Faulkner
Member
I was on a weekend motorcycle ride in the Ozarks and stumbled across a heck of a deal on a USGI M1903 made by Remington in 1942. I'd stopped to visit a friend at his home and noticed the neighbors were having a garage sale across the street. My friend said he'd been over their earlier and they had a couple of rifles for sale. I walked on over to see if there was anything interesting and noticed the M1903 and asked if I could take a look. Looked to be all original with "R" marked parts including the bolt and bore was shiny and clean.
I asked the fellow sitting in the lawn chair guarding the cash box what he wanted for it and he said, "make me an offer."
"Two hundred bucks cash money," I said, kind of tongue in cheek.
"Sold!" he replied and held out his hand for the money.
I paid him and walked back over to my friends house and asked him if he'd hold on to it for a few days since I didn't really have room to haul it back on my Harley, but I did snap a few iPhone pictures before I left.
UPDATE #1:
I've got it field stripped and the clean up will begin in earnest this week. The metal is in very nice shape and it does indeed appear to be 100% Remington. I'll probably strip the old oil off the stock and redo it with a fresh hand applied boiled lindseed oil mixture that I've used on numerous USGI M1 carbine stocks in the past.
UPDATE #2:
I've been able to strip off the 75+ year old oil finish and stains back down to bare black American walnut. I'll try to steam out as many dings as I can and then lightly buff on it with some 0000 steel wool. I usually steal an old pair of my wife's nylon hose and rub on it to find the snags, then buff them out.
I let the metal parts soak overnight in mineral spirits and have been brushing them off and wiping them down. I'll start rubbing those parts down using a light coat of Break Free and then buff it all off with a rag.
Should have it cleaned up in a few days.
UPDATE #3:
Working on refinishing the stock; First picture is after I have completely stripped all the old finish from it and let dry. Second picture is 24 hours later with one light application of Chestnut Ridge Military Stock Stain. Third picture is after applying several hand rubbed coats of boiled linseed oil mix.
Finished project:
I asked the fellow sitting in the lawn chair guarding the cash box what he wanted for it and he said, "make me an offer."
"Two hundred bucks cash money," I said, kind of tongue in cheek.
"Sold!" he replied and held out his hand for the money.
I paid him and walked back over to my friends house and asked him if he'd hold on to it for a few days since I didn't really have room to haul it back on my Harley, but I did snap a few iPhone pictures before I left.
UPDATE #1:
I've got it field stripped and the clean up will begin in earnest this week. The metal is in very nice shape and it does indeed appear to be 100% Remington. I'll probably strip the old oil off the stock and redo it with a fresh hand applied boiled lindseed oil mixture that I've used on numerous USGI M1 carbine stocks in the past.
UPDATE #2:
I've been able to strip off the 75+ year old oil finish and stains back down to bare black American walnut. I'll try to steam out as many dings as I can and then lightly buff on it with some 0000 steel wool. I usually steal an old pair of my wife's nylon hose and rub on it to find the snags, then buff them out.
I let the metal parts soak overnight in mineral spirits and have been brushing them off and wiping them down. I'll start rubbing those parts down using a light coat of Break Free and then buff it all off with a rag.
Should have it cleaned up in a few days.
UPDATE #3:
Working on refinishing the stock; First picture is after I have completely stripped all the old finish from it and let dry. Second picture is 24 hours later with one light application of Chestnut Ridge Military Stock Stain. Third picture is after applying several hand rubbed coats of boiled linseed oil mix.
Finished project:
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