STRIP DOWN, OIL UP

You must be mad!” was the response I got from one of my shooting buddies when I told him all about my latest idea. And it wasn’t just my latest idea, it was one of my greatest ideas! After all, what could be better than stripping the finish from an old gun stock, sanding it until it felt like marble, then refinishing it with a lovely wood stain and a few coats of neo-traditional stock oil?

He had a point though, because the stock I had in mind wasn’t some battered and bruised specimen that had been doing battle with some barbed wire and brambles, it was the stock from my Weihrauch HW95 K. I love this rifle, but it’s seen far more range time than field use, and the stock was still in pristine condition.

There are some practical advantages in removing a factory finish, however, even if it is undamaged. Varnished or lacquered finishes are nice when new, but are hard to fix if they do ever get scratched or dented, whereas an oiled finish that gets dinged can more easily be given a spot repair. An oiled finish also lets you connect directly with the wood itself rather than with some crispy M&M’s-type outer layer, providing a more tactile experience and potentially enhancing your grip. And let’s not forget the way a stock looks either.

For many shooters an oiled stock is hard to beat, and as shallow as this may sound, I’m a firm