Romanian M69 - Refinish or not??

[Diggler]

Just got back from Dunhams, where I picked up one of their Romanian training rifles. The bluing is good, no rust visible (haven't taken it apart yet) but the stock finish of course leaves a lot to be desired. I thought it was a decent price for $69.

Are these considered collectibles or what? Should I refinish the stock? Or would that be considered 'Bubba-izing' it?

If so, if anyone has a link to a good method to get it looking purty, I'd appreciate it!

 

[WhiteKnight]

I don't see how refinishing something to make it look better could ever be construed as "Bubba-izing" it.

 

[JohnKSa]

Ignore the "collectible commandos." It's your gun. If you don't like the way it looks change it until you do.

Either way you go, some folks are going to be unhappy. Best to please yourself in this case.

 

[Dave R]

My crazy opinion is that these are not collectible. (OTOH, I have collected 2 of 'em so far!)

Not enough value in a .22 training rifle that has many thousands of copies running around. So do what you want with it. I don't think you can hurt the value unless it stops shooting.

 

[JohnKSa]

I agree--and yet there are people who complain about "bubba-ized" Mosin Nagants. Probably one of the most numerous bolt rifles ever made.

 

[GD]

I know of a few people who collect training rifles and yes they don't like them refinished. However, 99.9% of the buyers out there would not care that a training rifle was refinished. In fact, they would prefer it. So don't let your heart be worried about refinishing this rifle. You will enjoy it more and if you sell it then you will make money off it.
For a Romanian .22, I would think a steel wool sanding with several coats of BLO would be a good start. I like to add one coat of Tru Oil to the stock when the last coat of BLO is still slightly wet. You leave the stock alone for a couple of days and it has a real nice appearance. Not too shiney and well protected.

 

[DMK]

These guns are not combat arms and have very little if any historical significance. Many are in just horrible condition anyway.

Here's one made in 1982 that I stripped, bedded, free floated and refinished with pure Tung oil. Even with the cheap $19 Ultra-lux 6x scope, it's a real tack driver.

Now this other little plinker I'd never refinish. It's a 1955 Polish wz-48 Mosin-Nagant trainer.

 

[longrifleman]

Very nice refinish job, DMK. Where did you get the scope rings?

I have two of these. I intended to cut one down to a youth size for the grandkids but found a Winchester youth model worth the money. Now I have a rifle to use for some other project. Copying yours looks like a good idea. I'll still have one unaltered as a collector if that ever means anything.

 

[albanian]

Refinishing a stock is not really considered "bubbaizing" a rifle as long as it is done well. If you have a common rifle that is not in good condition and you improve it a little, it will only help the value. These M-1969s are never going to be super rare or collectable so I wouldn't worry about it too much. They come with a 2x4 stock that is dipped in cheap shellac so a different finish couldn't be any worse.

 

[Vibe]

For LOTS of postings about these trainers I might refer you to here

http://www.milsurpshooter.net/

For SPECIFIC refinishing procedures (especially stripping) try this post

http://p077.ezboard.com/fparallaxscurioandrelicfirearmsforumsfrm23.showMessage?topicID=1036.topic

(You could have found it by searching a lot....but it seems the best I've found)

 

[Mannlicher]

I don't care about it 'collectability', I would balk though, at spending money on a cheap rifle.

 

[DMK]

Very nice refinish job, DMK. Where did you get the scope rings?

Thanks! Rings can be very hit or miss for the M69. I got these rings at a gunshow. The guy had a box of them and some '69 trainers so I was able to test fit and not just take his word that they'd fit.

However, the first time I took the rifle out to sight it in I had a frustrating time playing chase the zero. When the scope fell off the rifle and onto the bench I figured out where my problem was. The guy at the next bench over thought I lost it when I burst out laughing. After a bit of filing on the ring jaws they are on there solidly now. I later found that the rails on these aren't exactly standarized. The width can vary from rifle to rifle.