Para Rescue, in a sense

[Weldrdave]

I stopped at my gun shop I deal with on occasion, and noticed a new addition to her rack. When I asked I was told this was consignment, an older fella owned it and didn't want it any more.
She said he wanted to sand the stock and refinish it and thats what he started to do.  But, there's a whole lot more going on here as you will see.  In the short of things, this Para was kept in a damp if not wet location.  Beings I live in a shore area, it's not uncommon.   The store owner said he had/wanted $400.00 on it but after a very close look I offered $300 and eventually settled on $325.  This all said, I basically stripped it in the store. Amazingly all the working parts, bore, bolt and trigger assembly is nearly perfect.  The breech doesn't even look like a round has been through it.  If anything, this rifle had very little use.  .  I have some work to do to it, I'm going to bring it back the way it should look, I happen to have a bayonet for it, one I got at a gun show years back.  It didn't have one there at the shop.
The Importer is B-west out of Tus. AZ.  The print is so dam small I needed a magnifying glass AND my reading glasses to see it.  With the mag glass, I also did see a faint /816\ and 3 chinese letters next to the serial number. Ironically everything matches, not that it matters, it's a bast@rd child I know.   I'll post the progress as I go along.  Should be fun and a neat shooter. 

[lowell66dart]

Nice score.

[Phosphorus32]

Wow, the previous owner must have really hated grasping grooves, or loved 80 grit sandpaper, or both 

A new pinned barrel stock and handguard and a cut down spike bayonet will have it back to normal 

[echo1]

SCORE!!! The hammer looks new. Nice grab for sure. PAX

[Weldrdave]

Wow, the previous owner must have really hated grasping grooves, or loved 80 grit sandpaper, or both 

A new pinned barrel stock and handguard and a cut down spike bayonet will have it back to normal 

I'm gonna go lightly over it with some 220 grit then a light 400 grit.  Not much more, then all do a boiled linseed oil coat, see how that comes out.   

[Greasemonkey]

Whoa...easy with the sand paper sandyman... it's not far from just being dust in the wind as it is..   I'd probably just stain it, give the boring chu wood some pizazz and coat it nice and thick and call it good.. you cant see the wood when your shooting it anyway, just say the roughness is natural antislip..   

[Weldrdave]

Whoa...easy with the sand paper sandyman... it's not far from just being dust in the wind as it is..   I'd probably just stain it, give the boring chu wood some pizazz and coat it nice and thick and call it good.. you cant see the wood when your shooting it anyway, just say the roughness is natural antislip..   

Good point, I didn't do the last batch of sanding, It was the last owner.  I agree it was a bit excessive    I'll make it look decent, I'm gonna cut the bayonet I have this evening, I got the measurements and I'll get the taper on my fine belt sander.

[Greasemonkey]

Wasn't blaming you.. I've seen bunches of them that way..    sometimes in refinishing.... people dont understand, less is more. I'm more.. the more beat to death, scarred, and ugly it is.. sometimes the better it looks..  like chicks  ..ugly ones need love too.   All the fluff and buff, artsy fartsy stuff isnt really needed.. it's not a Weatherby or Kimber..  


Sorry.. forgot my meds..

[Weldrdave]

Wasn't blaming you.. I've seen bunches of them that way..    sometimes in refinishing.... people dont understand, less is more. I'm more.. the more beat to death, scarred, and ugly it is.. sometimes the better it looks..  like chicks  ..ugly ones need love too.   All the fluff and buff, artsy fartsy stuff isnt really needed.. it's not a Weatherby or Kimber..  


Sorry.. forgot my meds..

Oh, I know you wern't !      When I said I was going to (touch it) with some 220 and 400, there are some "sharp" places that splintered I need to fix, not many!  I felt the same as you, I looked at it and said to myself W.T.F..... 

[Greatguns]

Take some #000 or #0000 steel wool and smooth it out then do your stain and finish

Nice grab BTW

[Weldrdave]

Thanks Gg's.  I'm gonna give it a coat of Linseed oil today,  I had an old beat up Winchester shot gun I did about 30 years ago that turned out nice.  Gonna see what happens here with the Chu wood.  Either way, it'll be better than it was.  There is about 50 different directions I could go with this, I think GM, a few others as well as my thoughts are keep it simple.  I do have 000  and thats a good thought.  I'm gonna lightly wipe this down this morning with some lacquer thinner, let it dry well and put on a coat about noon!  Pics, later... 

[High Noon]

My suggestion is a nice stain (I like darker) and stop there.  Then go enjoy it at the range!!

Plus I'll join in and say......

[running-man]

Heck, that's a great price for a shooter such as this!  You made out Dave! 

I've seen some guys really push for keeping the original heavily sanded stock on a save such as this, only to relent and slap on a mismatch/no S/N stock once they truly realize how far gone it is and whatever they do it never gets any better. 

Good luck on this one!   Looking forward to see what you wind up with (I'm partial to red stocks myself). 

[Weldrdave]

I now have every moving part and metal soaking in PB blaster, (I love that $#!T).   I have several small brass brushes I'll start hitting the small rust areas on the barrel.   I just gave it it's first coat of Linseed oil, I know Chu wood is "Very Boring" but it doesn't look all that bad on the first coat and it darkened it up a tinge.  In a way, having this one almost "Blond" is a bit fascinating, some of the dark streaks came out in the stock and it may look decent.  I know it's not to everyones liking, but I'll see how it turns out.  What's the worst can happen, I strip it and start again? 

[Weldrdave]

First light coat.

[Weldrdave]

I cut and shaped the bayonet earlier today, came out decent.  I had a "pipe dream" and an old 59/66 bayonet...  . then I went and got a Beer, realized NOPE! What the hell am I thinking... 
Anyway, it came out nicely and cut to the specs I found in here, 8"  Angles came out as close as I could get them by eye on my little belt sander.    Anyone need a 59/66 bayonet?

[running-man]

Looking good Dave!  How hard was the steel on that bayo?  I've not heard of them being all that hard/tough, but I do know they are indeed hardened based on the fact that Russian civilians cannot own bayos that haven't been full annealed or notched such that they no longer pose a danger of being used...

[Phosphorus32]

...I do know they are indeed hardened based on the fact that Russian civilians cannot own bayos that haven't been full annealed or notched such that they no longer pose a danger of being used...

Cuz getting stabbed with a softened steel bayonet would be нет проблем 

[Phosphorus32]

Nice job Dave. That stock looks way better than I thought it would turn out  Definitely a bargain paratrooper acquisition.

[Weldrdave]

Looking good Dave!  How hard was the steel on that bayo?  I've not heard of them being all that hard/tough, but I do know they are indeed hardened based on the fact that Russian civilians cannot own bayos that haven't been full annealed or notched such that they no longer pose a danger of being used...

I wasn't "Hardened" to the point where I couldn't get through it with a hacksaw!  I don't have my test kit for hardness anymore but if I were to guess, a grade 3 or 5 bolt.   I have a fine paper roll on my belt sander and it had real (pleasant fine) whiteish sparks which indicates some hardness.