# GUN PORN  New Group Photos



## The91Bravo (Oct 23, 2009)

These 9 M1 Garands are in my custody to re-finish.

I have already finished one... MINE and I have 15 more to do.  Starting tonight.

Gotta love the Garand.


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## skeeter (Oct 23, 2009)

Georgous!


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## Mac_NZ (Oct 24, 2009)

Can I have one?

I had to watch the gas axe go through crates of them in the Solomons, damn near broke my heart.


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## The91Bravo (Oct 24, 2009)

Mac,

That is some sad sad news... they are history. plain and simple.

Here is the history and the future plans of these honies.

As a Deputy Sheriff here in Montgomery County, TN, I decided a little over a year ago to join the Honor Guard. I served on the 9th ID Division Honor guard and the I Corps Honor Guard, so I figured I could learn AND contribute, while honoring those that served.

Well, we were initially using Remington 870 12 Gauge shotty's, and that served the purpose. But we are in the process of dialling it up to the next level. Our Sheriff's vision is an honor guard that can serve multiple roles. Funerals, parades, civic functions etc. AND he wants a competition ready team.

That's where the Garands came in. The Dept bought 16 well used M1s, and they needed service to make them the high standard of appearance that we need.

I got issued mine, and she was black with decades of oil and use. So one weekend about a month ago I started to refinish mine.

First I take 600 grit paper and rough the surface. Then I take a soaking hot cotton rag and lay it on the wood, while taking my clothes iron on the hottest setting and iron the piss out of it. This does a few things... First the moisture swells the dents and war hits out of the stock very very well. It doesnt smooth out the gouges, but it raises the dents really well. On the third pass with the iron I have a acetone dampened rag standing by, and when I pull off the steam rag, I immediately rub the acetone on the stock. The steam brings the old gun oil and solvents to the surface, but if you do not wipe them off with denatured alcohol or acetone, it soaks RIGHT BACK into the stock.

When I get all the black off the gun, I have a beautiful flat, pure wood finish.

Now comes the finish.

I use Birchwood Caseys Tru-Oil, and a lint free small patch of old towel, cotton. I firmly rub the first coat of oil on the stock, and it immediately soaks it up. I hang it from a rack by screwing in one of the butt plate screws 90% of the way and wrapping a wire around the screw, and hang the wire from my rack.

After this first coat dries I hit the stock with 0000 steel wool to get the bugers off, and hit it with another coat of oil.

I am beginning to see a more reflective finish in patches of the stock at this point.

Let it dry and hit it with 1000 grit sand paper, wipe with lint free tack cloth and oil it again.

I repeat this process until I have at least 6 coats on the stock and then honestly, it is a nice tough mirror finish. With the original color and grain of the wood showing through beautifully.

If anyone would like, I can make a detailed thread on re-finishing stocks with step by step pics and instructions.

We started rehearsing with these babies, and I TELL YOU what.... they are heavy beasts. I have had to do some curls and pull-ups to get the old arms in shape to stand in formation without wobbling or dropping these shooting irons.


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## HOLLiS (Oct 24, 2009)

Great post, Thanks.  I enjoy seeing our old venerable military rifles kept up and restored.   


As to the weight, if you get a chance watch the Marine Silent Drill Team toss the M14 about, prior to that is the M1 Garand.  Both are comparable weight. 

Let us know how it goes.


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## car (Oct 24, 2009)

Great post, bro! Thanks for the insight.


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## 8'Duece (Oct 24, 2009)

I third the great post comment. 

I do not own an M1 Garand, yet I still seem to forget about them when I'm comptemplating another rifle purchase. 

Nice looking with white slings. ;)


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## Centermass (Oct 24, 2009)

Righteous post, righteous rifle with a righteous cause. 

Good on ya Brother. :cool:


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## 08steeda (Oct 24, 2009)

I love gun porn!!!

What a beautiful collection! Can't wait to see them all lined up for inspection once your done restoring them.


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## skeeter (Oct 24, 2009)

Do you use Wet/dry sand paper? We use it to finish stocks with some of the oil spread on the stock to make a dust/oil mud that fills in the pores of the wood. It gives a good even color throughout the stock blending in the areas where the finish was applied.


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## The91Bravo (Oct 24, 2009)

skeeter,
I will have to try that.  I only use dry with no liquids/oils.

But I have 13 more to do.... so I should be able to implement that.


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## Cabbage Head (Oct 26, 2009)

I picked up a M1917 a while ago, have a post here somewhere.  The stock was also very dark, almost black.  

Used Murphys Soap to clean it up.  Worked great.  Now the stock looks fantastic. :2c:


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## The91Bravo (Oct 26, 2009)

Another one done:

Before and after images


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## Mac_NZ (Oct 26, 2009)

That's pretty cool mate.  You know you have to post a photo of your first parade now dontcha :)


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## 7point62 (Oct 26, 2009)

I would be a very happy man with one of those.


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## Headshot (Oct 26, 2009)

Great post!  I enjoyed the shit out of getting to shoot Cabbages at the shootout.  I play MOHAA quite a bit and it's amazing how they got the sound graphics so closely matched.  The M1 has a voice of it's own.


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## skeeter (Oct 30, 2009)

looking good!


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## The91Bravo (Oct 30, 2009)

delivered first completed one back to its lustin owner today.. made his day


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## 7point62 (Nov 1, 2009)

Headshot said:


> Great post!  I enjoyed the shit out of getting to shoot Cabbages at the shootout.  I play MOHAA quite a bit and it's amazing how they got the sound graphics so closely matched.  The M1 has a voice of it's own.





My dad told me the German's listened for that little ping after the 8th round.


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## Headshot (Nov 2, 2009)

The Allies finally figured that out and developed ways of making a false ping so the Germans would assault and then get mowed down.


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