Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Would you re-finish?

I've used 0000 steel wool wet with your choice of oil finish. Go slow, then buff with a soft cloth. Don't like it, do it again.

I actually shoot and am not into fhuqking around. Hint.










Just sayin'........................

Knock it back or leave it, but assuming the interior is well sealed, nothing else will weatherproof it better than those shiny poly finishes. If you ever sell it, the raccoons will hate you for removing the shine.

Don't pffuck with it

TAG

What Gunswizard said about the "light touch" but much emphasis on the light - you don't want to buff the wax but wipe it off with a rag followed by a soft rub with a piece of cotton flannel. If not you'll end with another gloss finish.

Seems the majority consensus is to leave it be. Pappy seems to be suggesting if I go to sell it people will not like that it's not original. Hadn't really considered that on a modern rifle.

Here's another picture showing the full rifle. It's pretty glossy.

After seeing the entire rifle, my position —> leave it alone, is even greater.

Beauty of a gun

I'd not touch it.

Thank You. It's been a shooter. They generally run pretty good money, more than I'd want to pay. This one was listed as used since it was used for demo's and displays at shows. I'm assuming because of the wood, I personally hadn't seen a 101 before with that kind of wood on it. Fall of 2021 they were running a clearance on different guns and this was one of them. Under $900 I couldn't resist. Haven't been sorry as it shoots very well, just not a fan of glossy stocks.

You only go around this world one time. If you like it and think you'll use it, then make it the way you want.

True enough. I can live with it either way, but would prefer without the gloss. If it was my one and only carry rifle from here on out, it would be exactly how I'd want it without a second thought.

Sounds like you answered it to me! To hell with the collectors. Let the folks complain about it on here when you're gone.

We see 100's of butchered P64's I complain about, but the owners liked them when they had em.

Haha. True!

Your rifle, do with it as you wish.

While I prefer a less glossy stock finish I would probably leave that alone if it were mine. If a stock needs refinishing, that’s one thing. This doesn’t. You’ve got some nice checkering on there, pretty fine by the looks of it. I’m not sure how you’d handle that and if you leave the checkering alone and dull the rest it might look weird.

Also, these high tech polymer finishes are made to be durable and, without actually going after it, there’s no telling how it might respond to some of the methods suggested. As Pappy mentioned too, from a practical standpoint there’s no better way to keep a wooden stock sealed than these modern finishes.

As I said, I prefer a soft oil finished stock, but if I can live with some of the synthetic stocks I’ve got in my accumulation, I can (and do) live with nice wooden stocks with shiny finishes. Variety is the spice of life..no?

Refinish what? Hands off!

Are you going to hunt it or display it? As a rifle on the used gun rack, it will sell better if you leave it box stock and shiny. As a hunting rifle be prepared to spook game if you are hunting in sunlight. I put a very nice buck into launch mode with my then new Remington BDL and that bowling ball RKW ultra shiny finish. Have a buddy take it a ways away and move it around when they are standing in the sunlight and you'll have your answer. That BDL of mine now has a Brown Precision replacement stock and the entire rifle is camo painted. Beauty is as beauty does. Problem solved.

I too would leave the finish intact but dull the gloss by rubbing it out, then wax it. Can't beat a barrier finish like that for weather protection. Stripping and refinishing with oil would look like a million bucks but for me would then be relegated to occasional "sunny range day use" and showing off to my buddies - it would suck as an all-around/any weather hunting rifle at that point.

As for the earlier comment about hitting it with Pledge, that would be about the last thing I would put on a gunstock, or any other piece of fine wood for that matter. Its effect is ephemeral and does nothing in the way of true protection such that paste wax delivers. It's the darling of unwitting housewives and housekeepers and that's about the extent of it.

I personally don’t care for the glossy f ish and would either strip and refinish or at least knock it down some. It’s your rifle and you should be happy with it. If you think toning down the gloss would affect the resale, that only matters if you’re planning on selling it! And, if you’re planning on selling, go ahead and do that and get what you really want.