1917 G98 Wood Finish identification assistance (trying to figure out)

K

Kradem

Member
Any clue what this wood finish may be? It belongs to a 1917 Waffenfabrik Mauser A-G Oberndorf A/H 1917 Rifle. Serial is 2577 q-block

To my knowledge 1917 rifles had either no finish at all or late 1917 may have had the Kronengrund/ Kronenol

https://imgur.com/a/bFrc4Fq
 
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Quote from "Rifle and Carbine 98" by Dieter Storz:

"In February 1916, the Prussian War Ministry had to instruct state and private rifle factories to impregnate stocks with fish oil instead of linseed oil varnish. In the factory, stocks were oiled three times, requiring 1.90 kg of linseed oil varnish or 1.75 kg of fish oil for 100 stocks. Soon the replacement troops also had to make do with this disreputable product. But even this substance ran out after a while. In the fall of 1917, the Amberg rifle factory had to send out its rifles with unfinished stocks.[...] In February 1918, a decree of the Prussian Ministry of War ordered the introduction of Jäger's products “Kronengrund” and “Kronenöl” for impregnating gunstocks. However, their use was restricted to gun factories and gun repair shops.[...] The stocks were first rubbed with a cloth dipped in “Kronengrund”, leaving the recesses dry. After 15 to 20 minutes, “Kronenöl” was applied and the stocks were set aside to dry. “Kronengrund” was an oily nitrocellulose lacquer."

So in this case the "unfinished" stock would only apply to 1917 Amberg produced rifles and "Kronengrund/-öl" would've appeared after February 1918. A simple linseed oil varnish should do the trick in this case. The Mauser factory still had large walnut blanks, while other makers already had to switch to beech wood; having a larger stockpile of linsed oil in 1917 deosn't seem too far fetched IMO.
 
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Sir Mortimer said:
Quote from "Rifle and Carbine 98" by Dieter Storz:

"In February 1916, the Prussian War Ministry had to instruct state and private rifle factories to impregnate stocks with fish oil instead of linseed oil varnish. In the factory, stocks were oiled three times, requiring 1.90 kg of linseed oil varnish or 1.75 kg of fish oil for 100 stocks. Soon the replacement troops also had to make do with this disreputable product. But even this substance ran out after a while. In the fall of 1917, the Amberg rifle factory had to send out its rifles with unfinished stocks.[...] In February 1918, a decree of the Prussian Ministry of War ordered the introduction of Jäger's products “Kronengrund” and “Kronenöl” for impregnating gunstocks. However, their use was restricted to gun factories and gun repair shops.[...] The stocks were first rubbed with a cloth dipped in “Kronengrund”, leaving the recesses dry. After 15 to 20 minutes, “Kronenöl” was applied and the stocks were set aside to dry. “Kronengrund” was an oily nitrocellulose lacquer."

So in this case the "unfinished" stock would only apply to 1917 Amberg produced rifles and "Kronengrund/-öl" would've appeared after February 1918. A simple linseed oil varnish should do the trick in this case. The Mauser factory still had large walnut blanks, while other makers already had to switch to beech wood; having a larger stockpile of linsed oil in 1917 deosn't seem too far fetched IMO.
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Would Raw Linseed Oil be close or Boiled Linseed Oil you think?
 
Kradem said:
Would Raw Linseed Oil be close or Boiled Linseed Oil you think?
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Raw linseed oil penetrates wood quite deep, but needs longer to dry and harden; around 3 days per coat, depending on airflow, sunlight exposure and temperature. It can be used as primer coat for wood.

Boiled linseed oil is considered a varnish, so it's more in line with the original factory requirement. Back then they added certain hardeners that cut drying time even more, but otherwise BLO as the "main component" is perfectly fine for collectors that aren't under time pressure like a factory during war-time.
BLO doesn't peentrate as deep as RLO, but hardens quicker, makes the surface more (scratch) resistant and gives a nice semi-gloss finish.

Apply BLO very thin (!) per layer and remove excess with a cloth within an hour or two after application, otherwise you'll get sticky/gummy spots. Depending on what look you might want, apply multiple layers after drying/hardening of the previous layer for a little darker finish. Let the used cloth(s) dry spread out in fresh air, otherwise the oil-soaked cloth might spontaneously ignite!
 
Perhaps just a thin coat of ballistol? Im also trying to clean old grease out of the inside kf the wood
 
IT’s survived this long just the way it is. As others have said, resist temptations to “improve” the wood. Leave it be IMHO.
 
Yeah, I noticed that as well. But the canvas/cloth and whatever bonding material used was so worn down and loose it came off easy. It was also covered in cosmoline. The pics are after cleaning.

Not really sure how to ensure it doesnt get worse over time… im not a woodworker or super skilled in that field.
 
Kradem said:
Not really sure how to ensure it doesnt get worse over time… im not a woodworker or super skilled in that field.
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I think there are people out there that have been scared by YouTube celebrities into thinking that their rifles are just going to disintegrate if they don't do a bunch of preventative care immediately and often.

These rifles have stood the test of time and while you may need to do a light cleaning, less is always more. I have seen so many nice Gew 98s over cleaned and pimp shined by people. I've also seen far too many stocks wiped down and cleaned because they are "dirty". Nothing more than brass and oil for metal, and nothing more than a wipe down with a paper towel if it's dirty. If you do that, you won't be jeopardizing much of anything.

I'm glad you asked here before you did anything. Thank you for that.
 
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