Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Mausers and Military Rifles would you reblue a sporterized Swede?

looks to be a M94 or a way cut down M96.

Stock is interesting, the "artist" used the "extra" wood to add a pistol grip and a schnabel!

commercial open rear sights and ramp front.

I'm planning to disassemble, clean, and thinking about rebluing.

Not all matching numbers. Any thoughts?

Why the heck not??

What efw said..... Heck; it's already sporterized and not even all matching numbers. I have one of the Mod. 96's that were sporterized by Kimber in the mid 1990's sitting in a B & C stock with matching numbers on the bolt, receiver, safety, etc.. Sure wouldn't stop me from a re-blue if it needed it. They make nice sporters.

Recommend you check headspace.

Unless you want to ceracoate it.

Reblue and restock.

Ahlman's in Morristown, MN, has been advertising a brown/tan laminated sporter stock for small ring pre-1898 Mausers on eBay for awhile that would probably arrive on your front porch for around $200.

I've redone quite a few Swedish military Mausers and tend to go all the way. Reblue, restock, replace the trigger, replace the bolt shroud with a bigger commercial style gas shield, and install a Dayton-Traister cock on opening kit. For some reason the commercial style bolt shrouds seem to be hard to find these days.

Just polish it and tell all the guys at the range that it's a rare pre war stainless prototype.

I wouldn’t, unless it had a bunch of rust spots that kept “blooming”. An old beater should look like one. If you want to go full lipstick and restock, then that’s something else.

Haven’t compared prices, but I’d recommend nitride over blue as it’s more durable and rust-resistant.

Agreed. I wouldn't, not because I'm concerned about ANY collector value, but because it's lipstick on a pig. Restock it if you want a project, or just shoot it as-is.

The only thing I would suggest is maybe research the rifle a bit to make sure it is nothing special or collectable and rare before rebluing or further sporterizing. Just a though. Good luck!

From the OP's description of the rifle, it's already been Bubba'd. If in fact that's the case, he has nothing to lose.

Such question often a three step process. #1 is easy. No collector value denigrated. #2, the economic cost/benefit ratio. Your description really inadequate. Good photos to better tell the story; condition of present finish and how the rifle now "presents". The recrafted stock sounds possibly 'clever', but beyond...? A decent reblue in present stock... Visualizing the kind of thing to be expected from a fifties to perhaps seventies occurrence. With costs nowadays, likely falling to #3, as desire for personally valued aesthetics versus outlay. Many of us who have 'a bunch of guns', some such candidates. But nowadays, the market isn't particularly friendly to such ventures, aka adventures!
A lot of words here, avoiding the plain answer of "your gun, your money"! I believe that's where the answer lies!
Best & Happy New Year!
John

First see how well it shoots.

BTDT. My Husky took a deep black bluing. I had it down by Harry Lawson back in the day.

If her daddy's rich
take her out for a meal
If her daddy's poor
just do what you feel

Sounds like it’s already been mutilated as a collector. Go ahead and do what you want.

I have a Gustav with a new bolt, new Timney FW, new barrel (9” twisted 7x57), wisner safety, walnut Boyd’s Prairie Hunter, and likely either chrome playing or rust blue.

So yeah sure reblue one of its your thing.