New M1A Walnut Stock - Feels a Bit Unfinished

[etrain16]

So, I got a new M1A Loaded. It's a beautiful rifle. I love everything about it.

But I've got a question on the stock, it's not something I've personally run into before, so I'm hoping some of you folks might have some ideas. To date, all wood stock guns I've bought came either finished with something like a polyurethane finish, glossy or semi gloss, or the wood was already well worn in, such as the case with say an old Mosin or Garand, for example. This stock is different. It feels like it's almost not quite finished. In fact, there is dust on the stock, such as what would be left behind from a final sanding as you're refinishing a stock.

It feels almost like a final coat of finish/stain was applied, let dry, and the grain has raised, but no final sanding coat was done to smooth it down. There's kind of a 'fuzz' on the wood. It almost feels like it might need a finish coat of oil of some sort to help seal the wood as well.

Maybe I just haven't bought enough guns of this type, but I'm not sure how I should proceed. I've finished wood before, so I'm comfortable with the process, but I don't want to mess up the finish on this stock - I like the color/finish, but it's just that it feels unfinished. I'm tempted to consider taking a very fine grain sandpaper over the surface, maybe even work in a little oil to help seal the pores in the wood. But I'm going to hold off until I get some input.

Any thoughts? Suggestions? Do something to it? Or leave it alone and be happy?

If you look at the photos below, you can see some of the 'fuzz' that came on the stock:

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[H2O MAN]

Use fine sand paper, sand with the grain until smooth, add a little tung oil.

 

[Cigarlvr313]

I would try some 0000 steel or bronze wool rather than use sandpaper........just my $0.02

 

[H2O MAN]

steel wool is great for the final smoothing, but it's not going to remove the cross grain rough sanding marks.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Yea, I'd steel wool it and tung oil it too.

 

[STUKA]

Don't have an answer for your question,but glad you finally got her home!
Congrats!!

 

[etrain16]

A couple of good suggestions so far - but also curious, has anyone here seen this on a new rifle before? Did Springfield come up a little short in the finish area? Or maybe this isn't uncommon for rifles like this?

 

[Cigarlvr313]

Why not just call Springfield and see what they recommend? Short of that I'd at least start slowly, Steel/Bronze Wool wont remove material like sandpaper will and it won't ruin the factory finish.

 

[H2O MAN]

Sanding is the only way to reveal the natural grain.

 

[Spray-n-pray]

Nice stick, RK.

 

[Cigarlvr313]

So, I got a new M1A. It's a beautiful rifle. I love everything about it.

Go slowly.........don't screw it up

 

[NCW_Robert]

It is a "military rifle" it is not going to have the same type of finish as a sporting rifle. If you do use sandpaper to smooth it out, then ad more finish it is not going to look like a military rifle any more.

So what do you want? Military look or sporting rifle look?

Not bashing ether way of finishing a stock, just sayin....

If you decide you want that really smooth look to display the max beauty of the wood, I'd just strip it and start sanding until it is smooth as you like, then refinish with what ever type of finish you like, tung oil or what ever.

Plenty of extensive articles on stock finishing so do research, do some work and end up with exactly what you want.

I would not expect a sporting type super smooth finish to come from the factory on a rifle like this, that would actually be strange. The only reason they would do that is modern day buyers expecting a sporting rifle type finish and complaining to them about the less refined less sanded military style finish.

Since this rifle is not some antique or rare collector gun, I would probably go for bringing out the full beauty of the wood so I'd strip it clean removing any old finish. Then start sanding until I got to 1500 or 2000 grit. It is really easy to miss some spots where you did 800 grit or 1000 grit so I'd sand the holy heck outa it, then stop and start over again the next day.

I have seen a lot of different grade sanding finishes on amateur refinish jobs because the person doing the refinish just got tired of sanding and said fk it, I'm done when he actually needed to spend another 4 to 6 hrs doing more sanding.

I have done this myself and had multi grade finish on my own refinish jobs when I got in a hurry and got tired of sanding.

Easy cure for this is just do so much each day. sand it until you are absolutely sure it was ALL sanded to the final grit you want then follow what ever recommendations there are out there, for an oil finish. I'd probably not try and go super high gloss or semi gloss on this rifle but it is yours so if you plan on keeping it, finish it the way "YOU" like.

Every time I need a reminder on how "NOT" to refinish a stock I pull out my old sheridan pellet gun. I refinished it myself when I was 13. Looks like SH-it. Exactly like a 13 yr old would do it with his first stock refinish job, I love it but only because when that old thing is in my hands I can be 13 again.

...

 

[USMC-03]

I'm partial to linseed oil; that was the standard for finishing military wood rifle stocks as I recal. I use it for all my wood tool handles.

 

[etrain16]

It is a "military rifle" it is not going to have the same type of finish as a sporting rifle. If you do use sandpaper to smooth it out, then ad more finish it is not going to look like a military rifle any more.

So what do you want? Military look or sporting rifle look?

Not bashing ether way of finishing a stock, just sayin....

If you decide you want that really smooth look to display the max beauty of the wood, I'd just strip it and start sanding until it is smooth as you like, then refinish with what ever type of finish you like, tung oil or what ever.

Plenty of extensive articles on stock finishing so do research, do some work and end up with exactly what you want.

I would not expect a sporting type super smooth finish to come from the factory on a rifle like this, that would actually be strange. The only reason they would do that is modern day buyers expecting a sporting rifle type finish and complaining to them about the less refined less sanded military style finish.

Since this rifle is not some antique or rare collector gun, I would probably go for bringing out the full beauty of the wood so I'd strip it clean removing any old finish. Then start sanding until I got to 1500 or 2000 grit. It is really easy to miss some spots where you did 800 grit or 1000 grit so I'd sand the holy heck outa it, then stop and start over again the next day.

I have seen a lot of different grade sanding finishes on amateur refinish jobs because the person doing the refinish just got tired of sanding and said fk it, I'm done when he actually needed to spend another 4 to 6 hrs doing more sanding.

I have done this myself and had multi grade finish on my own refinish jobs when I got in a hurry and got tired of sanding.

Easy cure for this is just do so much each day. sand it until you are absolutely sure it was ALL sanded to the final grit you want then follow what ever recommendations there are out there, for an oil finish. I'd probably not try and go super high gloss or semi gloss on this rifle but it is yours so if you plan on keeping it, finish it the way "YOU" like.

Every time I need a reminder on how "NOT" to refinish a stock I pull out my old sheridan pellet gun. I refinished it myself when I was 13. Looks like SH-it. Exactly like a 13 yr old would do it with his first stock refinish job, I love it but only because when that old thing is in my hands I can be 13 again.

...

I'm not going for any particular look, except for the 'finished' look. It simply seems to me that this may have left the factory slightly less than finished, and for a rifle of this cost, I would expect it to be complete. I don't want to refinish it, I don't want to change the color, I just want it to look like it was fully finished.

 

[Dungannon]

Before you sand it, take a look at the stock from various angles with a raking light. Then use a clean cloth that is dampened [not soaked] with mineral spirits to wipe it, and again inspect the wood under a raking light. Any imperfections in the finishing work should be self-evident.

I'm a woodworker but finish processes for furniture don't apply here. Make sure the stock is clean, wipe with boiled linseed oil and let dry. If the wood is real dry to begin with, thin the first coat of linseed oil with some mineral spirits. Several light coats should do it. I avoid steel wool on open pore wood, as small particles lodged in grain will rust when wet. Use bronze wool or a fine sandpaper backed by a sponge [to conform to the contours] between coats. After the final coat is dry, rub down with a waded up piece of brown paper grocery bag - it is slightly abrasive and finer than sandpaper for getting the rubbed down feel.

 

[11Charlie]

NOOOO on the sandpaper!! steal wool and some linseed oil or tung oil and you should be good to go.

 

[jbett98]

I had a stock like that and I hand rubbed some Kiwi black shoe polish on it and that filled the wood pores rather nicely.

 

[Iceberg]

I use boiled linseed oil and 500 grit wet/dry sand paper. After sanding/polishing the grain/poors will be filled in. Rub w/ new coats of oil for a couple of days, then hit it with 0000 steel wool. Should have a GI sheen after wiping it down w/ a clean hand towel. I always remove my metal 1st prior to finishing. If not, use blue tape to keep the BLO off the metal. I'm working on a new CMP M1 stock set w/ metal right now. All they did was dip the wood in oil and let it dry. A custum stock maker showed me how to do it.

 

[Brutus57]

DOn't mess with the best. Practice your butt strokes and bayonet lunges as well as the manual of arms.

Brutus Out

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Looks like a "war time" stock to my eye.
As in "Hurry up and get this rifle out there , there is a war on ya know..."
Or maybe it is a late Friday stock or early Monday morning stock.
The kind were the the stock finisher had his mind elsewhere ... LOL

0000 steel or bronze wool with oil sounds like a great place to start.
( As has been said above )
Good looking rifle no matter the fuzz!
Andy