Stock finish on Swiss K31

[mapsjanhere]

I picked up a K31 with nice metal but a very blotchy stock, looks like it got wet once. Does anyone know what the correct finish is on those rifles?

 

[g.willikers]

One of the fellows at our local range is a K31 enthusiast.
He refinishes his stocks by first sanding down the surface and large imperfections.
Then he uses a stainer/sealer that doesn't change the actual color of the wood, as it appears after sanding.
They look really good, too.

 

[Scorch]

Most likely yellow shellac, the stock finish of choice for many old military weapons. You can buy shellac at most hardware stores.

 

[mapsjanhere]

Thanks, I will give that a shot.

 

[Zhillsauditor]

If you sand too much, you will hurt the value (not that they have much in the first place, but why shoot yourself in the foot). I would recommend minimal sanding and staining, and tru oil, five+ coats. Some of the "imperfections" add real character.

 

[mapsjanhere]

Well, this stock, while having all matching numbers, clearly has seen better days, with some real material loss around the butt plate and pistol grip (looks like it was set into wet grass and forgotten). The main problem will be finding a matching shellac, it's stained pretty orange compared to the wood color. On the neat side, I found an owner's name when removing the butt plate.