Preserve or custom?

[Robertroadking]

At what point does Bubba’s old surplus become fodder for sporter building? Obviously a cut stock can be replaced with surplus available, a cut barrel generally qualifies for a sporter. What about drilled and tapped receivers? Scrubbed barrel?

[qz2026]

The answer is, the minute bubba makes permanent changes. I've had success bringing back a few of these where the stock was cut down and those were the only changes. That was then, this is now. Finding stocks for just about anything is getting more and more difficult and costly. Really, anymore, I wouldn't even consider restocking unless the gun was given to me. Otherwise, you'll be spending a lot more than it would cost you to buy a complete, original piece. I haven't seen much in the way of scrubbed barrels out there that wasn't arsenal done. I guess you have to watch that carefully... But, again, anything permanently done as examples you described places the gun in the bubba realm and collectors will think to themselves "sad..." and move on.

[awalker1829]

Surplus of new old stock stocks is pretty much gone now. You can have a new stock made for the price of an arm and leg. Many are just shooters or parts sources. If Bubba did it, pass and move on.

Now, there are a few sporterized military surplus guns that should absolutely be left in their sporter configuration. The Kar88 is one of those. They were determined by the German army to be outdated post-1900 and most had been sold into the commercial market before WWI. Many of them passed through the hands of trained German gunsmiths who rebuilt and sold them to hunters. Worst case scenario-a sporterized Kar88 maintains the same monetary value as a military version Kar88. Depending on who did the conversion, the sporterized version may be worth more than the military version.

Now, would I buy a cut up sporter and "restore" it? If it's a Kar98 and the barrel and action have not been screwed up, maybe. The reason is that I happen to have two spare K98 stocks with all the hardware. One is a German stock and the other is an Israeli one. I buy stuff that I "might" need in the future.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Today? Probably not given the cost and difficulty finding parts, and if the metal is altered I would not touch it at all. Back in the day I acquired a couple of British Enfields. One, a No4, was completed in weeks needing only bands and wood, and in the late 80's these parts were cheap and common. The other, a No1 MKIII*, took 25 years to finish, I had to find the rear sight, and a matching wood set with original finish. The project wasn't a priority given that I had at least 15 other Enfields. If the Bubba doesn't have metal alterations, and your young enough to spend possibly decades sourcing the correct parts, and money is no object, then go for it.

[steelbuttplate]

As for the Finn cubs, you should leave them alone. They are collectable now and I've seen an old Remington made locally cub like and a rear sight made out of a Liberty dime. Old Americana. Leave those ancients alone. Anything newly Bubba'd cut, drilled, bent, is ruined for restoration.

[RazorBurn]

I've restored a several sportered rifles including an M27 Mosin and two No 4 Mk 1 Enfields. It took me four years to find a stock set for the M27 that's how hard they are to find. I came across another M27 stock set with hardware a couple of years ago and have it sitting in my spare parts pile just in case I come across another one. The last No 4 Mk 1 I did was a 1945 Long Branch I restored last year. There are a couple of other sportered No 4 Mk 1's locally I could buy but the parts have dried up and/or gotten so expensive it's just not worth doing it anymore. I have enjoyed saving old milsurps that had cut down stocks over the years but those days have gone by fast.

[SA1911a1]

I have two 91/30 complete stocks with hardware that I bought cheap ten years ago, waiting on an orphaned 91/30. Today, the prices of 91/30s, even in a cut or plastic stock keeps my interest tamped down.

[RazorBurn]

I have two 91/30 complete stocks with hardware that I bought cheap ten years ago, waiting on an orphaned 91/30. Today, the prices of 91/30s, even in a cut or plastic stock keeps my interest tamped down.

I have a complete 91/30 stock set with hardware lying around too. Like you I'm just waiting on a sportered one at a pawn shop to save.