If the stock is REAL dirty and dark, either Murphy's soap or just plain mineral spirits will clean it. But you must remove the rifle from the stock as both will dry the surface and you will then need to re-oil it (the stock). Use either formula on a terry cloth rag to rub the wood. Be careful if there are any rough edges to the inletting areas as the cloth could get under a small splinter and may pull it out. Unless there is a lot of grease in the inletted areas, don't try to clean them. But if you need to clean the inside of the stock, use mineral spirits and an old toothbrush to get into the tight corners.

After cleaning, oil the stock with your preference of finishes. I use just plain old boiled linseed oilicon. Johnny Peppers mix of 50/50 BLOicon and turpentine sounds good to me also. I just have never tried it.

Whatever you do, DON'T get in a hurry. The last stock I cleaned and oiled sat for several weeks with an occasional coat of oil put on and wiped off every several days.

HTH,

Emri