Posted: 3/16/2016 3:38:12 PM EDT
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I've received a couple of rifles from Classic Firearms in the past and have been pleased with the quality of the firearms. I recently decided to try a revered Finnish M39 Mosin. It came in yesterday and I noticed it looked like the bottom third of the buttstock had been completely broken off, then repaired with two nails or dowels. The description on the site said that many have hairline cracks, but nothing significant enough to effect shoot ability. I assumed the Finns must have done this and that it was a permanent repair. I read online that a lot of people fill cracks with glue. After looking at it again today (was rushed on time yesterday) I decided the crack might be a little more substantial that I thought so I took it to a local gunsmith. Immediately I was informed that I was "screwed". He said that since the stock is oil soaked it can't be glued and that if I shoot with it the stock will eventually break apart. I called Classic and they asked me to send pictures of the problem. They agreed to choose a better M39 with a non-cracked stock for me, but that I have to pay the return shipping and also the shipping for the new one. He said it was because I accepted it from the FFL. That sucks. I guess next time I will have to examine better and maybe carry around a 'smith in my back pocket before I leave with something. Hopefully their stock doesn't run out before this gets shipped back, and hopefully I get something nicer since I'll be out an additional $40 or so.    |
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You never really know what kind of condition a surplus rifle will be in, I've been fairly lucky on most of mine. I got a Yugo Mauser 24/47 off Classic 3 or 4 years ago, it wasn't too bad of condition. The guys picking the rifles don't really pay too much attention to the individual guns they pull. I've got a couple of 91/30s, a round and a hex receiver that I got from AIM, both came with bayonets, the bayonets look identical, but the one they picked to go with the hex receiver won't fit on either one of the rifles, I don't worry about it too much. Assuming that stock repair is tight and doesn't move around it should be fine. The oil will go into the stock so far, but not all the way, I would be tempted to drill it and put some dowels in it just to be sure, I can't believe the oil reaches the center of the stock. Just my 2 cents... |
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The prob with using glue on old Milsurps is that most of the wood has at least 50 years of cosmoline soaked into the wood making it hard to bond back together. Just an FYI because I made that attempt on an old Mosin years ago and it didn't hold very well.
ETA- I see this has already been addressed 
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I'll tell you what breaks a stock like that, stocks are most often broken by abuse, yours is one of the two classic ways wood stocks break. When teaching infantry how to hit the dirt they often use the rifle butt to break the fall, pounding the toe of the stock into the ground, if the infantryman is holding the stock high enough, it will break at the narrow part of the grip, if holding it lower it will often split off the toe of the stock pretty much along the grain of the wood, exactly how yours is broken. |
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I'm happy with the replacement from Classic and their customer service was prompt. Worlds better than the last one. Although I shouldn't have had to pay shipping again but it would have been hard to find a nicer one. A lesson learned is to take more time and inspect carefully before accepting from FFL. New to M39s but the stock splice and condition leads me to believe this one is a post war refurb.    |
