Steyr M95 from S.O.G.

[Ash]

I received my Southern Ohio Gun order yesterday. Among the boxes was one of their Steyr M95's. Overall it appears to be in pretty good shape. All matching except for the magazine well/trigger guard, and the bore appears to be in very good condition so far. :grinning-thumbsup: My question concerns the stock and handguard. These appear to be finished in some sort of dark brown paint/shellac, or something. (Not very attractive, but mostly there) What would you guys recommend:
Leave the finish how it is and just clean it, or
Strip it and finish in tung oil or linseed oil or xx.

I have seen others on the internet that have natural wood and to tell you the truth I'm uncertain as to what finish should be on these. Did they just strip and refinish theirs? Maybe I'm just confused. :dontknow:

Thanks for any input.

[DOGolden]

Got pix for a look see? :dontknow:

I'd probably take it completely apart and give the metal a good cleaning. Then, I'd probably soak the wood in pure hot water in the tub with some Tide in it. Then after a 1/2 hour or so I'd scrub all the wood by hand (no scouring pads or anything like that) using some Tide in your palms {a soft brush works good too).

Then I'd drain the tub & rinse the wood is hot water. Then I'd let the wood dry in the tub for an hour or so. Then I'd rinse the wood off 2 or 3 more times (until the wood quits bleeding in the rinse.

Then before the missus finds out, I'd clean the tub out with comet! :eek:

After that, apply your favorite finish! :rolleyes:

[Ash]

Thanks for the reply. Here are a couple of pictures.
If you look very close you can see some grain peeking through.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c321/Ash_403/PICT0408.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c321/Ash_403/PICT0405.jpg

[DOGolden]

Darrrrrrrrrrk wood. A definite candidate for a bath.

Oh yeah, thanks for posting pictures too!

[WmRoy]

Oh man............. you just had to post that didn't ya............

I just love those old m95's....................

Still haven't shot the one I got from Alan's a while back............

[xpertgreg]

Hey Ash, we have the same carpet!

nice looking rifle you got there too!

gw

[Mosko]

I think someone painted it. The finish is not correct by anyone I've ever seen.

[WmRoy]

If it's painted I doubt putting it in the tub will do much.............:BangHead:

Can you post a better photo?

[Mosko]

It's hard to tell, as mentioned from the photos, but it looks like some of the "blackberry" looking crap that some of the importers used a few years ago on the refurber Russian rifles. That stuff was some kind of shellac, and washing wouldn't do any good, for sure.

[Ash]

You are correct on the washing method. I don't think it will cut it. It does seem like a shellac/paint, and is a little thick in a couple of spots where it may have ran.
Any advice on what's best to remove this stuff to get down to a good bare wood? :dontknow: (I have yet to finish a stock that was painted, just oiled or cosmoline soaked here) ;)

Thanks.

[Herr Mario]

....acetone -alternating with denatured alchohol---untill its off....with 0000 steel wool-gently....THEN the bath...:xxrotflmao: ....worked for me...;) :grinning-thumbsup:

[Ash]

Thanks for the help/information guys. It's now down to nice, clean, natural, nakidd wood. :D