Refinishing the stock on my Rossi 92?

[Targa]

Hi all, I would like to finish the stock on my Rossi. I know some of you....COSteve maybe one of you if I remember correctly.?.?..have really made there standard Rossi stocks shine. Pointers would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Darrin.

[Pathfinder45]

I've done it on an older Winchester buttstock with excellent results. I lightly sanded the stock being careful not to take the surface down below its proper interface with the mating steel parts. In my case, the wood was a little paler than I preferred, so I gave it a little bit of dark walnut stain, even though the wood itself is walnut, and let it dry. Afterwards, I used pure Teak-wood Oil, hand rubbed, dried overnight near the wood-stove and a repeat the next night. It's been a couple of years now and I might re-oil it this Winter, but it looks exactly like the fore-stock, which I have done nothing to as it had no real need of it. It looks right; it looks correct; this being a circa 1942 vintage model 94 that has seen considerable use. One of the reasons I chose Teak-wood oil is because it has good UV-resistance. It's not glossy, which I wouldn't want anyway. Think and choose carefully what you want to use for your finish. You can have the best water-resistant finish, but if it isn't UV resistant, the Sun will wreck it.

[MountainMan83]

I was just in a frenzy to finish a sporter stock for my 1903 Springfield. It is a shiny rifle and I wanted to keep it that way, I used FamoWood two-part table top epoxy. Thing came out so shiny I could shave using my reflection in it! I achieved a finish so thick and shiny in three days that would take 30+ coats of varnish or urethane and is probably stronger too. This stuff is waterproof and has so far proven itself out in the freezing cold hunting weather.

[Ibmikey]

Wood on Rossi’s is some kind of unknown tree and lacks any sort of grain in most, refinishing it is not normally going to produce something beautiful.

[Targa]

Thank you all for the info. As for looking beautiful, I will take just looking better...

[hanleyfan]

I beg to differ, I refinished two rossi's and they came out beautifull, after I stripped off that old black finished they both revealed a nice grained wood stock, totally surprised me. Mine came off with warm soapy water, dried it out and applied 4 coats of true oil as stated on bottle. they don't look like the same guns.

[T. O'Heir]

"...or urethane..." No urethane. That's plastic and it ruins even plain wood. Use pure tung oil. The more coats(one per day with 24 hours between 'em) you rub in, the shinier the end result gets.

[zipspyder]

Tru-oil. Not like you can make the stock any worse.

[Ricklin]

I like tru oil. I've done a couple of guns with it and am always pleased.

Only thing I don't like is the hand rubbing. I wear Nitrile exam gloves for the hand rubbed coats. Makes no difference in the finish, and keeps the oil off my hands.
I don't think Latex gloves would work, Nitrile is very chemical resistant.

[Pathfinder45]

Now that it's been almost a month, perhaps the deed is done. Hopefully we will get a full report with pictures.....

[Buzzcook]

Go down to your local Swerwin Williams store (or similar) and get a guy to walk you through the process.

The hard part is removing the old finish and prepping the wood.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3RJU9Dhngg

[shootniron]

I just used Tru oil on mine...rubbed with steel wool and applied a coat, allowed it to dry several days and repeated it 4 or 5 times...rubbed with steel wool after all coats except the last one. It turned out great.

[Targa]

Now that it's been almost a month, perhaps the deed is done. Hopefully we will get a full report with pictures.....

Not done yet. We are nearing a move so I am holding off until that is finished next month. I like the true oil idea, I want to keep this simple.... Thanks again for the ideas, I will post a pic of how it turns out once I finish.