Tung Oil over Boiled Linseed Oil

[Dphariss]

I hate to mention this but CMP does NOT import firearms from Greece or anywhere else. They do not sell imported firearms. So unless the US military got the M1s back from Greece (for example) and then the DOD gave them to CMP there have been no Greek M1s sold by CMP. They sell Greek M2 ball ammo but they don't sell imported arms.
This direct from CMP at a match in Cody. They told us that every firearm they have ever sold came from the US gov't. They are not an importer, they have no license for it and in fact do not even have an Federal Firearms Lic.
So the idea that the oil soaked CMP Garands are that way from being in long storage by some foreign country is not correct. Unless the CMP reps at Cody lied to all of us.

Dan

[Artificer]

Dan,

This is a bit complicated to explain and I will try to make it clear.

CMP was formed when Clinton tried to abolish the Director of Civilian Marksmanship Program by privatizing it and it was changed to be called the Civilian Marksmanship Program.  The CMP retained some government regulations, support and other things from the DCM; but CMP is no longer headed by an active duty Colonel or Navy Captain for three year tours as it was when it was the DCM.  That’s why CMP has offices and buildings at both Camp Perry, Ohio and Anniston Army Depot in Alabama.  CMP retains some of the old DCM responsibilities like running the National Matches and supporting Junior Shooting Programs.

CMP has indeed gotten many tens of thousands of M1’s, M1903 and A3’s and M1 Carbines back from the Netherlands, Germany and Greece.  These rifles were “Lend Leased” or loaned to our Allies after WWII and during the Cold War by the U.S. Government.  As such, they are still considered U.S. Property.  When the allied nations decided they no longer needed or wanted them, CMP pays for packing and shipping back to the Anniston Army Depot and ownership is transferred from the government to CMP, so the rifles can be sold to private citizens who qualify to buy them.

Now, the U.S. government also SOLD a large quantity of these rifles to some countries and they are no longer considered U.S. Property.  The Garands, Carbines and some other stuff that were imported from Korea in the 80’s and early 90’s, had been sold to Korea. That’s the reason they were imported and sold by such private commercial outfits as Blue Sky, Arlington Ordnance, Oyster Bay Industries and others. 

Thirdly, the U.S. Government seems to have given some of these rifles to some allied countries back in the 50’s and 60’s.  It gets very complicated on whether those countries can sell them privately or have to give them back to the U.S. government and it all depends on the agreements or treaties the U.S. made with those countries back then. 

So while you are correct that CMP is not a commercial importer, CMP has gotten tens of thousands of military rifles back that were Lend Leased or loaned to allied nations and were still considered U.S. Property.

Gus

[Dphariss]

Yeah I needed to dig a little deeper concerning the Greek Garands.
Its in the CMP forums if one looks.

Dan

[smart dog]

Hi Folks,
I've mentioned this before in several posts: Formby's Tung Oil Finish is a wiping varnish.  It is not an oil finish.  It contains no actual tung oil rather it contains some compounds that are derived from tung oil plus resins and driers to create a varnish.  That said it is a good easy finish but it does not penetrate as deeply as a true oil finish.  Lee Valley and Sunderland-Welles offer pure tung oil and polymerized tung oil.  The pure oil takes a very long time to dry without some sort of additive.  The polymerized oil has been heated to speed up the drying process and it works very well.  Also, as a rule of thumb, if finishes are thinned by the same thinning compound (e.g., mineral spirits, turpentine) they will be compatible one over the other or mixed together.

Take care,

dave