Removing sealer from production gun

[Hungry Horse]

 I know I just saw a reference to this a week or so ago. But, I don't seem to be able to turn it up. I have an 1803 Harpers Ferry from Navy Arms, that has some sort of sealer on the wood that has resisted everything I have put on it( including three different kinds of paint stripper). This is one of the early ones, made by Zoli, with the wood left nearly unstained, almost blonde. I would like to darken it to look more like black walnut, and less like knotty pine. As it is now you can stain it with just about anything, and it just wipes right off.

                    Hungry Horse

[bgf]

Did you try Formby's Paint and Polyurethane remover?

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Try Kramer's Best Blemish Clarifier,,,,,,  not Kramer's Antique Restorer... you need the powerful stuff!! 

http://www.kramerize.com/products.htm

[Mark Elliott]

It could be one of those catalyzed epoxy type finishes.   My father used to love to use that stuff.  It looks horrible but it wears like stone and resists all manner of chemicals.      To the best of my knowledge the only way to remove it is to sand it off.   

[WadePatton]

or scrape it.

[pathfinder]

I've had to dealwith those catalized finishes in my "other" life. It seem's if you scraped the top off,the stripper had something to "bite" into. Try that on a 25',yes,FEET,conferance table! Makes ya think refinising a concert Grand piano in high gloss black was a walk in the park!

Never was a fan of those finishes on anything but a floor or bowling alley. Wood moves too much for a "bullet proof" finish.

[Rick G.]

Aircraft paint stripper has always worked for me.

[Lucky R A]

Second on the Aircraft paint stripper available in auto part stores.  It is designed to remove the two part epoxy finishes and will remove the stuff that Remington uses as a factory finish.  It is my go to stripper for both modern and antique finishes. 

[kutter]

Scrape it off. Use a straight edge blade knife and it doesn't take long at all. Done carefully, little sanding work remains. Use a blade long enough that you can steady with 2 hands. More control and no chattering that way.

I just did a Zoli Zouave w/some sort of outspace finish on it that resisted all the HazMat stripper I had around. The simple sharp knife blade made quick work of it though.
Should've started there in the first place.

[ratfacedmcdougal]

I use a heat gun to strip epoxy and old varnish from boats. Maybe that would loosen the finish to make for easier scraping. Heat just to blistering careful not to char the wood.
RFMcD

[Hungry Horse]

 Thanks guys, the aircraft stripper was something I had considered, but wasn't sure what effect it would have on the wood. I will give it a try.

                      Hungry Horse

[Rasch Chronicles]

Scrapers are my all time favorite wood finishing tool. easy to make in any configuration, they leave a ready to finish surface.
Here are a couple of reference links:
Sharpening and Using a Scraper and on YouTube:

Best regards,
Albert A Rasch
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles
The Range Reviews: Recreating the 18th Century Powder Horn

[Dphariss]

Thanks guys, the aircraft stripper was something I had considered, but wasn't sure what effect it would have on the wood. I will give it a try.

                      Hungry Horse

I used plastic/epoxy stripper on a plastic finished Browning some years ago and it worked fine and refinished great. A regular stripper should work OK if its not plastic.

Dan