My latest orphan Mosin is on its way

troy2000 · 06-11-2006, 10:33 PM

It's a 1915 Westinghouse with a bubba'd stock. I picked it up for $99.00, plus twenty bucks shipping. Supposedly it has an intact Czarist crest, no import marks and a bright bore.

Here's a pic (if i did this right):

After I had paid for it, I asked the seller what he knew about its history (I figured I might get less fluff and more truth by waiting until he had his money). He told me he bought it at a swap meet about eight years ago for $125.00, from a man who said it had belonged to his grandfather. He also told me he shoots surplus ammo in his Mosins and never had the heart to put something corrosive through a rifle with such a pretty bore, so he had never fired it. And he said he's selling this and other toys because he blew up a pickup motor.

Let's hope that's all true. But all in all, I'm willing to bet this gun never left the states. And although it's hard to tell just from the picture, it looks to me like the bluing is almost intact. If I'm lucky, that means it got a little use as a deer rifle and a lot as a wall-hanger.

I bought the gun to go into a Finn stock I picked up from ninwnc a while back. And if that old American walnut stock is still sound, I'll fingerjoint more walnut to the front end of it Finn-style, and shape the result into a new stock for an M39 that came to me with a synthetic stock.

MosinDave · 06-11-2006, 11:02 PM

Very nice find there Troy! I can't wait to see how it turns out when you get done with it. :right:

ninwnc · 06-12-2006, 03:47 PM

It's good to know "my" old stock is going to be put to good use.
I hope it works well for you.

Nick

troy2000 · 06-20-2006, 08:02 PM

...and it looks very good indeed.

The bluing seems to be almost entirely intact. The sights and all the corners and angles are crisp and sharp, with no dings. There's a touch of rust here and there, but nothing to worry about. The bore is filthy with dust and old oil, but the rifling looks sharp.

The trigger's been fussed with; it's still a tad heavy, but very crisp and positive. The bolt fits tighter and wiggles less than those in my other Mosins, and operates very smoothly.

The cleaning rod and butt plate are missing, but I knew that when I bid. The Westinghouse logo, serial number and Czarist crest are so clear and precise they put Russian markings to shame

The only disappointment is the stock. Although it's a beautiful piece of American walnut, It's been shaved and thinned until it's almost fragile. So it probably isn't worth the trouble to fingerjoint and extend it for my other M39. I'll probably put it on temporarily anyway, until I come up with something better. Whoever shaved the wood also free-floated the barrel in what little was left of the stock ahead of the receiver, so the thicker M39 barrel is no problem. I'll just have to notch for those bulky Finnish sights.

All in all, the rifle looks almost totally unused, and I think I scored. I should have it in its new stock pretty soon, and there'll definitely be pics.

troy2000 · 07-13-2006, 02:13 PM

And I posted some pics in the Photo Gallery.

(Never mind the instructions I had here; just go on down the page and you'll see them).

I have too many views of the left side; that's because the prettiest grain is there. Love that arctic birch.

I was also going to take some pics of the Czarist crest and N.E. Westinghouse name on the barrel, and the faint remains of the sanded-out SAKO cartouche on the Finnish stock, but I ran out of battery power in the camera. Project for another day, I guess.

By the way, I'm not the one who sanded the SAKO mark off the stock. I just found what was left of it when I stripped the existing finish.

I still need a sling, and possibly a scope and bent-handled bolt for it. I'm holding off until I see whether it's accurate enough to bother. All I know right now is that it's MOPT accurate. That means minute-of-propane-tank accuracy, because I was reliably hitting the middle of a five-gallon one the other day, off-hand at about 90 yards. Not surprisingly for an old gun with iron battle sights, I had to aim at the base to get the center of the tank.

FutureMarine · 07-13-2006, 06:59 PM

i saw it troy. it sure looks nice

ninwnc · 07-14-2006, 09:25 AM

WOW! I'm impressed. I know what that stock looked like when it left here. That is a great improvement. Well Done.

Nick

troy2000 · 07-14-2006, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ninwnc

WOW! I'm impressed. I know what that stock looked like when it left here. That is a great improvement. Well Done.
Nick

Too bad. You wouldn't happen to have any pics from when it was on your gun, would you?

troy2000 · 07-15-2006, 08:35 PM

It's getting to where I'm scared to take a twenty minute coffee break instead of fifteen; I might need retraining.

But here are the pics linked directly to the photo gallery, instead of people having to go chase them:

FutureMarine · 07-15-2006, 09:23 PM

did the kitty come with the rifle

troy2000 · 07-15-2006, 09:28 PM

But someone told me that if you want guys to look at your pics, you need to show a little kitty...or something like that...:guitar: :guitar: :guitar:

By the way: for some reason, using stripper clips on this rifle is about three times easier than with any other Mosin I have. I don't know why, but the shells just slide right in.

I'll have to try the 1917 Peter the Great I bought for my number two son, and see if it works as smoothly with stripper clips; I've never loaded it using them.

If I remember right, the older ones have a different interrupter-ejector setup than the later ones. So if both old ones load smoothly, I'll assume that's the reason.

spicybeefjerky · 07-16-2006, 12:23 PM

its a beauty!! puts the stock on mine to shame thats for sure

troy2000 · 07-16-2006, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spicybeefjerky

its a beauty!! puts the stock on mine to shame thats for sure

I've read somewhere that Finnish furniture makers coughed up their supplies of wood for the war effort. Looking at stocks like this, I think it's quite possible.

ninwnc · 07-18-2006, 10:30 PM

Sorry. I don't have any "before" photos.

Nick

06-11-2006, 10:33 PM	#1
troy2000 Resident Armed Liberal Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Southern California Posts: 9,409 Images: 9	My latest orphan Mosin is on its way It's a 1915 Westinghouse with a bubba'd stock. I picked it up for $99.00, plus twenty bucks shipping. Supposedly it has an intact Czarist crest, no import marks and a bright bore. Here's a pic (if i did this right): After I had paid for it, I asked the seller what he knew about its history (I figured I might get less fluff and more truth by waiting until he had his money). He told me he bought it at a swap meet about eight years ago for $125.00, from a man who said it had belonged to his grandfather. He also told me he shoots surplus ammo in his Mosins and never had the heart to put something corrosive through a rifle with such a pretty bore, so he had never fired it. And he said he's selling this and other toys because he blew up a pickup motor. Let's hope that's all true. But all in all, I'm willing to bet this gun never left the states. And although it's hard to tell just from the picture, it looks to me like the bluing is almost intact. If I'm lucky, that means it got a little use as a deer rifle and a lot as a wall-hanger. I bought the gun to go into a Finn stock I picked up from ninwnc a while back. And if that old American walnut stock is still sound, I'll fingerjoint more walnut to the front end of it Finn-style, and shape the result into a new stock for an M39 that came to me with a synthetic stock. Last edited by troy2000; 06-11-2006 at 10:54 PM.

06-20-2006, 08:02 PM	#4
troy2000 Resident Armed Liberal Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Southern California Posts: 9,409 Images: 9	It's finally here ...and it looks very good indeed. The bluing seems to be almost entirely intact. The sights and all the corners and angles are crisp and sharp, with no dings. There's a touch of rust here and there, but nothing to worry about. The bore is filthy with dust and old oil, but the rifling looks sharp. The trigger's been fussed with; it's still a tad heavy, but very crisp and positive. The bolt fits tighter and wiggles less than those in my other Mosins, and operates very smoothly. The cleaning rod and butt plate are missing, but I knew that when I bid. The Westinghouse logo, serial number and Czarist crest are so clear and precise they put Russian markings to shame The only disappointment is the stock. Although it's a beautiful piece of American walnut, It's been shaved and thinned until it's almost fragile. So it probably isn't worth the trouble to fingerjoint and extend it for my other M39. I'll probably put it on temporarily anyway, until I come up with something better. Whoever shaved the wood also free-floated the barrel in what little was left of the stock ahead of the receiver, so the thicker M39 barrel is no problem. I'll just have to notch for those bulky Finnish sights. All in all, the rifle looks almost totally unused, and I think I scored. I should have it in its new stock pretty soon, and there'll definitely be pics. Last edited by troy2000; 06-20-2006 at 08:06 PM.

07-13-2006, 02:13 PM	#5
troy2000 Resident Armed Liberal Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Southern California Posts: 9,409 Images: 9	The Westinghouse is in its new stock And I posted some pics in the Photo Gallery. (Never mind the instructions I had here; just go on down the page and you'll see them). I have too many views of the left side; that's because the prettiest grain is there. Love that arctic birch. I was also going to take some pics of the Czarist crest and N.E. Westinghouse name on the barrel, and the faint remains of the sanded-out SAKO cartouche on the Finnish stock, but I ran out of battery power in the camera. Project for another day, I guess. By the way, I'm not the one who sanded the SAKO mark off the stock. I just found what was left of it when I stripped the existing finish. I still need a sling, and possibly a scope and bent-handled bolt for it. I'm holding off until I see whether it's accurate enough to bother. All I know right now is that it's MOPT accurate. That means minute-of-propane-tank accuracy, because I was reliably hitting the middle of a five-gallon one the other day, off-hand at about 90 yards. Not surprisingly for an old gun with iron battle sights, I had to aim at the base to get the center of the tank. Last edited by troy2000; 07-15-2006 at 08:39 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost

07-13-2006, 06:59 PM	#6
FutureMarine Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: PRK Posts: 1,946	i saw it troy. it sure looks nice __________________ Semper Fi

07-15-2006, 08:35 PM	#9
troy2000 Resident Armed Liberal Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Southern California Posts: 9,409 Images: 9	Okay, I figured out how to do this again It's getting to where I'm scared to take a twenty minute coffee break instead of fifteen; I might need retraining. But here are the pics linked directly to the photo gallery, instead of people having to go chase them:

06-11-2006, 11:02 PM	#2
MosinDave Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Georgia Posts: 571	Very nice find there Troy! I can't wait to see how it turns out when you get done with it. :right:

06-12-2006, 03:47 PM	#3
ninwnc Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Western North Carolina Posts: 435	It's good to know "my" old stock is going to be put to good use. I hope it works well for you. Nick

07-14-2006, 09:25 AM	#7
ninwnc Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Western North Carolina Posts: 435	WOW! I'm impressed. I know what that stock looked like when it left here. That is a great improvement. Well Done. Nick

07-15-2006, 09:23 PM	#10
FutureMarine Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: PRK Posts: 1,946	did the kitty come with the rifle __________________ Semper Fi

07-15-2006, 09:28 PM	#11
troy2000 Resident Armed Liberal Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Southern California Posts: 9,409 Images: 9	Nahh... But someone told me that if you want guys to look at your pics, you need to show a little kitty...or something like that...:guitar: :guitar: :guitar: By the way: for some reason, using stripper clips on this rifle is about three times easier than with any other Mosin I have. I don't know why, but the shells just slide right in. I'll have to try the 1917 Peter the Great I bought for my number two son, and see if it works as smoothly with stripper clips; I've never loaded it using them. If I remember right, the older ones have a different interrupter-ejector setup than the later ones. So if both old ones load smoothly, I'll assume that's the reason. Last edited by troy2000; 07-16-2006 at 08:32 AM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost

07-16-2006, 12:23 PM	#12
spicybeefjerky Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Iowa Posts: 155	its a beauty!! puts the stock on mine to shame thats for sure

07-18-2006, 10:30 PM	#14
ninwnc Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Western North Carolina Posts: 435	Sorry. I don't have any "before" photos. Nick