Karab. 98b depot build help

Ok, won the auction, did ok with price compared to values thrown out here. It will be a few days before I can take possession but looking forward to uploading better pictures.

As far as cleaning, my usual remedy is 0000 steel wool and oil but thinking bronze wool might be better, the bluing is actually quite nice. The stock is beyond dry, but no cracks that I saw. It's a hardwood stock, so BLO?

JD

No steel wool ever!

Stick with bronze wool and kroil oil. That stuff works wonders. And personally I leave the stock alone but thats just me.

Use DAk's method posted here somewhere. It works well and will cause NO damage. I have used 4/o steel wool for years and never caused any damage to my weapons.
4/0 and kroil and an old penny is the best combo IMHO. A "best way to clean" thread is never ending as everyone has there own process. Bronze wool to me makes more work as it rubs off on the metal and turns it an odd color IMHO. The stock is a whole other process that needs to be addressed based on the stock condition.

Glad to see you won it and got it right ! Its a great variant..

For the love of god, do not use BLO! From what I can see the stock needs nothing other than a light cleaning with soapy water.

Did the gun end up being matching?

Yes, down to the screws. All bands and bolt handle matched. I didn't see and numbers on the bolt shroud or safety.

Thank you all for your help. Also, got it, no BLO. More of a usgi guy.

JD

The Marine Corps required us to use raw linseed oil on wood stocks and rubbing it to a sheen took effort. What harm does boiled linseed oil do?

oldcorps said:

The Marine Corps required us to use raw linseed oil on wood stocks and rubbing it to a sheen took effort. What harm does boiled linseed oil do?

Click to expand...

It looks like absolute crap on a German weapons. Raw linseed oil and boiled linseed oil also give very different finishes. Also modern BLO (with chemical dryers etc) did not exist when these guns were in service. I don't advise it, but if you want further reading there are literally dozens of pissing matches about this on Gunboards

IMO there's nothing about this stock that requires anything other than a light wash, unless you want to trash the value. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

I've been using it for decades with excellent results. If it's brushed on and left to dry, it indeed detracts but if worked-in with a clean cotton cloth in several light applications, the surface moisture (especially laminates) is restored to the wood nicely and the rifle or handgun's saleability is improved considerably, even on 200+ year-old US martial weapons which were badly dried. This process is widely used in the trade and has worked well for me literally hundreds of times, but to each their own. We have to remember that these weapons were designed with a brief, finite service life in mind and not intended to last for centuries.

in my experience 95% of the time you can spot a German weapon that has seen BLO from a mile away. I know some guys have it down pretty good using raw, which I have used on some junk stocks as experiments and I do believe that can be used when necessary (which IMO is not this case), but I've never seen a German stock that looked right after BLO.

Honestly, you need to post photos of what you have bought so it can be evaluated.

Old school collectors have techniques they use, newer collectors have different techniques. What was good in 1980 is considered blasphemy now. When I started collecting it was cool to clean your stocks to a nice blonde look, and shine the metal up to look as new as possible. Now, untouched looking guns are where the money is at. I see lots of collections, and I can tell which guns are 80's, 90's, and later, like rings on a tree. Lets see better images of it before you start working on it.

As is the case with anything, it can be either properly applied or poorly used.

Ok no BLO. Either way when I get it I'll post some pics. It is dry, very dry but when I can properly show the extent I will.

JD

Get the rifle and post nice clear outdoor photos. If you plan to keep it do what ever you like to it as its yours. If you just plan on selling it and you may receive offers just leave it be. Anyone who knows anything can tell from good photos how it will clean up. If a depot rework isn't your bag maybe a trade offer will come along. Just wait and be patient. You wont be steered wrong here. Cleaning technics differ but, most guys here know what they are talking about. I use nothing but furniture grade lemon oil on my stocks. Formby's also sells a product called build up cleaner for furniture that works great for wiping down dirty stocks.

oh come on, how badly did you steal it??

OK all, sorry for the delay, but here are plenty of detailed pictures. The stock isn't sanded, I don't think, but definitely has been there done that. I'll take some outside pictures when I get a clear day. One question, has anyone seen anything like the sheet metal addition to the rear of the handguard?

Let me know what you think/what other pictures you need.

Thank you!

JD

Bands and trigger housing

Barreled reciever

Looks nice. I say that piece of sheet metal may have been a shim to keep the Hg from rattling around.

I have never seen that done before. The stock is interesting as it seems roughly finished. The comments on the stock looking sanded is the fact bolt cutout area the edges are rounded and smooth. Typically there is a sharper edge there.

One thing of note this stock looks worked over. It could have been worked over @ the depot ?

I would need to see a lot more of it in hand or better photos to be 100%. Typically there is an external serial # on the stock and some sort of
depot proof at the wrist or down lower.

Soak the metal in penetrating oil and start the process of killing the rust. A course rag or old white face cloth or towel soaked is a good start to wipe off rust or a stiff plastic bristle brush. Then slowly remove the blisters with an old penny. Find DAK or DK's thread on doing this if you aren't familiar.


Barrel looks like a Bohler blank finished by Steyr . Steyr did a lot of ordinance spares that show up in the depot system.

Another thought; it could be an original 98b stock that was reworked and shortened ? Get some shots of the end of the stock where the bands are.

JohnnieDavis said:

One question, has anyone seen anything like the sheet metal addition to the rear of the handguard?

JD

Click to expand...

Actually, yes. See my post and pics in the post #6...


http://www.k98kforum.com/showthread...Depot-Rifle-Lubecker-x-Mauser&highlight=posen