What finnish to use?

[Bart]

Looking for recommendations on the best applicable Finnish most suitable and durable for a hunting rifle that will see the woods a lot. A Finnish that will not be too shiny and is easy to repair.  I am using curly maple wood, any help on this would be appreciated.

Bart

[Dphariss]

Boiled linseed oil (properly boiled that is) or a soft linseed varnish is the easiest to repair. So long as a built up finish is not used.
Straight linseed may tend to discolor in wet conditions but it will return to its nature color and a slight rub with some oil to refresh.
A soft oil varnish will not "water spot" and will allow the same finish and touchup as linseed oil.
More importantly they are time proven, hundreds of years, and HC.

The problem arises in that with the coming of "modern" finishes the use of the old gunsmith made finishes died off and how to properly make and use them was largely forgotten as well. The advent of post WW-II "boiled oil" made this worse since it is not really boiled and does not dry in a reasonable time. 
Converting it is a simple process and its detailed on this website several times, but few bother since LS oil has gotten such a bad rep over the past 100 years or so by people writing about finishing gunstocks with oil that was not prepared as stock finish. Or people reading that the military used raw linseed. Which they likely did. But the military does not  appreciate a finish that gets shiny and boiled linseed will get shiny.
So linseed got a black eye it does not deserve.

Dan

[Roger Fisher]

Jeez Dan I'm glad you posted that on the olde tyme boiled LS.  Now I don't feel like I'm out of touch by using it.

Oh yes and I do discard the rags 'outside' out of harm's way so to speak.

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Bart,

I have found that Jim Chambers Traditional  oil finish is easy to get and easy to use. It has no modern plastic in it and I believe it is a medium oil varnish with linseed as a base. Don't know what all else is in it but you can bring it to a soft finish or a high gloss... It gives a nice soft luster and can be easily repaired by rubbing more on.  So it's your decision, modern or old ingredients, homemade or store-bought.  how you apply it and how you rub it out make all the difference as far as I can see. Track of the Wolf and Brownell's also have lots of other options for finishes that are intended for gun stocks.

[Blacksmoke]

Bart:  In another thread re: "silver wire inlay" someone mentioned that the reason for old inlays dropping is the shrinkage of wood over time.   I have examined many  old originals inside and out along with contemporary as well only to find that the original maker did NOT seal or apply any finish to the barrel channel, lock mortise, underneath the buttplate or under any of the furniture.  Without sealing and applying finish to all parts of your stockwood your gun WILL suffer from "shrinkage".  Before you apply any finish you must ,first, seal the ALL of the wood with a sealer - I use pure Tung oil cut 50% with turpentine or Japan dryers.  This applied readily over a week till the wood cannot "drink" any more.  Then I will rub the stock by hand for another day or so before I "rub up" a finish with boiled linseed or other alternative stock oil such as that Dr. T. Boone mentioned.      Hugh Toenjes

[Dphariss]

Bart:  In another thread re: "silver wire inlay" someone mentioned that the reason for old inlays dropping is the shrinkage of wood over time.   I have examined many  old originals inside and out along with contemporary as well only to find that the original maker did NOT seal or apply any finish to the barrel channel, lock mortise, underneath the buttplate or under any of the furniture.  Without sealing and applying finish to all parts of your stockwood your gun WILL suffer from "shrinkage".  Before you apply any finish you must ,first, seal the ALL of the wood with a sealer - I use pure Tung oil cut 50% with turpentine or Japan dryers.  This applied readily over a week till the wood cannot "drink" any more.  Then I will rub the stock by hand for another day or so before I "rub up" a finish with boiled linseed or other alternative stock oil such as that Dr. T. Boone mentioned.      Hugh Toenjes

This carries on right to today. None of the 19th century breechloaders were sealed.
I use the thinner oil I make cut with aged turpentine for sealer I add some Grumbachers Oil Painters medium 3 to the mix, 30-50% for all uses at this time. It will not build up in inletting unless really over done and not wiped off.

Dan