How to remove polyurethane from a rifle stock

[BVZ24]

You might be able to leave the polyurethane alone but reduce the gloss with some very fine sandpaper or steel wool. I would try buffing with a paper bag first. It's roughly 1200 grit. Be careful on corners on edges so you don't take any thickness off.

If removing it, I've used 5 minute remover and a paint scraper, small sections and no sandpaper. Follow with steel wool with care. The poly will peel off, but it takes most of the underlying color or oiled finish off as well. It generally leaves a better stock than sanding, but you still need apply your own finish. I'll heat raw linseed (flax) oil, found at an organic food store to just below boiling, add dyes as needed. Apply warm and buff once a day for a week, and after apply cool and buff once a week for a month, and once a month for a year. Dump all used rags in a bucket of water until they can be later be burned when convenient.