Stock stain

[scharfschutzen63]

Does anyone know the type of stain that was used on the L39A1 and L42A1 rifle woodwork? Both for new production and touch up work after repairs and adjustments.

Information

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[tr63]

None of my L42a1 and L39a1's have any stain on their wood work only what appears to be linseed oil over the natural color of the wood ..

[GeeRam]

Yep, stain was never used in service.

[Singer B]

Should just be raw linseed oil. Some rifles, like the Ishapores, had a black substance added on top of that to protect against the elements.

[Bindi2]

All blondes go brown with oil, dust, dirt and handling.

[muffett.2008]

All blondes go brown with oil, dust, dirt and handling.

Ahh yes, but the fun is in the cleanup

[WarPig1976]

linseed oil, Raw that is, will oxidize over time giving us the colors we all know and love.

[Bindi2]

Ahh yes, but the fun is in the cleanup

[bombdoc]

Although it was not used in the manufacture of service arms, Alkanet oil used before applying linseed will slightly darken and improve the appearance of walnut. Unless you were going to rack your rifle in a depot for several years, I would use boiled linseed or one of the linseed blends with tung or other drying agents on new wood rather than raw oil.

[Brian Dick]

I was told that Armourer's workshops had a powder that was added to the warmed tanks of raw linseed oil. No one seems to know exactly what it was but my money is on ground Alkanet root as bomdoc states above. It just makes sense as it's been used in the British gun trade for many years. I actually acquired some root and need to grind some of it up and mix it in a batch of RLO to see this Summer. Stain was definitely used in service. There's no doubt about it but bear in mind that the requirement according to the EMERs was a "reasonable match". When you mix walnut, beech and birch, some old and some new, all on one rifle, it will never be perfect and perfect was not a requirement.