Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles ? refinishing an old Rem BDL stock

Hi
has anyone stripped the plasticky gloss finish from an old Rem 700 BDL stock and refinished with a hand rubbed oil finish? is it worth the effort? would it be easier to just leave it be and get a synthetic stock (probably)?

thanks

I did it once and wow is that bowling pin finish tough to get off. After trying several different things, Jasco Premium Paint and Epoxy Remover did the job for me.

It was worth it

About 30 years ago I had a gunsmith strip off that "bowling pin" finnish as some like to call it. I don't remember how he did it but he said it was difficult and he would not want to do another one. The stock was given a nice satin oil finnish.

Was it worth it? Yes, for me it was. I always disliked that high gloss Finnish and really like the oil finnish much better. Of course we are talking about looks. It does not make the rifle shoot any better so it's up to you. The BDL stock fits me perfectly so I did not want to change it.

Pain in the ass, especially with pressed in checkering.

I've done this and to me it was worth it. Didn't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear or anything but it sure looked better to me when I was done. Used the same technique on an FN Browning Safari. Man, that stuff was thick but it was a thing of beauty when it was done.

Many years ago Remington would sell 700s with the stock unfinished, so the owner could try his hand at stock finishing. They were only offered in a few calibers and they werent on the market very long.

I did one about ten years ago and re-cut the checkering.

I sanded the thick clear coat off and found a very "blond" walnut that was obviously stained to look darker.

It turned out very nice. I scrapped out the white line spacers and installed a real ebony tip.

I used Velvit oil

Brownells used to sell a stock finish remover that worked well. Advertised as being able to remove the finish on Remington stocks. You might check with them, I don't know if they still carry it. I had the checkering recut and it tuned out looking good IMO.

Brownells used to sell a stock finish remover that worked well. Advertised as being able to remove the finish on Remington stocks. You might check with them, I don't know if they still carry it. I had the checkering re cut and it tuned out looking good IMO.

The Remington RKW gloss finish ( i heard a gunsmith refer to it as that) is very tough indeed, I am not fond of a high gloss finish on a hunting rifle either. Many years ago I had a beautiful dark walnut stocked 700 BDL .308 Win, I loved the rifle but hated the glossy finish so a buddy took the stock and cut the gloss finish with 00000 steel wool, I thought it was gonig to look like chit but i let him try anyway and im glad i did because it made for a very nice looking oil like dull finish......Good luck.....Hb

Thanks for the tips folks. The rifle is an accurate 308 currently bedded in a Boyd JRS laminate stock which is nice but heavy and does not have a recoil pad. The original Rem stock is light colored wood, very plain with no significant grain or burl. Thinking it would be a PIA to refinish and the end result would be pretty plain. Seriously just considering my time/money would be better spent on a Timney and a BC synth stock. I just refinished an old 760 stock which was glossy but not as thick as the 700. it came off nice with Jasco and I rubbed in a tru oil finish which looks pretty good..

Like some here I did not like that mirror like finish on an M700 BDL I had. A rub down with 0000 steel wool gave me a nice subdued finish that looked oil but still have the strength and waterproofing of the Remington finish.

On the finish on Brownings, dunno what they use but every Browning I've owned has had that shiny finish crack along grain lines in the butt stock. The only one that doesn't have that problem is an 1895 lever gun that looks as though it only had one rough coat of oil. I don't know if that one came from the factory like that or if the previous owner did a half ass job removing the finish. I do know that stock does not come up to the standards I've seen from Browning in the past.
Paul B.