How to restore the stock finish or look ?

[Baltimoreed]

I used Birchwood Casey's walnut rusty wood stain. Its water based and the first coat looks terrible but it evens out after a few more. I used it on my 03 Springfield sporter [21 inch bbl] rebuild. But this was a sanded and modded scant stock. Turns out nice and reddish. BUT...I would never sand an original stock on a Krag or Springfield unless it was already buggered up and the cartouche was already gone.

[fourbore]

This stock looks about idential to the one I was looking at. Very nice shape, but; the special look is gone.

[RichWIS]

Clean it first, have found mineral spirits and cheese cloth or the gray scotch brite pads work well for this. Apply the MS and rub GENTLY on a small area and wipe off with paper towels. Dirt and grime are not additives to any finish I know of. Once satisfied it is clean, or as clean as it will get, apply a 3/1 mix of BLO and MS liberally and rub in for 5-10 minutes and wipe off excess. After a day or two apply again but only enough to wet the stock and rub with your bare hand until it feels warm. Wipe off the excess and repeat daily until you are satisfied with the finish. This will reproduce the shiny finish you see on some stocks, but gloss will depend on how smooth the stock was to start with. If the stock is extremely dry you can start with a 2/1 mix of BLO/MS which will penetrate better.

[fourbore]

How about the red stain? The stock in my photo has lost the red hue. And there are dark/light steaks that run with the grain.

[AFJuvat]

I clean my oil finished wood stocks with a oil scrub.

I cut raw linseed oil with turpentine to a 20%/80% mixture, then scrub the wood with a very fine scotch-brite pad. Remember, you are trying to lift the dirt and grime out of the grain, while not removing any wood in the process.

Work in small sections at a time, then wipe the oil and lifted grime with a clean cloth.

Once you are finished, wipe the stock down again with a cloth moistened with turpentine, allow the stock to dry for a day or two, then repeat.

When the stock is as clean as you want it, rub in a few coats of linseed oil.

Original 1903 stock after an oil scrub. After cleaning it up, the handling marks from the individual that it was issued to became visible. :)

[fourbore]

Respectfully, I do appreciate the tip on boiled linseed oil. I have used that on many milsurp rifles. But that last post does not look like the red stain and overall look of an unmolested and uncleaned Krag.

[butlersrangers]

In the late 1920's, Springfield Armory stopped using Logwood Stain, in an economy move. This changed the appearance of the wood on U.S. Military Arms.

Possibly, 'AFJuvat' has a later 1903 Springfield stock in his photo.

FWIW - I had luck getting a good color match with a new walnut forearm that I spliced to a 'cut-down' original Krag stock.

I put a dark walnut stain on the raw walnut wood and quickly followed that with a "Rosewood" stain. It approximated the original wood color.
(Getting the same finish 'sheen', as the original wood, is trickier and a different issue).

I do not know if your original stock can take a 'stain' at this point. There may be 'oils' in the wood that would inhibit the stock from accepting a stain.

Your call. You can test with some stain in a hidden area like the barrel channel.

Attached: 'Before' and 'After' Staining a replacement forearm.

[fourbore]

I do not know if your original stock can take a 'stain' at this point. There may be 'oils' in the wood that would inhibit the stock from accepting a stain.

I never though of that.

I did not buy the gun yet. I may wait for a better example. If it does not look right, I will never be happy with it.

Nice work on that spliced wood!

[Doco Overboard]

If you have found a decent rifle but it just doesn't have that reddish hue I would be hesitant to walk away, good rifles are hard to find at reasonable prices with good mechanics.
Heres some pics of a shooter with plenty of dirt and oil way deep in the stock,



patched up scraped and washed out some,



put back together,



and getting checked out,



It seems to have a little red from just having some flax seed oil rubbed into it maybe it will get darker with use and time or it was made a little too clean before getting re-oiled, not sure.

[AFJuvat]

In the late 1920's, Springfield Armory stopped using Logwood Stain, in an economy move. This changed the appearance of the wood on U.S. Military Arms.

Possibly, 'AFJuvat' has a later 1903 Springfield stock in his photo.

*Edited for brevity.

My 1903 is a RIA SN#40181X. It was finished at Springfield Armory in 1928, so it is likely post logwood.