Painted Mosin Nagant stocks

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  • Verbal Kint

    I dunno
    Rating - 100%
    10   0   0
    Oct 25, 2010
    115
    18
    Hammond
    Any Mosin Nagant collectors here familiar with refurb rifles that have stocks painted with a reddish-brown paint (not the standard red shellac)? I've seen a few of these over the last couple of years (most recently a PU sniper, but I also recall seeing a few standard 91/30s painted this way). The paint is over wood, the metal at the ends of the handguard and pretty much all other exposed metal on the stocks (but not on the action or bands). One I saw recently (the refurb sniper) had the matching serial number stamped in the buttstock. I'm trying to figure out what country refinished the stocks this way (or if Century or some other importer was just trying to "pretty-up" ugly rifles).
     
    Last edited:

    Rusty

    Well-Known Member
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    0   0   0
    May 19, 2015
    102
    18
    Amite, la
    I have never seen that done to a mosin before. Part of me wants to believe it was done at the arsenal but then I ask myself why? On the other hand if it was done by Bubba or a importer why paint it reddish brown and not stain or shellac? Strange
     

    Stonehenge

    Well-Known Member
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    0   0   0
    Nov 5, 2016
    110
    18
    Slaughter
    The only thing I can find about painted stocks is some were painted as training rifles, but that was only just the butt or a mark or stripe on the butt. Maybe it was done to cover something like that. I know that it was pretty common before ww2 for armys to paint their rifles black or dark brown for desert conditions, no telling, might have just been something a soldier did while holed up or pinned down.
     

    Verbal Kint

    I dunno
    Rating - 100%
    10   0   0
    Oct 25, 2010
    115
    18
    Hammond
    Thanks for the replies. The rifle that has me asking is a PU sniper that showed up in a Hammond pawn shop. Can't figure it out. An arsenal rebuild original Tula sniper, beautiful metal, matched, no visible import marks, but with a stock painted the ugliest shade of orange-brown imaginable. The crossbolt and barrel bands were removed from the stock prior to the paint being applied. I distinctly remember another 91/30 that had a very similar treatment that showed up about a year ago at the Gonzales gun show. It too was just plain ugly, but my memory isn't good enough to say the paint on the stock was identical to the rifle at issue. Apparently the story that was given at the shop was that the thing was a Vietnam bring back, and painted that way over there. Eh, not so sure about that.... But I can't believe someone would take the time to pull a stock down to bare wood, remove the crossbolt and barrel bands and then paint the rifle the rifle this way (anybody lurking here want to fess-up???). Only a government arsenal could do this....I hope. Can't resist picking up the rifle though, and will leave the stock alone until I can determine whether it is "correct."
     
    Last edited:

    Blue Diamond

    sportsman
    Premium Member
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    10   0   0
    Apr 12, 2014
    944
    16
    Metairie, La.
    Could have been done down in Mexico during the early 1950's. I have some Mausers that were painted and rebarreled there around 1953. Mexico was receiving 100's of thousands of military surplus rifles and rebarreling and painting the barrels and actions with some heavy black enamel for the drug czars there. Most were changed from 7 and 8 mm to 308 and 30/06. There would be a stamp with a name and date on the bottom of action if it was done there.
     

    Verbal Kint

    I dunno
    Rating - 100%
    10   0   0
    Oct 25, 2010
    115
    18
    Hammond
    Be careful what you ask for....this thing is blindingly ugly. Don't have the best pics because it is still in layaway, just some close-ups, a few of which are attached. They more than capture just how bad the paint is. Metal, on the other hand, is beautiful. Go figure. Really wish someone here would just fess up to painting this thing so I could do something with it with a clear conscience... Just don't want to clean the stock and then find out later is was arsenal correct the way it is.
     

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    Verbal Kint

    I dunno
    Rating - 100%
    10   0   0
    Oct 25, 2010
    115
    18
    Hammond
    I'm not that lucky....I did ponder that the paint might have been something applied to help protect the stock in a tropical environment. Would fit nicely with the Vietnam bring back claim, but I have found nothing whatsoever to support this theory. I do know that, not too long ago, I saw a similar looking Mosin at a local gun show (Gonzalez I think) and another in a book that (of course) now I can't find. So for now, a mystery. At least the paint won't affect its accuracy....cant wait to take it out and run a few rounds through it.
     

    Stonehenge

    Well-Known Member
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Nov 5, 2016
    110
    18
    Slaughter
    I have a few cheap chinese pellet guns painted the exact same color to hide the fact they are made of pallet wood. My grandpa bought them at an auction for like $15 a piece.
     

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