So I was driving past Camp Perry today...

[BAC]

...on my way to Michigan, and thought I'd stop by the CMP store.  A nice little M1 Carbine (1944 Inland) caught my eye.  So I called my wife and asked if I could buy a rifle (yes I did, since it's our money).  She immediately said "get it," followed by "you can teach me how to shoot it."

What really caught my eye on this particular one was the pattern of the wood grain.  It looks like it's tiger striped.  Very pretty.  I need to oil the stock when I get it home, but don't know what to use.  Should I sand it first, even though there are hardly any marks in the wood?  What kind of oil will accentuate the grain pattern?

Any helpful hints would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Brian

[PegLeg45]

If you want it to look original, I think they used boiled Linseed Oil and/or Tung oil on military stocks.


Here is some info on restoring military rifle stocks.

http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting/stockfinish/index.asp


We need pictures, please.   

[billt]

This is a Walnut stocked Ruger 10/22 I bought new back in 1972 that has some nice tiger striping on it. All I've ever used on it is an oily gun wipe from time to time. Mostly because out here in Arizona the humidity is so low it keeps the wood from giving up too much moisture. It does help to bring out the grain a little better. It looks way better than it shows. The picture is kind of crappy.  Bill T.

[tombogan03884]

Linseed oil, you can get it at the hardware store. but go to a REAL hardware store not Home depot or Lowes.
They won't know what you are talking about unless you find an old timer working there.

[Timothy]

Linseed oil (aka flax seed oil) can spontaneously combust if the rag is bunched up when it begins to dry.  Be carefull how you discard the rags or anything that may become soaked in the oil.

[Sponsor]

[TAB]

Linseed oil, you can get it at the hardware store. but go to a REAL hardware store not Home depot or Lowes.
They won't know what you are talking about unless you find an old timer working there.

make sure you get boiled linseed oil... other wise it will never dry.

[BAC]

Thanks everyone.  Can't wait to get home and get started!

[alfsauve]

Mine had been well used and had layers upon layers of "junk".   I think some of it was floor wax and some of it, I'm sure, was shoe polish.  I also had some divots that needed removing so I did some extensive sanding.

I used pure tung oil, not a tung oil finish in light coats.  Rubbed in then allowed to dry in a warm dry place (furnace room) between coats.    Linseed oil will darken with age more so than tung oil.   

[Pathfinder]

Mine had been well used and had layers upon layers of "junk".   I think some of it was floor wax and some of it, I'm sure, was shoe polish.  I also had some divots that needed removing so I did some extensive sanding.

I used pure tung oil, not a tung oil finish in light coats.  Rubbed in then allowed to dry in a warm dry place (furnace room) between coats.    Linseed oil will darken with age more so than tung oil.   

Not to mention tung oil is a whole lot safer than linseed oil. Seriously. Rags with linseed oil has burned whole houses down. One even made it to the back page of the Fine Homebuilding magazine, kind of a lesson learned. A couple had pretty much hand-built a cabin, hand oiled the floors before moving in. The woke up on moving day to discover that somehow the oil had combusted (a missed rag maybe?) and the hand-built house was a goner.

There is little safe way of storing rags with linseed oil other than intentionally burning them. Every other way carries risk.

[BAC]

Not to mention tung oil is a whole lot safer than linseed oil. Seriously. Rags with linseed oil has burned whole houses down. One even made it to the back page of the Fine Homebuilding magazine, kind of a lesson learned. A couple had pretty much hand-built a cabin, hand oiled the floors before moving in. The woke up on moving day to discover that somehow the oil had combusted (a missed rag maybe?) and the hand-built house was a goner.

There is little safe way of storing rags with linseed oil other than intentionally burning them. Every other way carries risk.

Thanks for the advice!  I've been reading about the dangers of linseed oil.  Plus, I've read that the manufacturers switched from linseed oil to tung oil in 1942.  Seeing as my carbine was manufactured in 1944, I suppose tung oil would be more appropriate.  Of course I believe everything I read online  .

Now, what's a good source for magazines for my new acquisition?