project gun

[coyote hunter]

Well, this isn't a "precision" rifle, but I think this is the best place for this topic to go.

This deer season I came across this M44 Nagant with a few extras so I bought it.

Here are my plans: shorten the barrel to 17.5 inches, give it a bad-ass zombie theme paint job, and replace the crappy optic with... another crappy red dot.

It's more of a fun project for me and I want to keep it on the cheap.

For the paint, should I just paint over the stuff already there, or remove the old paint as best I can? Because its an el-cheapo build the paint I plan on using will be spray paint.

Any paint job suggestions would be appreciated. Hopefully it goes well.

Thanks!


Here are a few before pics

[308smk]

Guns like that are always fun to play with. Can you free float that barrel? Id get it chopped to like 16" and recrowned, maybe get it drilled/tapped for a new mount? As for the paint, I would just lightly scuff it with sandpaper and paint over top with fresh krylon. I like to run a couple of OD green basecoats, then brown stripes, finished with a tan overspray of the green and misting into the brown. Then very lightly brush over everything with the OD again to blend it all a bit. But thats just what works well in my AO. YMMV

[coyote hunter]

The barrel is already free floated, to a point. It’s one of those ATI one size fits all stocks. It's free floated from what I can see but it flexes at the touch of anything.

I decided on 17.5 because that’s where the barrel changes sizes (see pic), and it’s a natural guide for the hacksaw that will be meeting with it this weekend. I’m doing ALL of the work myself, my buddy has the chamfer kit from when he worked on his Nagant, so I'll be borrowing that. He tapped his for a scope mount, but this ones not in the best condition already so I don't think it's worth a $50 mount.

For the paint, I was thinking a base coat of blood red. Then taping all of my "customizations" (like ZOMBIE KILLER and FRONT TOWARD ZOMBIE---> etc) where I like then covering with black. So the end result will be black with red lettering. I'll post pics as soon as it’s done.

[308smk]

Cut slow with a good blade and some cutting fluid. Not exactly lathe quality but it works. Finish with a fine file and some fine emery cloth.

Good luck and take lots of pictures

[coyote hunter]

She's a bit shorter now


and RED!


Now I'm going to be taping off all of my super sweetness and covering with black.

The muzzle turned out nice, but I couldn't get a good picture of it.

Won't be able to work on her anytime soon because they get mad at you when you paint in the dorms

[kartoffel]

Not to shabby. I'm glad you started with a gun that was already bubba'ed up. Sure Mosins are cheap and plentiful, but that's the same thing people said about 1903's and K98's not long ago.

[pappy86]

That is really cool, a great woods gun. How did she shoot before the cut job I wouldnt be suprised if it shoots better now. its cool your doing everything yourself keep the pictures coming.

[LonghunterCO]

I am thinkin' black zebra strips with the black slightly outlined with white. Keep up the pics.

[coyote hunter]

That is really cool, a great woods gun. How did she shoot before the cut job I wouldnt be suprised if it shoots better now. its cool your doing everything yourself keep the pictures coming.

Unfortunatly I didn't get a chance to target shoot with it. I just test fired a few rounds to make sure it was functional. The muzzle looks a lot better now. Better accuracy was an intenton of the chop, but I guess we'll never know. So I'm just going to assume it's better

[usmcvet]

She's a bit shorter now


and RED!


Now I'm going to be taping off all of my super sweetness and covering with black.

The muzzle turned out nice, but I couldn't get a good picture of it.

Won't be able to work on her anytime soon because they get mad at you when you paint in the dorms

Find a professor or local who is in to guns and work on and store them there. I hole you're not really storing and working on your gun in your dorm. Getting arrested and expelled isn't worth it.

I refinished an M14 stock in my dorm room. That was not spray paint though. It did. It smell quite as bad.