gunstock & linseed oil question

[pmanton]

Way back in the caveman days when I was in Marine Corps Boot Camp we had to rub linseed oil into the stocks of our M-1 rifles.

Does anyone know, was that plain old boiled linseed oil?
Or perhaps it was some exotic form of linseed oil?

I just got my M-1 Garand from the CMP, and having cleaned all the cosmoline off it, I want to make the wood pretty. Maybe I'll take the stock to the movies and rub linseed oil into it like I did in Boot camp.

Cheers:

Paul
N1431A
N93436
2AZ1
www.indianhillsairpark.com

 

[Geico266]

Does anyone know, was that plain old boiled linseed oil?
Or perhaps it was some exotic form of linseed oil?

I doubt if the military would have given us anything but the most basic linseed oil.

Congrats and the Garand!

 

[Cap'n Jack]

I wasn't in the military...but I'm pretty sure it would have been plain old boiled linseed oil.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

I found a recipe which uses x% linseed oil and y% mineral spirits and I think that is mentioned here
http://www.diyinfo.org/wiki/How_To_Use_Linseed_Oil

 

[rmciottijr]

When my Dad made gun stocks he just used Linseed oil.

 

[Keane]

SO this is going to sound foolish, but I did a CMP Garand with Olive Oil(not virgin!), and it looks absolutely stunning.

Basically, I scrubbed the heck out of it with green sponges and murphy's oil soap(I was also told simple green, but I found it wasn't as effective). I scrubbed the crap out of it, and let it hang-dry. The result was a dry, white wood.

THEN, I took a soft cloth, and rubbed olive oil into the stock. It turned out fantastic, and it won't damage the wood in any way, and is simple to get out of the wood if you don't like it. It also doesn't stay sticky, or build up like the linseed oil can.

 

[rmciottijr]

SO this is going to sound foolish, but I did a CMP Garand with Olive Oil(not virgin!), and it looks absolutely stunning.

Basically, I scrubbed the heck out of it with green sponges and murphy's oil soap(I was also told simple green, but I found it wasn't as effective). I scrubbed the crap out of it, and let it hang-dry. The result was a dry, white wood.

THEN, I took a soft cloth, and rubbed olive oil into the stock. It turned out fantastic, and it won't damage the wood in any way, and is simple to get out of the wood if you don't like it. It also doesn't stay sticky, or build up like the linseed oil can.

Must be a Perazzi

 

[RJM62]

When I was a kid I was in the NRA Junior Program, and I had to refinish a gun stock and install detachable sling swivels for some badge or another. I used ordinary boiled linseed oil. It took many coats and several days drying in between the later coats, but it did come out quite nice.

(By the way, rags soaked with linseed oil have been known to spontaneously combust.)

-Rich

 

[CJones]

SO this is going to sound foolish, but I did a CMP Garand with Olive Oil(not virgin!), and it looks absolutely stunning.

Basically, I scrubbed the heck out of it with green sponges and murphy's oil soap(I was also told simple green, but I found it wasn't as effective). I scrubbed the crap out of it, and let it hang-dry. The result was a dry, white wood.

THEN, I took a soft cloth, and rubbed olive oil into the stock. It turned out fantastic, and it won't damage the wood in any way, and is simple to get out of the wood if you don't like it. It also doesn't stay sticky, or build up like the linseed oil can.

I have heard that olive oil is not a good wood treatment oil as the oil itself has potential to 'spoil'. No personal experience with it, though.

 

[John Baker]

We used to scrape our stocks with pieces broken glass to remove the old finish and minor scratches and dents. We then rubbed them out with some sort of linseed oil mixture. That was forty five years ago, so I can't recall exactly what it was, might have been plain linseed.

Put a glass jar or bottle in a sock and whack it once against something made of concrete or metal.

There is also a product you can get from gun shops called Linspeed oil. I used that a few times after the military and had pretty nice results.

John

 

[Keane]

I have heard that olive oil is not a good wood treatment oil as the oil itself has potential to 'spoil'. No personal experience with it, though.

Hmm... I'd never heard that. I have had it on the rifle for about a year now, and it seems to be fine. It was suggested by a 'wood enthusiast', but if there are better options, I wouldn't mind hearing them.

 

[akite]

I have used a 50/50 mix of linseed oil and turpentine. I like this finish because if it gets scratched it is repairable.

 

[AdamZ]

Paul, Do I understand that you bought or the CMP gave you an M-1? My brother has done the CMP and has enrolled his boys in the jr program. I know he'd love to get an M-1 does the program sell them?

 

[gkainz]

Civilian Marksmanship Program - details here http://www.thecmp.org/

I got my Garand (H&R, good to excellent) many years ago when it was Department of Civilian Marksmanship (DCM) and the limit was 1 per lifetime. The price was pretty good, too. Something like $120 including shipping, processing fees, etc. They're a little higher than that, now, and there's no purchase limit, as I understand it.

I believe the requirements to purchase are still the same, tho. Belong to a state shooting club or organization, participate in a recognized match, and send in your money.

 

[pmanton]

They're a whole lot higher than that now With shipping I paid $617.00.
Almost all the Garands that have collector's interest are gone. As are all the Springfield 03s-03As Enfield 1917s, etc. All the ammo is gone. I was almost a day late and a dollar short.

On the other hand what I did get was a Springfield Armory M-1 manufactured in December of 1942, that retains its original barrel in excellent condition. All the rest of the metal parts are a mixture of early and late as would be expected. The wood is from the 50s and is pretty good. Most of the dents will come out with steam I think.

What really hurts is the price of ammo. Almost all the surplus stuff is gone and what remains cost an arm and a leg. I have not reloaded for years and sold my press and stuff years ago. I'm on an airpark in Arizona and have places to shoot within a mile or so of my house. However each 8 round clip fired will cost about the same as a gallon of 100 LL

Cheers:

Paul
N1431A
N93436
2AZ1

 

[Cap'n Jack]

SO this is going to sound foolish, but I did a CMP Garand with Olive Oil(not virgin!), and it looks absolutely stunning.

Basically, I scrubbed the heck out of it with green sponges and murphy's oil soap(I was also told simple green, but I found it wasn't as effective). I scrubbed the crap out of it, and let it hang-dry. The result was a dry, white wood.

THEN, I took a soft cloth, and rubbed olive oil into the stock. It turned out fantastic, and it won't damage the wood in any way, and is simple to get out of the wood if you don't like it. It also doesn't stay sticky, or build up like the linseed oil can.

It probably soaked into the wood and is at least giving some water resistance.

I have heard that olive oil is not a good wood treatment oil as the oil itself has potential to 'spoil'. No personal experience with it, though.

No personal experience either...but olive oil is mostly esters of palmitic and stearic acids- these contain no double bonds for polymerization by oxygen like linseed oil. This is probably why olive oil is relatively easily removed from the wood.

It also means it won't setup like linseed oil which contains the "omega-3" acid linolenic acid as well as other unsaturated acids. Olive oil could, if over-applied, break down over time to glycerine and free fatty acids which cause rancid smells.

Hmm... I'd never heard that. I have had it on the rifle for about a year now, and it seems to be fine. It was suggested by a 'wood enthusiast', but if there are better options, I wouldn't mind hearing them.

Since it seems to be working for you, I guess it's Ok. For the reasons I gave above, I wouldn't have done it but it is working for you...

 

[Jack Spectre]

Go to Walmart and get some "Purple Power". Put it in a spray bottle and put the stock in a 5 gallon bucket. Keep dousing the stock with Purple Power and and scrub with steel wool. This will gradually get all the old muck out of it.

I've also used Oven Cleaner to VERY quickly remove gunk from a gunstock. It may possibly be harsher to do it that way, though the results were very good and the stock looks great. I used boiled linseed oil.

The best way bar none is a trip through the dishwasher with detergent. That will remove all grease for sure. The problem is that most stocks won't fit.

 

[Dudley Henriques]

Way back in the caveman days when I was in Marine Corps Boot Camp we had to rub linseed oil into the stocks of our M-1 rifles.

Does anyone know, was that plain old boiled linseed oil?
Or perhaps it was some exotic form of linseed oil?

I just got my M-1 Garand from the CMP, and having cleaned all the cosmoline off it, I want to make the wood pretty. Maybe I'll take the stock to the movies and rub linseed oil into it like I did in Boot camp.

Cheers:

Paul
N1431A
N93436
2AZ1
www.indianhillsairpark.com

Be careful if you buy linseed oil. It comes in two variaties, raw and boiled.
Raw oil has no drier and could remain sticky on a gun stock. Boiled oil has drier in it and could be used.
I would highly recommend, especially if you have a walnut stock, using a commercial teak oil available from most home centers. Watco makes a very good one.
Clean the stock thoroughly before beginning, then rub in multiple coats of teak oil buffing between coats. Should provide a very nice waterproof hand finished stock for you.
Best of luck,
Dudley Henriques

 

[Dudley Henriques]

Way back in the caveman days when I was in Marine Corps Boot Camp we had to rub linseed oil into the stocks of our M-1 rifles.

Does anyone know, was that plain old boiled linseed oil?
Or perhaps it was some exotic form of linseed oil?

I just got my M-1 Garand from the CMP, and having cleaned all the cosmoline off it, I want to make the wood pretty. Maybe I'll take the stock to the movies and rub linseed oil into it like I did in Boot camp.

Cheers:

Paul
N1431A
N93436
2AZ1
www.indianhillsairpark.com

Be careful if you buy linseed oil. It comes in two variates, raw and boiled.
Raw oil has no drier and could remain sticky on a gun stock. Boiled oil has drier in it and could be used.
I would highly recommend, especially if you have a walnut stock, using a commercial teak oil available from most home centers. Watco makes a very good one.
Clean the stock thoroughly before beginning, then rub in multiple coats of teak oil buffing between coats. Should provide a very nice waterproof hand finished stock for you.
Best of luck,
Dudley Henriques

 

[bsdunek]

My Dad taught me to use boiled linseed oil as the un-boiled takes a long time (if ever) to dry. I have also used the Linspeed product and really like it. It gives a glossier, and maybe harder, finish. Either one sure beats the varnish/lacquer finish that comes on factory stocks.