Parris Dunn 1903 Springfield Restoration

[coolhandluke]

A couple months ago I ran across a Parris Dunn USN Mark I training rifle at an antique store here in town. It was pretty much a rusty, broken basket case, but I was able to pick it up for only $26 and figured that it would make a good project. The stock had several cracks, existing ugly repairs, and had been coated with Bondo and black paint as it been used as a Navy parade rifle. The lower band and swivel were missing but at least the rear sight was still intact (seems to be most common missing part).

Here are a few crappy before cell phone pics...











After stripping and repairs using dowels, wood glue, and stainable wood filler...










After staining with a mixture of RIT dyes and denatured alcohol...

 

[coolhandluke]

...and here is the finished product.

The pine stock was stained with a mixture of RIT dyes to mimic the look of a walnut stock like the original trainers were. The rear sight base area on the stock was painted with chrome paint and aged with 0000 steel wool and rubbed down with acetone to help the paint soak into the grain. a 50/50 mix of BLO and turpentine was used on the rest of the stock before sealing with Johnson's paste wax.

 

[dennishoddy]

That's looking great! What kind of wood is it?

 

[coolhandluke]

That's looking great! What kind of wood is it?

Thanks Dennis...the Parris Dunn stocks were just made of plain, ugly looking pine that was stained to look like walnut.

 

[dennishoddy]

You posted the after pics the same time I was posting and didn't see your description of the wood.

None the less, you did a great job. Going to display it somewhere?

 

[coolhandluke]

You posted the after pics the same time I was posting and didn't see your description of the wood.

None the less, you did a great job. Going to display it somewhere?

It will probably just end up being a wall hanger inside the walk-in closet that the rest of my milsurp collection is stored in.

 

[AKguy1985]

Very nice! it looks so much better now!

 

[ronny]

Don't use full loads in it.

Lucas, more good work!

 

[RKM]

You did a great job on the restore. Make a nice display piece.

 

[MP43]

Very nice! Thanks for sharing.