CMP Special Stock Help

[Eman98]

I ordered 2 CMP specials from the cmp south store a month or so ago and they came in last week. I noticed there was little to no finish on the wood and I wanted to make the wood look darker like the original gi wood. What do I need to use to put a darker finish on the wood and make it look original?

Thanks,
Emanuel

Information

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[WarPig1976]

Can't go wrong with Chestnut Ridge. Good stuff....
Miscellaneous Parts and Accessories
Don't use the oil based stain found at Home owner Harry's or Lowes. Chestnut ridge is spirit based which penetrates hardwood much better. After staining finish up with raw linseed oil or boiled linseed oil. I'll leave it to you to research the difference.

[Eman98]

Ok sounds good! Thank you for that! I'm about to order some here in a little bit.

[Bob Seijas]

I would finish with straight tung oil (no dryers) instead of BLO... that's what SA NM used with super results.

[Eman98]

You have to order straight tung oil right? I don't think that stuff lowes or walmart offers is straight

[13Echo]

"Tung Oil" finishes in the big box stores usually contain no tung oil. If you want real tung oil you just about have to order it.

BLO used on a stock will tend to darken it, more so than Tung oil. The armory applied tung oil to the stocks in later production Garands and M14s but the finsh was maintained by the troops with plain ole' linseed oil. Tung will give a slightly glossier finish than linseed and will be slightly more water resistant. Either will give a GI type finish.

I tend to use BLO. On a new CMP stock I will apply the first coat sloppy wet and rubbed in hard, allowed to stand for about an hour then the excess is wiped off. The stock is allowed to dry (polymerize) until dry to touch. If the stock has whiskered the second sloppy coat is wet sanded, gently, with fine paper just enogh to dewhisker and get a smooth surface. the oil is rubbed in hard to generate heat and wiped off in ablut an hour.

After the sloppy coats have "dryed" subsequent coats consist of only a few drops rubbed in hard to generate heat and allowed to "dry" but not wiped off. In warm weather I usually can put another coat on the next day. This is repeated till I get the finish I want or just get tired of oiling the stock. It won't be glossy and it won't fill all the pores but it is GI correct. Maintenance coats are with "gunny Paste" which is equal parts by volume of BLO, Turpentine, and Beeswax mixed together in a double boiler (don't want a fire) and stored in small airtight containers. Apply small amounts and rub in hard to get a uniform coat and let sit over night. buff the next day with a clean cloth. Ready for inspection.

It takes awhile but it makes a real GI correct finsih which I prefer on my old soldiers.

Jerry Liles

Jerry Liles

[Seaspriter]

I would finish with straight tung oil (no dryers) instead of BLO

I tend to use BLO. On a new CMP stock I will apply the first coat sloppy wet and rubbed in hard, allowed to stand for about an hour then the excess is wiped off. The stock is allowed to dry (polymerize) until dry to touch. If the stock has whiskered the second sloppy coat is wet sanded, gently, with fine paper just enogh to dewhisker and get a smooth surface. the oil is rubbed in hard to generate heat and wiped off in about an hour.

This is the right way to do an M-1 stock. Don't use RLO -- it never really dries, darkens with age, and picks up dirt. BLO has been chemically altered by heating to create a polymerized molecular chain that both dries and is less susceptible to darkening into a chocolate brown (which RLO will do) over the years. Be sure to hard-rub the last coat of BLO to heat the surface to make it set hard. Then treat with Tung Oil -- this is what was done on the original M-1s and is the recommended process on the CMP website. Tung oil is a better protector of the surface than BLO.

Also, be sure to melt a 50/50 mixture of candlewax & petroleum jelly (Vaseline), and when it re-hardens, coat all areas where metal and wood contact each other and especially in the area inside the receiver cavity where gun oil can saturate the wood, causing "oil rot."

---------- Post added at 09:52 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:46 AM ----------

Wax is used to preserve firearms in a museum in a controlled environment or before taking it out into the rain. In the museum at Springfield it is used on firearms that have already had the stocks finished with linseed or tung oil and is not a finish itself. Waxing a stock and even the metal may preserve a finish and may be a good idea before exposing your rifle to a harsh environment but a finish still needs to be present

Right On. On guns that I want a very good finish that preserves and protects, I use BriWax (available in ACE Hardware in the US). It is "British Museum Wax" used on the finest antique furniture in the world's best museums. You will be very pleased with the results.

[Eman98]

Thanks Jerry! Ive got 1 winchester and 2 HRA with correct gi stocks and I love how they look. And I can't wait till I get the CMP stocks looking like gi. Before I asked the question I just rubbed some flax seed oil on them and they looked alot better.

[Mike Haas]

Thanks Jerry! Ive got 1 winchester and 2 HRA with correct gi stocks and I love how they look. And I can't wait till I get the CMP stocks looking like gi. Before I asked the question I just rubbed some flax seed oil on them and they looked alot better.

Time & usage provides the original color with LO or BLO. Chesnut Ridge stain will "hurry" it some but not make it authentic. Patience grasshopper"
Take your time, use them and after a year or so you'll be happy (happier))

[WarPig1976]

but not make it authentic.

Neither is the newly manufactured Boyds stock.