Romanian contract VZ24 Cleanup

[GunnyUSMC]

I did a little more cleanup on the handguard when I got home today. And Boned it after it was dry.
It’s pouring down rain so, no outside pics today.
Here’s the handguard after cleanup. I wiped it down with denatured alcohol to get some more of the oil out and blend the back of the handguard with the rest.

Here’s the left side after Boning.


And the right side before Boning.


Here it is after a polish coat of BLO was rubbed in

And here’s the stock after a polish coat of BLO was rubbed in.
I’ll put a coat of Tom’s 1/3 wax on it this weekend and get it all back together for a surprise.

 

[1976B.L.Johns.]

Once again, Gunny, thanks for posting the tutorial.

Anxiously awaiting the surprise!

 

[Ignition Override]

My impression is that all of these were manufactured in Brno, Czech Republic.

Being a VZ (Vizor), they must have been.

Even the famously beautiful Persians sold about ten years ago by (the extinct) SAMCO were Czech Mausers.

 

[MikeInOr]

Great post!

What do you mean when you say "Boned the stock"?

I have tossed military stocks into the oven at 250-300 degrees to sweat out the cosmoline before doing a repair. It really helps getting the cosmoline out and leaves the stock very thirsty for the BLO.

 

[GunnyUSMC]

Great post!

What do you mean when you say "Boned the stock"?

I have tossed military stocks into the oven at 250-300 degrees to sweat out the cosmoline before doing a repair. It really helps getting the cosmoline out and leaves the stock very thirsty for the BLO.

Boning is an old way of smoothing a surfer. A bone from an animal was used to rub the surface. It not only makes the surface smooth, but it also compresses it, making it harder. I use Ash wood dowels for Boning.
There’s a link in post #5 to a topic where Boning is explained in more detail.
You have to be careful not to over heat a cosmoline soaked stock. You don’t want to burn it or make the wood brittle.

My impression is that all of these were manufactured in Brno, Czech Republic.

Being a VZ (Vizor), they must have been.

The vz24 carbine designed and produced in Czechoslovakia from 1924 to 1942 at the Zbrojovka Brno factory to replace the 98/22. In 1942 the Germans converted the factory to produce k98’s

 

[fpgt72]

I did the same thing with a WZ-48 I have....the gook that came out from just the screw holes was really amazing. I keep the area very clean and clear of everything else....I am so afraid of cracking or damaging the top of the hand guard (where yours had the crack) they seem so delicate.

I did not have damage to repair, it was just nasty. They are like new guns again after you finish cleaning them up...makes you want to go shoot them again don't it.

 

[GunnyUSMC]

Well here it is all back together. I applied some Tom’s 1/3 Mix Military stock wax got the top coat. It not only looks good, but smells good to.


If it stops raining tomorrow, I’ll try and take some pics outside.

 

[GunnyUSMC]

I will let y’all know the plan I have for this rifle. I plan to surprise my friend’s son, Noah by giving it to him as a high school graduation gift. I’ve asked him to stop by today to help me move something in my shop. He has no idea that I plan to give him this rifle.
I’ll post some more pics tonight.

 

[GunnyUSMC]

Well, Noah just left with his new rifle.
He arrived about an hour ago thinking that he was going to be doing some work. When he walked into the shop he saw the rifle on the bench. He said that it looked great. I handed to him sow that he could get a better look.
I then told him to let mt take his pic. He asked why? And I told him I wanted to get o pic of him holding his new rifle.
The look on his face was priceless.


We then spent some time going over the history of the Vz24 and it’s roll in WWII.

 

[1976B.L.Johns.]

^^^ Thanks, Gunny! Kinda figured it would be a surprise like this. Good on you!^^^

 

[LoonWulf]

Well, Noah just left with his new rifle.
He arrived about an hour ago thinking that he was going to be doing some work. When he walked into the shop he saw the rifle on the bench. He said that it looked great. I handed to him sow that he could get a better look.
I then told him to let mt take his pic. He asked why? And I told him I wanted to get o pic of him holding his new rifle.
The look on his face was priceless.
View attachment 841164 View attachment 841165 View attachment 841166

We then spent some time going over the history of the Vz24 and it’s roll in WWII.

Figured you were going somewhere like that lol.
Thanks for sharing all this information, and enthusing the next generation of gun nuts!

 

[LoonWulf]

Hah, think we got your number Gunny.... and, I never seem to remember to hit Post.....

 

[22250Rem]

Kudo's and a big "thumb's up", Gunny...................... This is one day Noah will never forget. And I bet that neither will you ! A very memorable day for you both.

 

[GunnyUSMC]

Thanks for the comps guys.
I would much rather give a Surplus gun to someone that will appreciate it, then sell for a profit to someone that will Bubba it.
Noah will keep this gun for a very long time and take very good care of it. If he uses it while doing WWII re-enactments , I’ll get him to send me some pics.

Here are some before and after pics of the cleanup.

 

[GunnyUSMC]

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

Well Done as always Gunny.

 

[stillquietvoice]

Great job gunny informative as always. That's the second look I got when I handed my new Ar to my grandson and told him it was small enough for him to shoot.

 

[theotherwaldo]

What can I say?
I like "before".
I like "after".
I especially like what you did with it when you finished with "after".
His expression was literally priceless.

 

[GunnyUSMC]

What can I say?
I like "before".
I like "after".
I especially like what you did with it when you finished with "after".
His expression was literally priceless.

The difference between the before and after pics is the absences of dirt and grime. Now I did not do a prolong in-depth cleaning to remove the deep soaked in oil.
You have to remember that when cleaning you will remove oil from the surface and some from just below the surface. To get a deep cleaning you would have to wait days and even weeks between cleanings to allow the deep soaked in oil to come to the surface.
Even though the stock looks a lot lighter right now, after a few weeks some of the deep soaked in oil will make it's way to the surface of the wood causing it to darken up some.
Most of y'all have heard the stories about how BLO caused some stocks to turn dark. The truth is that it was not the BLO that caused the stocks to turn dark, it was the oil and cosmoline that was still in the wood that came to the surface.

 

[theotherwaldo]

I would love to find a VZ-24 in the condition of the one that you started with. I don't know if I would do as good of a job of restoration as you did, but I would work toward it.
Of course, I wouldn't feel the urgency. You were working against the clock to prepare a gift.
I would be most concerned with stabilizing the gun's condition and reversing damage to restore functionality and accuracy. Cosmetics come later.
But if I had to get the gun ready for a deserving recipient like yours... .

 

[GunnyUSMC]

I would love to find a VZ-24 in the condition of the one that you started with. I don't know if I would do as good of a job of restoration as you did, but I would work toward it.
Of course, I wouldn't feel the urgency. You were working against the clock to prepare a gift.
I would be most concerned with stabilizing the gun's condition and reversing damage to restore functionality and accuracy. Cosmetics come later.
But if I had to get the gun ready for a deserving recipient like yours... .

Well, I do have an advantage. I've been doing stock work for over 30 years. But I am willing to give as much help as I can to anyone that ask.
I used to take in work and was doing over 100 repairs a year on stocks and cleaning and restoring others. It became work and the joy started to fade. In the past few years I have only taken on repairs for friends and spacial cases. I have someone bringing a Krag rifle stock this week. All I know about it is that it has damage and a friend had the owner contact me. If I take on the repair, I'll be sure to start a post on it.

 

[theotherwaldo]

I like that you heal the injuries without trying to make them look new. That erases the history.

 

[Jessesky]

I love seeing step by steps like these.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

I'll be looking forward to that Krag stock project.
There are relatively few "unsullied" Krags around these days I'd guess..?

 

[GunnyUSMC]

I'll be looking forward to that Krag stock project.
There are relatively few "unsullied" Krags around these days I'd guess..?

A few years ago I did over $180 worth of repairs on a Krag stock. It arrived black with stress crackers in the buttstock, cracks at all four corners where the action sits and the rear of the handguard was in pieces.
After cleaning it I found that it still had a clear 1909 cartouche. The stock ended up being a nice dark brown walnut. The hardest part of the repair was knowing that it would be very hard to replace the stock if I were to mess up.
The owner of the rifle was a member over at SRF that went by the name SANDLAPPER. He had never ask about repair cost and was always a good guy on the forum, helping others. I ended up charging him a total of $100 for the work and I paid for the return shipping.