Hi,

I picked up a SLR-101s from a friend for $380. It looks like he cleaned it with a Solvent or carb/brake cleaner and took about 20% of the paint finish off and bubbled the rest on most of the gun.

What would a good place to send it to have it Re-Finished and what kind of Finish would you recommend and Cost$?

Thanks
Calvin

Chris at AK-USA in Florida.  I have seen his work and it is really nice.  You get what you pay for!

The paint on the bulgarian guns is really poor.  It has worked to my advantage though, in refinishing several hundred magazine floorplates.  Instead of fighting each one with needle-nose pliers in the sandblaster - I just spend $12 on a gallon of lacquer thinner (alcohol also works, but same price and not as fast).  The finish washed right off, then I could string them all on a rod and blast 50 at a time, and repark them while still on the rod.  Still had to hold them individually to refinish with a good coating.

I have noticed after "washing" the crappy black paint off bulgarian guns that the metal underneath has no surface prep on it - some has a light park (without blasting first) and some is bare metal.

A real annoyance on an otherwise great rifle.