What wood/finish are these Dragunov Stocks and metal ... PSL build

[tarheelpwr]

Hi again,

After realizing that my AK shotgun will not be a short term project I can piece together, I think I may shift to the Dragunov, PSL, as my first project. Here is the finish in question:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/T2667-Dragunov-Sniper-Rifle-SVD-Bipod-Ammo-Print-POSTER-/300620357759?pt=Art_Posters&hash=item45fe5ea07f#ht_3691wt_1396
The poster is down a bit in the listing. Sorry, I tried to link the photo here, but it ended up SUPER small.

What kind of wood is that? How did they get the finish like that? Are they burn marks? I LOVE the looks of those. Would I have trouble getting real style Dragunov stock (longer tapered upper hand/flat top on the cheek rest) to go onto a PSL kit?

Now to the finish on the gun itself. What is the DEEP black? I've never seen that on a PSL/Dragunov. Can that be applied to any gun? What kind of finish is it? That wouldn't be any problem if I use a heavy bull barrel and make it my "shooter" would it?

Thanks again for the read and input!
Chris

[Full Otto]

Look like the wood just didn't take the stain evenly

http://i39.tinypic.com/24az8rq.jpg

[tarheelpwr]

Any idea what kind of wood it is? Looks like a deep cherry stain.

[Full Otto]

No I don't sorry. I did some searching and still couldn't find anything naming it outright.
I have a feeling at the time these were coming out that they were using what they could get. That could account for the irregular color results.
I believe these were solid wood rather than laminate but not sure.
I also have a feeling you might be liking the "Russian Red" it kind of has that look to it.
There are different formulas to getting that look. I know some use Rit, I believe, but to a certain mixture in a certain stain.
There may be some threads here on that but I guessing you'll get some more constructive advice here soon

Found this one on color
http://www.gunsnet.net/showthread.php?11484-Russian-Red&highlight=russian+red

[Schuetzenman]

Any idea what kind of wood it is? Looks like a deep cherry stain.

Yeah, it's plywood for all practical purposes. All real Dragunov and PSL rifles seem to come with it. It has different grains and so it absorbs stain differently. I would describe most original stocks as between a Mahogony red and a kind of orange red color. As far as the black finish on the weapon. I've seen baking lacquer over parkerizing and even bluing used on these weapons. The photograph can greatly influence the visual perception of how deep the black color is on a weapon. I've done it myself with photos of my own weapons.

[tarheelpwr]

Yeah, it's plywood for all practical purposes. All real Dragunov and PSL rifles seem to come with it. It has different grains and so it absorbs stain differently. I would describe most original stocks as between a Mahogony red and a kind of orange red color. As far as the black finish on the weapon. I've seen baking lacquer over parkerizing and even bluing used on these weapons. The photograph can greatly influence the visual perception of how deep the black color is on a weapon. I've done it myself with photos of my own weapons.

If that is a "real" Dragunvo, can those stocks still be had new today, or are they just an after thought these days? Should I be looking for an original that I can refinish?

[Schuetzenman]

If that is a "real" Dragunvo, can those stocks still be had new today, or are they just an after thought these days? Should I be looking for an original that I can refinish?

Nope that's just a Romanian http://centerfiresystems.com/productimages/long_guns/DRA-GUN-B-D.jpg http://www.aimsurplus.com/eos/images/product/f1tgfpk2.jpg Original style stocks as shown on Centerfire Systems site and an AK'ed up stocking offered by Aimsurplus, though this one is sold out at the moment. These are merely stretch limos of the AK rifle action world. Meaning it's just a big AK47 action, not a Dragunov rifle.

The closest to a real Dragunov would be the Russian built Tiger Carbines that havent' been imported since 1994 or 95. To refinish one would be to damage it's value seriously. These are weapons fetching $5,000+ when they come available. There was a Chinese Dragunov imported for a while, very rare, very collectable, very very expensive.

http://www.dragunov.net/docs/SVD_Dragunov_Sniper_Rifle.pdf Here click this link and read up on what a real one is and looks like. Most sellers of the FPK rifles say Dragunov Style if they are even half honest in their advertising. The receiver, bolt carrier and gas system are radically different than the AK action. Now I'll say this, I've shot real Dragunov rifles, both Tiger Carbine and the Chicom rifle. They aren't anything to get a woody over when it comes to accuracy IMO. They aren't "sniper" grade weapons by US standards. 2.5 MOA was about as good as any of them did with even handloads. I have a buddy that eventually got his hand on a very rare Chicom .308 chambered version of the Dragunov rifle. He reported to me that with his handoads he was down to about 1 MOA using 168 gr. Sierra MK bullets and IMR 4064 powder. I never got to shoot it, but I trust his word in reporting what he was getting.

Now these FPK rifles IMO shoot just about as good as stock real Drag typ rifle, and they are thousands of dollars less in cost. With some handloading you might be able to get in the 1.5 MOA region of accuracy.

[tarheelpwr]

Scheut:

Looks like this guy basically did the exact gun. I just skimmed it, but it seems to be paint:

http://carolinashootersforum.com/showthread.php?t=62688