Russian 91/30 PU rifles.

[MJ1]

I don't know, run out there and wave your arms at me. I think you need to try another scope/rifle with more leg or as I said before get out and practice with the best ammo.

[30cal_Fun]

Nice rifles MJ1!

looks like the stocks are refinished, did you do that yourself? they don't have that shiny shellac coat. did you use tru-oil?

if so, can you explain what and how you did it?

Louis

[MJ1]

A little BLO/tirpintine on the yellow one because it was dry.

[30cal_Fun]

The final product looks very good.
was it without finish when you got it?

I think a good hand rubbed oil finish looks great on any stock, I would like to refinish my stock on my 91/30, but I think I will go for a matte Tru-oil finish. I've seen a lot of good work with it, and it is much more available here I live.

Not to start the age old discussion between the two, but how did the BLO work out? does it take much drying time between coats, and how many coats did you apply?

[MJ1]

It's been so long I can't recall but it did suck up the first coat so kept it wet for an hour then wiped it down and I'm sure I did it again next day.

[Marcus]

30cal, if those are WW2Yugo issue PU rifles Jack is showing, they generally don't have the shellac finish, and especially not the Soviet post-war refurb stuff, as most of these rifles left Soviet possession in early 1944. The Yugoslavian's preferred stock finish is oiled bare wood.

Would the CMP sniper competition rules allow the use of a replica scope that is a copy of the original? I'm just wondering how a PE scoped replica sniper or restored "ex"-sniper might do compared to a PU rifle. A PEM siderail style rifle would be kind of costly because of the $400 price of a good replica mount setup and a couple hundered for a replica PE scope, but you can get the replica PE scopes with a current Ukrainian production replica top-mount setup for around $300.

For real snipers, I think PU's are about the most affordable with Soviet refurbs like the RGuns rifles or earlier imports currently in the $800 to $1,000 range and the scopeless Yugo issue rifles in the $300 to $500 range plus another $350 to $450 for a nice complete scope setup. A restored PU ex-sniper with a real or current Ukrainian or Russian replica scope setup will cost about the same as re-scoping a scopeless Yugo, but you will have a replica sniper bolt and stock made from standard items, instead of the genuine ones on the Yugo rifle.

If you could find one of the Yugo M48 series sniper rifles with a good bore and locate a ZRAK or other suitable and correct scope setup, it would also probably come in around $700-$800.

Next would probably be a Swede M41B - the lower end ones seem to be around $1,200 to $1,400 right now, but the top-condition all matching ones are getting harder to find and going up in price. I have 5 of the original WW2 era M41's (not the post-war M41B) that I've acquired over the past 6 or 7 months. 2 are still in need of scope setups, but 2 have AGA M/42 scopes and one has an AGA M/44 glass. The original M41 rifles are a lot harder to find and a little pricier than M41B's - I have about $1,800 into one of the M/42 rifles, about $1,700 into the M/44 rifle, and the other M/42 scoped rifle set me back around $700 for the rifle and $1,400 for the scope setup, plus shipping on both items.

Replica Mosin PU snipers (most are being pimped off as original these days) can be found in the $400-$500 range, and a replice PE sniper could probably be put together in the $600-$700 range. Then there are those $900 replica 03A4 snipers out there, but I wouldn't try any serious shooting with a replica or real Weaver 330/M73B1 scope....just to small and fragile. I've seen sporterized A3's fairly cheap that would make great replica snipers, and recent production Redfield Jr. mount setups are cheap enough. If you use a Lyman Alaskan or Weaver K4 60-B scope it's a lot more affordable than a decent size original military scope like the M81, 82, or 84.

Then there are the replica 98k snipers. I don't have any personal experience with these, but using one of the various East European captured 98k's and a replica mount setup with either a replica scope or original WW2 period German scope it seems like one could build one of these up in the $800 to $1,200 range.