Finn Mosin I just picked up. Should I restore?

[Elwood_Blues]

So I just got this Finnish Mosin yesterday, relatively cheap, I think. Barrel, receiver and bolt, all match. Magazine floorplate has no numbers, which is common from what I read. Bore is shinny, rifling is solid, and it's not counterbored. Most of the bluing is 80-90% gone from magazine body. The stock is in rough shape.

Honestly, I had no idea what I was getting when I committed to buying it. I saw no pictures, had very little info, but the price was good. I was going to clean the cosmoline out, shoot it, and then most likely sell it. That was until I found out it's a Finn, and it's in overall good shape.

So I thought I just might pick up the kit in the link below. Any thoughts? Thanks!

http://www.amazon.com/Birchwood-Casey-Complete-Gun-Finish/dp/B0000C5154/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352000833&sr=8-1&keywords=blueing+kit

[Capybara]

I guess a good question will be, why? Are you a collector or is this just an inexpensive shooter? If you are collector, of course, you would want things original probably. If you want a shooter and want it to look nicer (your Mosin is pretty rough compared to my 91/30), sure, why not?

[Flyin Brian]

It's a very collectible Finn and one of the most overlooked/undervalued of all the Finns. They only made these in '43 & '44, and the '43 is the less common one since they only made 5,000 barrels. The round receiver is also more desirable since they made fewer with round receivers.

I'm not sure if you are serious or trolling but refinishing it would be a tragedy.

[Marcus von W.]

Do not do anything to this rifle. "Cold Blue" is toxic waste crap that will make your rifle look like schitt and stink like a rotten egg soaked in rancid cat urine.

Do not refinish the stock. Do not put any snot-like pimpshine on it. Do not sand it.

Stay away from the Birchwood Casey rifle ruining kit. It is garbage.

Anything you do to "improve" this rifle other than giving it a good, non-destructive cleaning will be drooling moron Bubba vandalism that will destroy it's value and collectability.

[savasyn]

I agree with Brian and Marcus, that Finn is perfect just the way it is!

[Fate]

Tell him how your really feel Marcus!

Nice Tikka!

[Full Clip]

Looks good from here. Just clean it and buy some ammo.

[prob]

Do not restore.

[John Browning]

Duracoat it FDE, but only if you want Flyin Bryan to hunt you down and beat you to death with it.

Leave it alone.

[kouye]

Restore it! Bubba it up!
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You'll make mine more valuable...

[Elwood_Blues]

I'm not sure if you are serious or trolling but refinishing it would be a tragedy.

No, I was dead serious, I really didn't know much about this rifle. But once I knew it was a Finn, I decided to keep it. I have three other Mosins, and none of them has a bore that shiny, and looks this unique. Thanks for all the responses and thanks for keeping me from f**king this thing up.

BTW, what ammo is this?

[Vlad 11]

BTW, what ammo is this?

Its Russian 148 grain Light Ball Lead Core Magnetic : http://www.sgammo.com/product/surplu...netic-fmj-ammo


And yes leave that very nice SA rifle as is

[TRAP55]

Russian light ball loaded at Barnaul in 1946, if I deciphered that right.

[mosinnagantm9130]

Yep, that's a fairly rare Finn. Not many M30s were made in 43, and most of the ones that were were built on hex receivers.

[yatzee982]

Nice rifle!