[jefnvk]

OK, I have an 870 Express with a Walnut stock (an oddity, I know). It has the matte finish, like the other Expresses, not the glossy like the wingmasters.

What sort of finish was used on these guns? It is starting to get rough, and since I use it for duck hunting, I don't want it getting waterlogged. Would linseed oil work?

[9mmMike]

Yes linseed will work. As will Tung Oil which is what I use. Top it off with a good coat of wax and don't forget to seal the end where it meets the receiver.
Walnut on an Express? Mine came in birch though they are walnut now.
Good luck,
Mike

[Oldnamvet]

Just make sure it is BOILED linseed oil and not raw. If raw it will be gummy and never really dry. Boiled will dry albeit to a fairly soft finish. At least it is easy to recoat unlike some other stock finishes. Give it a good coat before putting it away after the season.

[VG]

All good advice. Minwax antique furniture refinisher will remove the old finish, as will most solvents like acetone.

You can buy BLO (Boiled Linseed Oil) or one of the Tung Oil finishes (a mixture) at the same time in any hardware or big box store.

However, I've found Birchwood Casey Tru Oil - polymerized BLO - to be more durable and no more difficult to apply. It's very shiny but you can knock it down with 0000 steel wool. It's available at Sports Authority, WallyWorld, etc.

I applied a coat, sanded it down almost to bare wood, then reapplied until I filled all the grain without getting a thick buildup. This took 6 or 7 coats.

[jefnvk]

Yeah, walnut stock. Like I said, an oddity. Two explinations I have heard are that when Remington runs out of the birch/beech/whatever it is, they use walnut to keep production up; also that the stocks were left over from an older line of 870 guns. Second one makes most sense, the gun is probably 6 or 7 years old.

I'll give the tung or linseed a try. I really want something I can just throw on for right now, because it is starting to get bad, and then maybe over Christmas break I can refinish the whole thing.