And this is where I wished Paladin was still around. Anyway, I'd like to introduce you to my SMLE, as well as a rather unfortunate problem I have with it. This seems to have been a factory-repaired rifle, which according to the import mark is from India. The sad part is that a couple of years after I bought it, I noticed the wood coming away from the right side, next to the ring of metal that has the stripper clip guide in it. Initially I thought it had somehow been broken, but looking at it closer, it seems that all the wood around the magazine well and the action has shrunk. Does anyone have any idea how this could have happened? Also, I got some replacement wood for it, and while I've successfully removed the cosmoline out of it, it has some paint on it, and the finish isn't exactly the best anyway, so I'd like to strip and refinish all the wood on this rifle so it all matches. Does anyone know a good way of stripping that won't risk damaging the wood, or any finishes that would be close to what it would have been originally?
I don't know what could have caused the wood to shrink, but I had good results refinishing some SKS wood by stripping it with half acetone and half lacquer thinner and some steel wool. Just finish it with boiled linseed oil.
try Citrustrip, it's pretty gentle, and steel wool. Also check into that paint before stripping it away.
It always helps to check, I heard a story of some guy who bought an SMLE that was painted black, stripped the paint off thinking it was something a civilian had done, but later learned it was actually a pretty rare rifle.
I miss my No. 1 Mark III. One of only two guns I've ever sold. I'm still kicking myself for not buying an arsenal-reconditioned one from Navy Arms in the early 2000s.
