Forgive me for I have sinned!!

[Chevy57fan]

I got my SKS several weeks ago from Classic, took it to the range and decided it's a keeper. But because only about 30% of the original finish remained, I decided to give it a gentle makeover.

I know that the prevailing opinion is one is NEVER EVER supposed to make any changes to a milsurp rifle. For those that just sorta threw up, I apologize.

I know that it may have hurt the "collectable" value but if it turns a $300 gun into a $250 gun, it won't effect my retirement. I mean, what the heck, it's not like this was Chairman Mao's personal weapon. And I like it better now.

Edited to add: I stripped the finish, steamed out the most of the dents and applied three coats of BLO. I also touched up the bluing quite abit and polished the bolt. I didn't want it to look brand new, just better. Sort of a sympathetic restoration.


Before:



After:

[CEDaytonaRydr]

What did you do? Hit it with some cold bluing?

[elcajon]

I think he took it off of the bedsheet and put it on the floor.

[kygen]

polished the bolt?

[252yft]

Lightly sanded and restained?

[Chevy57fan]

I stripped the finish, steamed out the most of the dents and applied three coats of BLO. I also touched up the bluing quite abit and polished the bolt. I didn't want it to look brand new, just better. Sort of a sympathetic restoration.

[lorax3]

It's fine.

I was expecting this thread to be about how you put your SKS into an ATI stock and added a NcStar scope. That would be a sin.

[Chevy57fan]

A few more pics:

Before:


After:


After



After

[BigStiCK]

[1bulletBarney]

I like it...

[Bobby Ricigliano]

The two pictures look identical. I can detect virtually no difference. Now put a cleaning rod on it and call it a day

[Chevy57fan]

The two pictures look identical. I can detect virtually no difference. Now put a cleaning rod on it and call it a day

If you had seen it in person before it was easy to see where the bluing was worn through and where the stock was just bare wood. It still has a slightly used look because I was careful not to overdo it and make it too pretty.

Post #116 on this thread has some more before pics which show the condition a little better. Look towards the bottom of the page. You can see the missing finish, dents and worn bluing.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=932785&page=3

[NOTABIKER]

Now it looks like something to be proud of . Not something you found in a trash Heep. nice job.Few Chinese SKSs are collector rifles.

[Antagon3]

Looks great!

SKS's are a dime a dozen, as long as you didn't tac it out, you done good!

[Varg Vikernes]

It looks exactly the same to me.