Inspired by a thread on AR-15.com, I found a Mosin-Nagant rifle crate to turn into a glass-topped coffee table. Only thing is, I had to buy all of the dealer's remaining 91/30s to get the crate, but he did throw it in for free.

The crate was in much worse shape than it initially looked, and was painted the modern Russian dark green. Since all the 91/30s I bought are WWII vintage, and I was going to have to essentially rebuild it anyway, I decided to go with a color more in keeping with WWII era.
In stripping off the multiple layers of paint, I found the deepest layer was indeed that Soviet WWII yellow-green we all know so well. Since the slings are the same color, Home Depot was able to color-match a gallon of paint. The flat finish paint looked good, but obviously wasn't going to be very durable, so it got a satin polyurethane final finish inside and out.

Construction is tongue and groove, which I re-glued with Liquid Nails. Most of the rusted/bent fasteners were replaced (it's a PITA to find straight slotted screws these days). I flipped the top of the crate to put the skids on the inside, making the top a relatively smooth surface (easier to clean), and used 3/8 inch tempered glass glued into a 1/2 inch wide rabbet with mirror mounting adhesive. The stencils were all hand-cut.

The 2x6 castered frame under the crate was necessary to get it high enough to limit the dogs trying to thieve any unguarded snacks.

Before:




After:

Looks great!

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Have some carcinogens with your new world order

pig.. you have a sickness..

you know this already though


thats awesome.. id invite the Jehovah Witness' in for a cup of coffee next time they came by

Thanks, guys! Took a lot longer than anticipated, but I'm glad it turned out as well as it did.

And it's only a sickness if it hurts those who love you (or something like that), and she told me to get 'em!

My Son and I both Love it.
Bought him his first Mosin when he turned 15, M38 Carbine.

I have the tools and now the inspiration, just waiting on warmer weather.

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KGB - 01FFL - "You don't ban electric guitars just because someone may have a lapse in logic, goodwill and decency and spontaneously break out into country and Western music". Ted Nugent

that is pretty nifty...
don't quite understand what the hoopla is with M/Ns

(I'd rather see a crate of springfields or garands)

but...
I really admire your creativity.

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Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono

ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

Gracias!
The choice of M-Ns comes down to simple economics: I can afford a crate of 91/30s

Last week I dragged home a nice Romanian crate made for the M-N M-44s. Apparently there are limits to this sort of decor in the common areas; my wife thinks one rifle crate coffee table in her living room is sufficient. No matter, it will go well enough in the office.

Just what I needed ... a good excuse to buy even MORE Mosin-Nagants!!!

Love it. But it would not work for my wife,unless it was full of shoes.

every time I look at that thing... I keep thinking "that would look bitchin' in my downstairs living room"

then I think:

yeah, but my wife would kill me...

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Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono

ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

Sorry about that wife problem, guys. You have my sympathy; I have an ex who was intolerant and unappreciative of cool stuff like this.
I'm pretty lucky with my current wife, however. She's a lot better than I deserve: not only doesn't she mind my gun habit, she encourages it. This coffee table was made at her request, after all.
I've learned to buy milsurps in units of 2 each, because I know she's gonna claim one of 'em.