School me on stock finishing.

[Pepe-lepew]

It is too easy to pay someone to oil a stock. It takes a small can of boiled linseed oil, some rags and time. It is also a periodic maintenance item you need to do every few years depending on how much use and abuse.

Fitting the stock better or removing the light stain on CMP stocks takes a little more knowledge and skill and more supplies.

 

[JSJPDX]

I've been down to Anniston and built two CMP Specials in their custom shop. The lead gunsmith of that shop recommends tung oil as a finish. Garand Gear sells a tung oil kit on line for $21 that includes everything you need to finish your stock except the quarter sheet of 600 grit sandpaper that you'll need and the optional few ounces of mineral oil. If you can't find that drop me a note and I'll send you a sheet of the sandpaper. Using their kit and following their directions will take you about 10 days to get an outstanding finish on your rifle. That is just about what it took me for both of my rifles and each has six coats of tung oil. (Most of the ten days is waiting for each of the coats to dry. It only takes about 30 minutes of actual work each day over the first six days and then a final four days of drying time before reassembly.)

I currently have my second rifle disassembled after finishing the stock while I wait for some parts to make it mostly correct. If you haven't already done your stock I can take some pictures of my stock for you and walk you through the process if you need help.

Not a difficult process or one that takes a tremendous amount of skill. Actually taking the rifle completely apart is the hardest part if you haven't done it before.

Good luck!

 

[Spitpatch]

Your greatest care will be exercised in attaching and detaching all hardware repeatedly and protectively to make things blend. You are fortunate in that military "blend" to metal is somewhat forgiving. Utilize that forgiveness to your maximum advantage.

Boiled linseed is THE finish for old guns, military or civilian. It remains tacky for a long time (polishing vigorously with wool eliminates that). You can also add as much as you want forever.

I defer to those with direct experience with your particular rifle.

 

[F2CMaDMaXX]

Boiled linseed dries far faster than raw linseed, raw would have been used originally on the Garand, i finished mine with boiled to get it to 'set'.