I wanted something "special" for the stock. Most wooden SKS stocks are poor quality. The Chinese red fiberglass stocks are quite ugly, as are most of the synthetic after market stocks which also carry a hefty price tag. My search led me to Inter Ordnance where I found new East German laminated stocks.
 

When the stock arrived I was very happy with its appearance, but was concerned with the butt. It was reduced similar to a K98 Mauser as you can see in the picture above.

As with most projects, you must sometimes turn setback into opportunity, so I rummaged through my junk boxes and found a nice black recoil pad to install.

A little time at the belt sander resulted in a slick pad job ready for hand finishing. While hand sanding, I took off the thin layer of finish that appeared to have been applied by a brush to the whole stock.

I used a wood glue and sawdust mix to fill the bayonet recess. The stock required some minor fitting to the receiver with a wood rasp. This resulted in a snug and solid fit

Since the laminated stock didn't come with any hardware, it was necessary to salvage a stock bolt from a broken sks stock. I made a crude stock bolt tool by drilling small holes through a 1x2 the appropriate distance apart, then driving nails that were slightly larger than the holes through the board. The less the nails stick through the board, the stronger the tool will be.

After final sanding with 320 grit paper, I applied a light coat of boiled linseed oil inside and out, followed by four thin coats of Formby's low gloss Tung oil finish to the out side.

I applied the same finish procedure to a well sanded regular wood hand guard. I didn't end up with a perfect match, but it is close.

on to the Barrel

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