To paraphrase Ron from a recent post, gunstocks are like furniture; treat them as you would if refinishing any fine wood.
There are several different types of finish. There's polyurethane (hard plastic), several different oil-based finishes, shellac, lacquer, etc. Some of these have matte (flat), some glossy surfaces, and the difference there is really down to personal preference. I'm not familiar with the "Gun Sav'r" product, and though I generally trust Brownells, I don't use things with gimmicky brand names.
Being an oil, it's probably based on linseed oil. But being a spraycan, you're also paying for a lot of air.
A handrubbed oil finish is generally considered the best for stocks, since it requires minimal care, lasts a long time, and does a good job feeding and protecting the wood. It also doesn't get sticky and gooey in hot weather with sweaty hands. I like linseed oil personally, because it dries with a fairly hard shell. Buy it in liquid form in a can, rub it on with a paper towel (which you then rinse and let dry flat, as this is one of those materials that can spontaneously combust), let sit 12 hours, steel wool, repeat 5-7 times, done.
I've done several stocks using this method, a bunch of handgun grips, and lots of furniture over the years. Can't beat it. It won't give you quite the gloss surface you can get with poly, but I think it provides a better overall finish. As a matter of fact, I'm probably going to redo my gloss poly Super X-1 stock in oil as a winter project next year. The inevitable nicks and dings are much more apparent in a gloss finish.
Hope this helps,
-- Sam
There are several different types of finish. There's polyurethane (hard plastic), several different oil-based finishes, shellac, lacquer, etc. Some of these have matte (flat), some glossy surfaces, and the difference there is really down to personal preference. I'm not familiar with the "Gun Sav'r" product, and though I generally trust Brownells, I don't use things with gimmicky brand names.
Being an oil, it's probably based on linseed oil. But being a spraycan, you're also paying for a lot of air.A handrubbed oil finish is generally considered the best for stocks, since it requires minimal care, lasts a long time, and does a good job feeding and protecting the wood. It also doesn't get sticky and gooey in hot weather with sweaty hands. I like linseed oil personally, because it dries with a fairly hard shell. Buy it in liquid form in a can, rub it on with a paper towel (which you then rinse and let dry flat, as this is one of those materials that can spontaneously combust), let sit 12 hours, steel wool, repeat 5-7 times, done.
I've done several stocks using this method, a bunch of handgun grips, and lots of furniture over the years. Can't beat it. It won't give you quite the gloss surface you can get with poly, but I think it provides a better overall finish. As a matter of fact, I'm probably going to redo my gloss poly Super X-1 stock in oil as a winter project next year. The inevitable nicks and dings are much more apparent in a gloss finish.
Hope this helps,
-- Sam
