Ditto on the paste wax. You have to work at it to find a bad one. Ixnay on liquid furniture polishes if they contain mineral oil - the shine is fleeting, and actual protection is nil.
For end grain I like to mix artist's grade linseed oil and varnish, 50/50 give or take. Daub it on, let sit a bit, blot it dry, leave butt plate off overnight then wax it same as the rest of the wood before reinstalling the plate. But like most such things there's plenty of other ways to skin that cat, it's just what I do.
