Freshest example of a prewar air rifle?

[cordite50]

I wonder why there is a wooden plug just behind the trigger guard ? If it is a repair or a strengthening screw points to some sympathetic refinishing as it is well finished and level with the rest of the stock.
Anyway, a very nice example although a tad expensive.

[Dutch]

I go with Mick's take on it. There is evidence of pitting. especially on the polished butt plate, even on the screws. The wood is simply too fresh, refinish to this standard should not be too difficult for a professional. Nevertheless, very nice example.

[jjjjjj]

When I looked at the first few pictures I thought it had a crack on the pistol grip then when I saw it had been plugged a few pictures down it confirmed it, and to me the blueing does not look right, still a nice restoration though.

[keith66]

I wonder why there is a wooden plug just behind the trigger guard ? If it is a repair or a strengthening screw points to some sympathetic refinishing as it is well finished and level with the rest of the stock.
Anyway, a very nice example although a tad expensive.

If you look closely there would seem to be a faint crack along the grain through the wrist of the stock, i would think its been repaired & that plug behind the trigger guard conceals one of the screws. Its almost certainly been sanded down & refinished.
Butt plate has been polished but it hasnt removed the pitting.
Nice rifle but it aint mint.

[Garvin]

Yes, looking closely at the pics, which I hadn't done, I would agree that the stock was cracked and repaired, although nicely done.

As Chris says, the fact it doesn't have evidence of natural ageing after 90 years proves it's been refinished to some degree. The stock repair possibly prompted the refinishing.

It must have been otherwise a very nice example because the lettering is so sharp and there's no sign of it having been made shallower. I particularly like that the blueing is grey-blue and not black-blue.

It's would be odd if the little patch of pitting was still there after being polished and reblued?

[cordite50]

Any ideas on what the wood is ? Beech, oak, ash ?

[silva]

I think its elm, a few of the german military trainers are found with elm stocks.

[Muskett]

I suspect this rifle started out as in exceptional condition, and then given a thorough clean, polish, and maybe retouch. Just sometimes such guns are put away correctly, wiped down with oil, and stored in the right conditions, so they come out 20, 50, 80 years on very clean and tidy. They invariably pick up something. Small spot of pitting, just something. Given a thorough clean they look very tidy. Interestingly they will have matured with age and don't quite look factory, some kind of change from the day they came out of the factory. Factory can seem rougher than a rifle that has been cleaned a few times.

Factory paraffin waxed in waxed paper for storage can produce the most factory as can be found, even after years and years. Even the wood has little age depth to it. So new they can often look as if they have lost something; they seem unloved as they missed all those years of being caressed

[Garvin]

I suspect this rifle started out as in exceptional condition, and then given a thorough clean, polish, and maybe retouch. Just sometimes such guns are put away correctly, wiped down with oil, and stored in the right conditions, so they come out 20, 50, 80 years on very clean and tidy. They invariably pick up something. Small spot of pitting, just something. Given a thorough clean they look very tidy. Interestingly they will have matured with age and don't quite look factory, some kind of change from the day they came out of the factory. Factory can seem rougher than a rifle that has been cleaned a few times.

Factory paraffin waxed in waxed paper for storage can produce the most factory as can be found, even after years and years. Even the wood has little age depth to it. So new they can often look as if they have lost something; they seem unloved as they missed all those years of being caressed

I agree that cleaning takes away something priceless that can only come with age.

Probably this one is my very best prewar rifle and even it has picked up a couple of small scratches over its long life.

https://forum.vintageairgunsgallery....-17/#post-2392

One of these small flaws is that some monkey has tried to use the cocking slot to give leverage, as you can see in one of the pics.

Look at all the angles in the shape of the trigger block - it's a masterpiece!

[cloudr]

There are lots of mint guns out there which aren't, I got caught with a Senior pistol that had been greased up to make it look ex factory. It had clearly been used.