Finishing and maintaining a wooden stock — both the restoration job and the ten-minute one at the end of a wet season.
- Finishing oils — Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil is the standard for building a hard, water-resistant finish over several thin coats. Parker-Hale walnut oil for a more traditional, lower-sheen result.
- Conditioning — CCL gunstock conditioning oil and Napier Stock Shield feed the wood without stripping the existing finish. This is the routine job.
- Wax and sheen — CCL wax polish and Birchwood Casey Stock Sheen & Conditioner, for the final surface and for knocking back a finish that has gone too glossy.
Thin coats, well rubbed in, beat thick ones every time — and let a stock dry properly before oiling it, or you will seal moisture into the wood.
See also gun care and cleaning kits.
