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I now have, in my hot little hands, an M1903 stutzen. I just purchased it off eGun.
The good:
The bore looks clear. It is a pre-war model, if I am reading the proof mark correctly, made in 1920. The cost was crazy-inexpensive.

The bad: I don't think this rifle has been cleaned in a very long time. Cleaning it will be my project for the weekend. There is some pitting on the receiver and the barrel, and it's obviously been ridden hard and put away wet. The button to remove the magazine has obviously been pressed with something other than a round-nosed round. If I had to bet, a knife, or at the very least a key. This was done more than once.

The ugly: In the auction pictures, there were clearly chips in the stock. I knew that going in. When I received it, it was obvious the stock had been broken in the past, but very well repaired with polyurethane glue. The crack is through the wrist, then along the side to the magazine well.

I'm thinking it's a good restoration candidate. The light pitting has me thinking it can be stripped, carded, and re-blued, but my smith will be able to tell me about that. Certainly it needs a really good cleaning.

It is the stock I see as the most immediate need. Yes, I can strip the finish (it is very dirty), and i could probably figure out a way to repair the chip along the barrel, or even learn to live with it. But the obvious break will do no one any good, and while the "outside" repair was well done and looks OK, I'm sure the dirt is hiding much. Inside, however, it is not as fair as it could be, and there are splinters taken out, especially in the receiver area behind the magazine well.

Hence my question: Does anyone know of a competent stock maker, preferably in Europe? I am not looking for a crazy/wild/beautiful piece of walnut. I'm also willing to sand/oil/finish. I'm just looking for a plain piece of walnut, put together by someone who knows what they are doing, who can recreate the subtle curves of the original, and include less obvious things like the cast off that's currently there.

Normally, I'd respect an old gun, and not go the restoration route in an effort to preserve originality. But the solid break in the stock has already harmed the "original" value, and in for a penny, in for a pound. Thoughts and suggestions are very much appreciated!

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Honor never grows old, and honor rejoices the heart of age...

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