weatherizing a walnut stocked rifle

[HEAVY METAL 1]

I have aquired a Win Mod 70 in excellent shape and want to keep it that way. Deer season is coming up and foul weather can happen. Can I apply a generous coat of wax over all the metal and the metal/wood seam for weather protection and NOT change the rifle's point of impact?

 

[rockstar.esq]

I'd be inclined to think that sealing the stock with something a bit more robust than wax would serve you well. Should you have a gloss finish you are probably not going to have any problems however sometimes the barrel channel and action inlet area aren't sealed as well as they might be. A judicious coat of polyurethane in these areas won't affect aesthetics but will help tremendously in keeping the stock stable in inclement weather. The blueing might benefit from the wax but I've heard good things from friends who've used silicone "rod and gun" cloths. Should your stock be a matte finish like military rifles of old, the wax would likely be fine protective measure that wouldn't impact the value of your rifle. I hope this helps.

 

[roo_ster]

John Barsnes (of Wolfe publishing) recommends naval spar varnish on the inside surfaces of wood stocks to seal them up.

Another place to pay special attention to, stock wise, is the recoil pad/butt interface. Enough moisture can swell the stock out until it is noticably larger than the recoil pad (up to 1/4" all the way 'round! ).

 

[dfariswheel]

Making sure the wood is well sealed is a good idea, especially areas like under the butt plate where open grain is exposed.

However, even after a good sealing with a high grade spar varnish, it's still a good idea to coat the metal and wood with a good wax.

Johnson's Paste Floor Wax really works well, and is often used by saltwater water fowl hunters to prevent rust.

Years ago a friend was going with a group to hunt elk in Idaho.
The area they hunted was VERY wet, and on my recommendation he waxed his Browning.

Of the group, his was the only rifle that didn't develop rust under the barrel.

 

[dogngun]

Take the gun apart, coat any unsealed wood as above with polyurethane or even several coats of boiled linseed oil. What ever you use, make sure it dries well before applying the next coat. Coat the the barrel including the underside, and all metal parts with a light coat of automotive lithium grease, just wipe it on and wipe it off. This will protect the blued steel and other metal from everything, including salt sea air, and application can be repeated periodically.
It can be removed using Hoppe's or any gun solvent.
It will not harm or discolor the blue.
I use this on all my revolvers and rifles, and I have had no problems through many Pennslyvania winters. It also makes gun metal easer to clean after shooting sessions.

Mark

 

[pete f]

Strip down the gun all the way, take off the butt pad too. then buy some good varnish, and pour out some and thin it down about fifty percent with the approved thinner. Use a small artists type brush like a 1/2 wide to coat the inner parts of the stock that are not finished. Let it soak in, recoat it a few times, till it will not absorb a bit more. Once you get it so the varnish sits on top of the wood, let it stand for a bit, then wipe it down to near dry. Then let the stock dry, maybe a couple of days. Using one full strength coat and cover it all. Let that dry for a couple of days. Doing that will keep most stocks in pretty good shape.

Rub the metal down with a good turtle wax coat and you should be good to go. I have found that the above will work in almost all conditions.

 

[30Cal]

For my match rifle, I use poly on the inside and under the buttplate and a couple of coats of tung-oil on the outside. It's held up fine during drizzles and showers.

 

[Jayb]

melt any amount of bees wax in an old clean coffee can

mark the level of melted wax inside the can

pour the melted wax into another container that will hold four times the melted wax

pour turpentine into the original can up to your mark

add the turp to the wax

pour boiled linseed oil into the original can up to the mark

add the linseed oil to the turp/wax mixture

mix it all up well, then set it aside. at 70 degrees the mix will be about the consistancy of bearing grease. Put a dab of it in your hand, and work it into the stock. You may start/stop as often as you need to, and it will make no difference. The friction from your hand will allow the wax to penetrate into any openings in the grain or finish. After rubbing, let the stock sit for an hour or two, then buff it with a terrycloth towel. On a gloss finish stock, you won't notice much difference in appearance. On other stocks, you'll end up with a satin finish, and any stock treated will be impervious to water. This mix will not build up, and will not leave the stock "slippery".

I mixed up a batch six years ago, that almost filled a 40 oz peanut butter jar, and it took 1 pound of bees wax (and appropriate amounts of oil, and turp). I do 8-10 stocks a year and still have over half a jar left.