by J. W. Nusz

Created on: May 26, 2009   Last Updated: May 31, 2009

Refinishing a gun stock is not like refinishing furniture. A refinished table is not picked up and admired. It is never viewed at all angles for imperfections, and it is not required to retain its beauty after a long day of harsh weather. Most of all, a refinished table isn't responsible for protecting your shoulder from hundreds of miniature controlled explosions.

I will assume that you already know what color (or natural stain) that you want to apply to the wood, that way I can focus on the refinishing aspect. Just keep in mind that some stains penetrate woods better. For hard woods, use oil stain; for soft woods, use stain pre-treatment and a gel stain (or a stain with better penetration).

The first noticeable characteristic of a gun stock is the smoothness of the finish. A rifle is normally handed by the barrel, examined and aimed. Each action potentially puts an admirer's hand on the stock. So, when refinishing a stock use a clear-coat that will be very, very smooth after application. The best bet is a lacquer, but unless it is applied with a sprayer like an HVLP (high volume low pressure) the lacquer will never be smooth. Never attempt to brush lacquer! It dries so quickly that brushing is difficult for even the most professional finishers. If you don't own a sprayer, use polyurethane. Careful application of polyurethane will result in a smooth finish. By careful, I mean that it is brushed evenly with the grain. It is lightly sanded with 220 grit paper between each coat to remove dust particles. Tackcloth is used to remove particles before coating, and it is allowed a full dry time before being recoated or handled.

The next problem to consider with finishing a gun stock is wear and tear. Guns are normally laid on the stock, so stocks have the probability of being scratched and dirty. Also, guns see a lot of action outside in the sun, so poor clear coats can yellow due to ultraviolet radiation (UV) from the sun. Finally, gun stocks are in environments that change (e.g. warm house into cold outdoors), so they need tough finish coats to protect from heat/cold expansion/shrinkage. Spar polyurethane fits the bill for each of these problems. While varnish will not provide the damage and sun protection gun stocks need, spar urethane is designed for outdoor, harsh, changing environments.

Using the proper material and application technique will result in a beautiful firearm that will be envied by everyone at the range!

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