M53 pics and Stock refinish

[EnfieldEd]

Here she is the day I brought her home.



I refinished the stock as the black paint wasnt doing it for me. I wanted it to look old but not abused.





PS I dont know why the pics are sideways, but you get the idea.

[12thWaffenSS]

Here she is the day I brought her home.



I refinished the stock as the black paint wasnt doing it for me. I wanted it to look old but not abused.





PS I dont know why the pics are sideways, but you get the idea.

Nice job on the stock. Getting rid of the black paint and having the stock be a more natural color helps the gun look more like a wartime MG-42.

[rocco1911]

Nice job that stock has a nice grain to it as well...

[Michael J]

you just went and put my stock to shame...

excellent job on yours though!

[EnfieldEd]

Thanks, I think it looks alot better.

I refinished it just like I do all my stocks that need TLC.

I stripped off all the black and gave it a light sanding without taking too much of the marking off. I was surprised how light in color the wood was. I hit it with some dark walnut stain and that helped alot.

Then I use a tung oil soaked pad of 000 steel wool and rub it into the wood. Wait 20-30 mins and rub it down with an old T shirt, and let it dry 12 hours. Repeat as many times as necessary. I usually do a minimum of 3 and max of 15-18. When you do alot the finish almost feels like glass but isnt very shiny, satin I would say. Linseed oil is good but tung oil is waterproof which I like. Tung oil also seal in any cosmo that you cant get out of a stock so it is never greasy.

The above works really good on russian capture 98K's.

Just wish I could go shoot it, 3 month countdown has started.

[noonxnoon]

Hey Enfield...that is a really interesting grain you got on that stock!

Pretty unique.

Thanks for sharing

[stukadriver]

I just picked up my first WL M53, shooting it for the first time tomorrow, from all of the stories I've read I really hope it works. Refinished the stock as well, here are some pics..