LOL, BSA, I just inlet an aluminum buttplate onto a 1958 plastic buttplate stock myself! It has a cracked/repaired wrist and is now on my 1956 hunting rifle.
I have a tupperware original Winchester Featherweight solid bottom stock that I have modified to fit my pre 64's for those truly nasty, rainy, cold November Black Bear hunting days in PA. It kind of goes against my philosophy of life being too short to hunt with ugly guns. I often tell people that I like to see blue steel and good walnut while hunting; afterall, you spend a lot of time alone looking at your gun while hunting. But, the truth be told, I did ruin a 1946 transition model 70 stock while hunting bear. The finish just disappeared, the stock got so waterlogged. It leached water for months, actually years. I finally bit the bullet and restocked it, and then sold it to a friend. I gave the stock to a gunsmith friend. I don't know if he ever used it or not.
When refinishing a pre 64 Winchester I use the stock oil from Winrest or Winchester Restorations that was originally marketed by John Kay, whom I am not sure is still living or not. He sold the business to another fellow, Don Hardcastle, TexasBear10
aim.com is on the bottle. I haven't bought any for years as it goes a long way. The instructions say to put the sandpaper away as the first step. Use a furniture stripper to remove the finish and only try and lift or sand out the very worst scratches, dings and gouges. He says a 50 (now 60) year old stock should have some dings. He also says the wood should stand proud over the metal on pre 64 Win 70's and that if it doesn't it looks like manure and that it was refinished by an amateur. The process is time consuming but well worth the effort.
