Carbine stock refinish?

[str8liner]

I have a Carbine that looks to have went through a refurb after the war. When I got it there was cosmoline in the bolt and a aluminum tag on the trigger guard. Its a 1943 Rockola receiver, 44 Underwood barrel and a Underwood stock.

Unfortunately most of the marks were sanded off of the stock with exception of the P U in the sling well. The stock as you can see in the pictures was shellacked at one time or another and is pretty scratched up. I would like to strip it, sand it and put it back to BLO so it looks more original.

The roughness of the stock does give it character, and there is a still a slight hint of what appears to be a rack number on the end of the stock but I think it would look a lot better with the original style finish of BLO.

Whats the consensus here? Yea or Nay on a stock refurbish?

Also, since this wood is so dark colored is this one of the cherry stocks?

Thanks!



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[JimF4M1s (Deceased)]

Your go to guys for this are Frank and Charlie. Frank is around and Charlie just recently got back on line. I'm sure they will offer suggestions.

[WarPig1976]

If it was mine, I would in a heartbeat. I just can't abide the Russian refurb look on my none Russian weapons. Then again I'm more of a shooter not a collector.

My opinion is the stock is walnut not cherry based on the little bit of grain structure seen in your last photo. FYI, cherry is actually a light colored wood with a hint of red. My 2cs...

[str8liner]

I bought it to shoot but now that l have seen some of the pics of the original stocks on here and other places I think I need to strip it.

I hate to do it to any old rifle with history.

I think its going to get the ez off treatment when I get home tonight.

[mil-surp60]

Well hate to see old nice guns done like that as well, would not take much to restore to more of an original look,I would redo that one myself and leave the poly and shellac off , go with just the BLO, it will bring the grain back to top and look not so shiny and all for sure. Sure cant hurt it now . jmo. And i agree ,thats walnut.

[WarPig1976]

I think its going to get the ez off treatment when I get home tonight.

No.!!.. Please don't use oven cleaner to strip it,, It mangles the wood fibers and bleaches the wood, basically does damage.
Use a stripper designed for wood, easily bought at any home center.

[gew8805]

Strip it if you must but I agree with WarPig1976, no EZ Off. And if you feel that you just have to "refinish" it, do not touch it with sandpaper, you will be adding to what you already correctly feel is bad work.

[mil-surp60]

100% Agree , USE THE DRY WOOD STRIPPER ,DO NOT RUIN THAT STOCK WITH ANY KIND OF OVER CLEANER.oops did not mean to yell . I had no idea people actually even used that for stripping rifle stocks? they do make wood stripper lol. E-Z OFF really?

[INLAND44]

It needs to be stripped, steamed, stained and oiled with linseed oil. Carbine stocks did not have a 'finish' per se - they were originally just dipped in the oil. Raw linseed oil was furnished for oiling the stocks after issue. If the stocks had a hard finish, the RLO would not have soaked into the wood. Plus, a hard finish is usually a glossy finish, which is not desired on a weapon.

[str8liner]

100% Agree , USE THE DRY WOOD STRIPPER ,DO NOT RUIN THAT STOCK WITH ANY KIND OF OVER CLEANER.oops did not mean to yell . I had no idea people actually even used that for stripping rifle stocks? they do make wood stripper lol. E-Z OFF really?

LOL well I have to say I have stripped quite a few Mosin stocks with it. If you guys knew what I have done to some of those stocks you would shake your head...

I just stripped a disaster of a laminate M44 stock last night with oven cleaner first, then POWER washed it, then heat dried it by holding it over the coals of my stove I have in the garage and baking all the cosmoline out of it, then to top it off I used AIRCRAFT PAINT STRIPPER to cut some of the heavy laminate glue off of it, washed it again, dried it, sanded it with 220 and put the first coat of BLO on it. All in about 3 hours....Its just a Mosin stock but I have to admit it sure looks purdy....

I promise I wont abuse the carbine stock that way!