Chilean Mauser 1912 restoration?

[BioNerd]

Hello,

I just picked up this rifle and it could use some TLC. The barrel should be blued but the action and bolt (and the shoulder piece) were originally left silver.

The stock has no checks but a bunch of small scratches and dings, I think a bit of wax could help that.

Any advice?
How do I find and order the knife?

Yes, I have specific screwdrivers.




This is an example of how it should look:

 

[Provincial]

Nice rifle!

Don't polish it, just clean it and protect it from rust. It is in good enough condition that any polishing will detract from the original finish and destroy it's collector value.

I believe that you should apply linseed oil to the stock, rather than wax, but you should research that before you do anything. Chilean Mausers are renowned for their fine workmanship, and they have a strong fan base. There is sure to be information on original stock finish on the internet.

 

[BioNerd]

Hello,

I just picked up this rifle and it could use some TLC. The barrel should be blued but the action and bolt (and the shoulder piece) were originally left silver.

The stock has no checks but a bunch of small scratches and dings, I think a bit of wax could help that.

Any advice?
How do I find and order the knife?

Yes, I have specific screwdrivers.




This is an example of how it should look:

Thank you, you are totally right.

I just had time to clean it with ballistol, man that barrel inside was gunky.

Its actually pretty good looking after some basic cleaning.

 

[bonneyman]

Ballistol is great stuff, if more cleaning of the bore is necessary then use Ed's Red. Here's the site I went to - it had tons of info:

http://www.frfrogspad.com/homemade.htm

I'd just clean and preserve it, not make it shine.

 

[Badasssapper67]

Is it 7x57 Mauser?

 

[BioNerd]

Is it 7x57 Mauser?

Yes, im a bit nervous to shoot it tho

 

[bonneyman]

Take it to a reputable gunsmith to inspect it and fire it. If they certify it then it's GTG.

 

[bdbecker]

I'm a huge fan of Howard's Restor-A-Finish and Feed-N-Wax, especially on stuff like this where you really want to preserve the past, not erase it.

http://www.howardproducts.com/product/restor-a-finish/
http://www.howardproducts.com/product/feed-n-wax-wood-polish-and-conditioner/

From what I can see in the pics, that stock actually looks like its in pretty good shape, you probably only need the Feed-N-Wax.

+1 on taking it to a gunsmith to have it inspected before firing - you never know what might have happened to it over the last 106 years.

 

[Hdonly0]

Absolutely do nothing but clean it. I made the mistake of butchering an 1891 Argentine Mauser that belonged to my father. I was in my 20's when he gave it to me and I thought I could make it better. It is still a nice rifle, but over the years I have seriously regretted doing what I did. In my 60's now, it was the first gun I ever fired back when I was in the third grade. I will always keep it and pass it on to my daughter when I go from here. Do get it checked out and enjoy shooting it. They don't make them anymore. You have a great piece of history.

 

[ttpete]

Bayonets are available. Google is your friend. How's the bore?

 

[Xti04]

A serious cleaning, and a quality paste wax on the wood will be just fine, if you don't have it for collector value, do whatever you want with it. No reason to be afraid to make it your own.

 

[FANTM58]

I have the same rifle almost ..it’s a Turkish Mauser. And 8mm
I love shooting it ,, it’s so accurate ...
Clean it up and have fun .

 

[dffay]

There is something powerfully spiritual in the patina. Its the rigors of battle and time. My unasked for vote would be to clean it and let the ghosts of the past stay hidden inside the wood and gunmetal.