SS Conversion Restoration

This my first attempt at a vintage rifle restoration..... hopefully I didn’t do anything that I will get BBQed for ��. So this barreled receiver sold here on the trader back in May sometime, my friend and one of my mentors in collecting bought it (ljoconnor). It was in a Steyr stock and was made up of WWII parts besides the barreled receiver. I ended up with the rifle, thanks Larry! And decided to try to do a restoration. I posted a WTB add in the trader here and eventually was offered an RC SS Conversion deathshead stock. I got the RC stock and imperial bayonet lug, bent gew 98 bolt and imperial front band, trigger guard/ floor plate from (runner). Thanks Frank! The bent bolt is non matching but made up of imperial parts besides the armorers WWII extractor. I ground the hook off the front band. The only WWII parts on the rifle now are: the front sight base which was on the barreled receiver when I got it, it’s cut for a sight hood which I put on it. The blade is an unnumbered gew blade. The band spring is unnumbered and and the rear band is a E/63 armorers band that I found. The rear sight parts are as I bought the receiver and are WWII. I bought the front and rear guard screws which are WWII armorers. Please tell me what you guys think and where and what I could improve.

More photos

Some more:

Full Restoration and Stock

So the stock being an RC, I worked on it a little bit.

Jokey I think it turned out pretty good. Looks like I think it should be. You do good work.

I think the overall look of the rifle is very good. I am glad you posted it here, documenting it as a restoration. If this rifle got into the wrong hands it would be an authentic SS conversion. I can see the write-up now, "After all, everyone knows the SS was not under the control of the German military or their silly inspection protocols." (which they weren't, but that doesn't mean they did not follow patterns)

I think those that frequent this forum would quickly recognize it as a restoration, but a totally mis-matched 44 bnz just sold on Gunbroker for $1000. so that crowd might be a little more gullible.

Thanks Frank. In the end it’s still just a parts rifle. I do think it’s put back together with some neat parts though. I would like to know more about the deathshead marking with the + sign over its head. The book mentions it as a legit mark. Is it the earliest deathshead mark they used when they started modifying these rifles? The date on my barrel is January of 1938. But the stock is also pretty neat I think. It’s and RC stock, so I did take duct tape to it to try to take the Russian shellac off of it, that worked well.........right or wrong that’s what I chose. I figured the Russians already took the originality away. I chose to try this restoration because I thought the barreled action was neat. I got lucky enough to be offered a pretty neat stock to go with it. All of my K98’s are matching examples and would never dream of doing anything that would hurt their originality in any way. These parts were a different case in my mind

I always thought the "+" sign was supposed to be a cross...like the kind on a war grave. Don't know for sure though.