurb shellac finish. Refinishers can't help themselves, it would be damaging to their pride to leave such poor work evident on their new finish. They wouldn't be able to boast to their friends about what a good job they did.

[Darryl]

One of the places I look first is at the top edge of the stock. That 1/4" area before the metal starts. Re-furbs usually have a lot of "bubbling" of the shellack or drips or runs or thick shellack.

This caught my eye. But without holding this rifle in my hands, I'd hate to say it has been altered because I can show you refurbs that look that good. I have a couple in my collection and they are shellack. So sometimes it is impossible to tell in a photo. Also, the arsenals sanded these stocks also during refurbishment. I have seen rounded edges on older stocks and sharp edges on fairly new post war issued stocks. I'd need to have it in my hands to really tell. But it does look like it is either an extremely nice finish or ????

Dolk

This is the area I was talking about....... Also, Where is the "redness" in the shellack?