the after pictures of the worst project rifle I ever did

[nagantguy]

Another nagant project with cost over runs and tears, the before photos spontaneously combusted, which is probably for the best they were hard to look at and every time I did I wondered what I was thinking when this chicom T53 came home with me. I thought I was making so much progress and getting over my affliction. Now I'm in total free fall relapse. Her stock was bare and cracked, missing top part of foreend.metal had about 3 ounces of finish on it, in one spot on the receiver, the rest was nicely patinaed with rust and dust. I sanded fixed and finished the stock with a truoil linseed oil shalac mixture that comes pretty close to the Russian finish. The barrel and bayonet were blued. The butt plate, magazine and Tigger guard I powder coated and I polished the bolt. Did a little smoothing up of the trigger. I added the top wood and barrel bands from my parts box and when I cleaned 11 pounds of cosmoline out of the bore she was actually pretty good, a polishing with never dull and some fire lapping made her almost shine!! One inch groups at 50 yards so far with some sliver tip surplus.

[leebuilder]

Good work that i can see. They are pretty rough rifles to begin with. Groups well.
on to the next project.
Bringing life back to milsurps is all good!!

[nagantguy]

Thank you, sure wish I had the before pics, took them don't know what happened to them. Even with my weakness for them the seller had to throw in some swag to get $90 out of me, another item he threw in was one of the nicest 91 stocks I've seen with hardware and cleaning rod. I'm happy with the stock, it was naked, almost formed into the shape of a rifle stock and looked like it was used to pound tent pegs into perma frost. A few spots of metal didn't take the bluing very well and I kinda wish I'd have pcd all of the metal cause what I did spray turned out great.

[leebuilder]

Your welcome, i have to start taking more before pics
I never figured out why some metal spots wont take to bluing and primer/paint i have only seen this only on rifles, some say it is blood staining/rust.
Had to look up T53 wood, they were catalpa or tulip wood,, finished with milspec oil and not varnished, hopes this helps.

[nagantguy]

Thanks for the info on the wood, saw that also, I did varnish cause this is gonna be a down and dirty boat barn tractor truck rifle, rain and mud and such. The rifle as a whole took bluing but not deep and rich which is fine, almost dead flat which makes my redone stock look real good. The top fore end wood isn't the same flavor, don't know what it came off of but with the stain and finish they look like a match. Also l forgot to mention I took some wood out of the barrel channel as it was a tight fit. Now there is no barrel to wood its kinda poor mans free float. And I'm real pleased at how the bore looks with a little love, not like a mirror but also not like a sewer pipe.

[Remiel]

Looks mood hope mine look that good when done,

[leebuilder]

Hi nagantguy. I was saying what i read in the nagant book i have. I have only seen T53s in the states. Got a few nagants they are a very good rifle for money, and ammo is cheap and plentyful. Got ten nagants my self and mosinitus is a slippery, greasy slope. Arg. The T53 like the M44 is and excellent trunk/truck/ATV rifle that has lots of punch. Plus one on free floating the barrel, that and recrowning if required has always amazed me in shrinking groupings, handloading even further group shrinkage. And a neat piece of history.

[nagantguy]

They do offer a lot of hard hitting value for the money. This one in particular might have been some type of test rifle or put together from parts left over after it wasno longer an issued arm, just guesses but other than being beat up it had no finish of any kind and wasn't even sanded smooth. The bottom of screw on the but stock was cut short cause the hole wasn't drilled deep enough . after $90 purchase price and doing the work my self and taking parts from my bone yard box, with time and product I'd say I have around $250 in her. Sanding, bluing polishing staining finish powder coating fire lapping bolt polishing trigger smoothing it was a labor of love, didn't quite make a swan from an ugly duckling but more a good supper from an ugly duck. Do need to find the correct cleaning rod, don't have any short ones on hand and the carbines never seem to have them, full size 91's almost always do. Wounded why? I'm even thinking of drilling and tapping her for a small 4 power weaver. Or I've never made a "scout" rifle before...

[leebuilder]

Working on milsurps is truly a labour of love, like golf or other hobbies/passions. I see liberty tree collectors has alot of mosin hods and sods and parts. Ordered from him once and was a positive experience. Plus one on going with a scout scope but shop around some mounts are not worth the frustration. Scout scopes are the way to go if you have the means then you wont have to contend with bolt/safety issues that may arise and you can still use stripper clips.
Noticed working on some not all mosins, trigger functional problems arise from all the slop and clearance between the bolt and breech.
I dont know for certian but they could of recycled cleaning rods for the Type 56 rifle and carbine, just a thought.
Realy like the ugly ducklings, got a few. The best part is the look on your buddys face when it out shoots his fancier rifle.
Be well.

[nagantguy]

Leebuilder, thanks for the kind words, you are a man after my own heart! I've never done up a Lee, had a #5 baffled action once and other projects, kids etc got in the way and then someone offered me cash for it and I've never owned another of the line, done Mauser's and several nagants I'd love to do. a .303 one day. They are a smooth accurate rifle.

[leadman]

Not sure about the Chicom Nagant but the later Russian Nagants have a reverse dovetail that sticks up from the barrel under the rear sight base. Rings for a 22 rimfire fit right on it. I read this started about 1940. Makes a very solid scout scope set-up.

You did a great restore on that rifle! I looked at a few of those but could not bring myself to buy one. I do have a couple of the 91s.

[pworley1]

Nice work.

[nagantguy]

Took her to the range today for a work out and to try some cast boolits; rounds wont feed out of the magazine! She shot good single shot style ill have to.give her a study tonight, everything with mag and spring seems to be in order, just one more head scratcher.

[pacomdiver]

look down inside the mag and try to push the interrupter in (the tab sticking out the left side just inside the mag housing) , it is probably hitting the wood enough to not let a round by or stuck to receiver.

[nagantguy]

Got it fixed, my own stupidity, when I powder coated and baked the mag/trigger guard the spring was just slightly compressed and it dryer that way, a little tapping and pulling it went back to upright position, works fine now!

[texaswoodworker]

Your welcome, i have to start taking more before pics
I never figured out why some metal spots wont take to bluing and primer/paint i have only seen this only on rifles, some say it is blood staining/rust.
Had to look up T53 wood, they were catalpa or tulip wood,, finished with milspec oil and not varnished, hopes this helps.

I once tried rust blueing an old Colt revolver that had seen better days. The barrel ended up darker than the frame, and the cylinder ended up way darker than the barrel. Instead of a blackish blue, it's all grey.

One of these days, I'm just going to have someone hot blue it for me.

[leebuilder]

It is tricky to get some blues to take, must be stuff within the metal.
had lots of old metal take blue with no problems. Never stop learning and seeing something new.
blued a bayonet once it turned a red/green, brown.