Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Snakeoil?

Do you folks apply it to guns regardless of model or condition?

All my Savages now have it on them, but none of them are high grade
or are in like new condition.

I do. Makes my antique rocking chairs look awesome too ;-)

I've never understood collectors that cringe at the thought of drilling and tapping an "original" rifle, but will slather SnakeOil on a stock "originally" finished in varnish. If you want your rifle to look good, regardless of "original", great. A good looking rifle is a good looking rifle. Some folks prefer shiny hunting stocks. Others prefer compasses, or inlaid plastic diamonds...

I've never understood folks that bash things they've never tried.

Snake Oil doesn't make your stock "shiny" except for 20 minutes when it's still wet.

Rory, ya gotta remember that we seem to have acquired a few folks that just have to pee on the electric fence to find out. Some have to do it more than once.

I use it, and will keep useing it, bought 4 bottles, a few months ago.

I use it for everything. It cures aches and pains and the common cold, and makes childbirth a pleasure.

Rod

OK, but how do they rendor it our of the snakes?

They don't render it. The snakes give it up voluntarily.

Rod

First they put the snake in a little room with lots of Playboy magazines...

I thought that they used a Blender!

Rory,

I've never tried spray-can Varathane on my Savage stocks, either. I don't need to have first-hand experience at it, I just have to look at the work of others. From the many pictures on this forum, or on GunBroker, it is obvious when a weapon owner has used SnakeOil, whether 20 minutes or 20 weeks old. To each, his own. SnakeOil has its place. So does re-bluing and sand/revarnish; it makes a tire old gun "look nicer". Shoot the messenger or not, there are collectors outside this forum that think "original finish" should be original, and adjust their offers accordingly.

Look carefully at this picture and let me know which of these guns has been ruined.

Close up picture

Wow. Nice.!!! ( envy}
I think the bottom one. It was built after 1960 right?

Fine looking rifles, all of them. None are ruined. I'm not in the market for embellished or the higher end M99/1899 rifles, so there is nothing that you can do to your rifles that would impact me. I'm glad for you that you can enjoy your rifles.

As per the original post question, some collectors think that permanently changing a feature on higher-end, "collectible" rifles just to make them "look better" detracts from the perceived value (buyer's value).

I'm not here to pee on anybody's parade, just callin' a spade a spade. (I'll let others on this forum, along with their friends, Geoduck and Crow Bar, pee on the electric fence.)

Wish any of those rifles were mine, but they're not. But I'm 100% positive that Snake Oil hasn't improved or hurt their appearance.

Randy, I have no problem with you or anybody else not wanting to put Snake Oil or any other product on a top end rifle. That's your choice. But throwing out statements that you can tell that it's been applied to a stock 20 months afterwards, right after you say you've never used it... Umm...

Seems more like blowing smoke than calling a spade a spade.

If you want to jump in and say that a person would be crazy to put anything on a 90% stock, fine. I even agree. But saying that it will ruin a stock or try to imply that somebody is trying to "improve" or permanently change something? Nah, you'll get arguments there.

A) the OP asked for first hand experience of who puts snake oil on what guns... he never asked if it effected value and he certainly did not ask for any with no experience to speculate.

B) What do you recommend someone do with a 60 year rifle that has original finish that powdery dry and the wood underneath looks like it was left out in dry air or in the sun for 60 years? (let alone 100 years)... I'm not sure you could handle it with white gloves on and not effect the finish. Certainly better not touch it with your bare hand... they have oils on them that could effect the original finish...

silliness if you ask me...

I certainly don't treat the 127 year old hardwood trim and doors in my house that way...

turtle WAX ALSO WORKS GOOD.GIVES THAT HARD SHELL PROTECTION.

I usually get my wife to rendor mine for me

Okay, my barnyard humor is satisfide. What is this snake oil y'all speak of? Boiled linseed, or sump'n else?