My SOG type 53

[ditchdrift]

Just got the gun yesterday, not bad for 118 dollars shipped. The metal on this thing is amazing, its so clean. Bolt is a mismatch but receiver and butt plate are a match so i think the stock might be original to it. Stock looks like hell, some cracks and might even have termites Whatcha guys think? Clean the stock of the cosmoline and use it? Refinish *gasp!*? Or get another stock?

[Mad-B-Man]

eh, I'd personally either leave it or just get a new stock. That is pretty beat up and while a refinish might smooth things out, it'll still probably look beat up. Refinished gouges look weird IMO.

I'll bet that it'll shoot good though.

[Crusader]

Holy ****, you weren't kidding...that looks like termite damage on the wrist of the stock. I don't think I've ever seen that before.
Personally, I would get a new stock but keep the old one for character.

[ditchdrift]

Holy ****, you weren't kidding...that looks like termite damage on the wrist of the stock. I don't think I've ever seen that before.
Personally, I would get a new stock but keep the old one for character.

I know, it does look just like termite infested wood. Heres a closer pic of it.



Look at the cosmo seeping out of the wood. lol

[Capybara]

I love it!

[ditchdrift]

I love it!

I do to! I just stripped the gun down. Metal is like new. Not even kidding. Letting the stock soak in the sun. Probably gonna strip it of the Cosmo and rub it down with tung oil and keep it that way. It does have a nasty crack tho. Not sure how to fix that.

Sent from my MOTOROLA-DynaTAC-8000x using Tapatalk 2

[big103]

Here is a couple ideas for repair link below. The soviets put cross bolts in some of the rifles the strengthen the wrist you can see in the pics.

http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinFeatures04.htm

The wrist is a critical area. Might want to cut out the damage depending how deep it is and put a new piece of wood in there with a cross bolt.

[BruinGuy]

Wow, is the stock hollow now? I've never seen a hole like that. How deep is it?

I'm a total philistine, so I'd refinish it if it's still usable at all. You can sand most of those gouges out. If it was something more valuable I'd hesitate, but it's a Chinese Mosin carbine. I can't imagine with the stock in that condition that keeping it "pure" is going to help its value.

[paul0660]

Steam it and see what you have.

I hope the guy who carried it looks better than his rifle.

[billmaykafer]

wow! i now feel better about my $119 1954.9 T-53 from aim august 15,2012

[wellfedirishman]

I just picked up 2 of them from SOG (arrived Monday), both handpicks. They were both in relatively decent cosmetic condition (few dings here and there, but solid throughout) with excellent (shiny new) bores. I think the handpick fee is probably worth it.

You still got a good deal on a solid and accurate rifle. Some wood filler (correct shade) in the stock will fill in that gouge just fine.

A couple of weeks ago I was ringing a 300 yard gong with one of these using Russian surplus. For the price they are great guns.

[durandal]

Wood putty should do the trick if its not too compromised?

[ditchdrift]

Well, i decided to keep the dings and gouges for 'character' here's the same rifle all cleaned up and done. Lotta work, but its a cool lil shooter now.

[Buffalo Dude]

Looks real good. I got mine from century, broken stock but shootable. They're really cool though so I might look for a better shape m44 to complement it.

[ditchdrift]

Thanks, im sure alot of people think im an idiot for spending the time to make such a cruddy stock look better.