Help with a Garand stock in Wmass

usp45ct

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Ok, so I got a new CMP Garand stock and the clip came on the stock. Anyone have tool or can we meet up to remove it for me?
 
I've used snap ring pliers and later a tool made to do it, but lately just leave the clip on and either mask or simply wipe off whatever finish gets on it. I decided I'd rather not risk screwing up the hand guard.
 
I broke mine getting it off but had got a replacement before the stock came back from the Refinishers. Came out mint.

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Leave the clip on but if you feel compelled to mess with it - use that bailing wire trick pictured above.
 
I use minwax Gunstock 231 oil based then use the top oil of choice (I like tung oil) both tung oil and BLO was used. Having used both I like the Tung oil better.
 
Ordered....thanks for the heads up.

Any secret sauce for finishing a never before finished stock? I did buy a kit from Garand gear

Brand new production Garand stock? I hit it with 100 grit, to break the glaze on the wood, then gently round off all the sharp corners with 150 or 180 grit--sharp milled corners don't look right on a vintage firearm, so round off all the right-angles.

After all the sharp corners are rounded, hit the whole stock once-over with 220 grit to remove the 150/180 grit scratches, then give the whole stock a once-over with 300 and 400-ish grit. The wood should be smooth as an underwear model's ass.

Vacuum all the dust out of the grain/pores of the wood with a soft bristle-brush attachment.

Now open the grain of the wood again. Dampen a wash cloth with boiling water--it should be ALMOST painful to handle. Wipe down the whole stock quickly repeat: quickly, just a quick once-over with a damp, piping-hot cloth--not dripping wet, just damp--you don't want to soak the wood, just lightly dampen it. The water will evaporate away in a minute or less. That opens up the grain of the wood, the same way that time does. If you want to leave it smooth, hey--this is America.

Inre: finishing the stock, there are plenty of ways to skin a cat, but something I tried recently resulted in an amazing "Springfield Red" color. I used RAW linseed oil, bought at a local hardware store for the first three coats. RAW linseed oil still has the fatty acids from the Flax-seed oil, whereas BOILED linseed oil apparently does not. The use of RAW linseed oil was suggested by a poster on another forum (SailorMan2) and I was absolutely blown away by how much red the raw linseed oil created. I had wiped down the stock with paint thinner to get some idea of the grain, and was disappointed by how blond the wood looked. I took some pictures of the process, including before and after and appearance with just mineral spirits, and maybe I'll post them if I can find some time.

Raw linseed oil will not dry, at least not for months, but it dives nicely into the wood and provides a base of color. You could follow with boiled linseed oil and get the whole polymerization thing going. You might be able to wait awhile and go with pure Tung oil*--and that would probably be the best of both worlds--the Springfield red of the RLO and the protective qualities of the Tung oil.

*Do not use the shit from the local hardware store that comes in metal cans claiming to be "Tung Oil". That isn't Tung Oil at all--it is varnish, "wiping varnish" to be exact. Pure tung oil comes in plastic bottles.



Anyhow. Good luck, and post some pics of your stock.
 
Great write up....thanks.

Just waiting for the tool to come in from CMP

One word of caution on sanding--don't sand the lockup areas--the bearing areas where the trigger group and the receiver heel sit, with one exception--you CAN (and probably should) relieve the top of the stock, but ONLY from the inletting for the receiver legs back to two inches in front of the receiver heel.

See Orlando's posts in this thread:


Relieving a tiny bit of wood in the area shown in post #29 (Pic by Orlando) yields REAL good results--even with older (compressed) GI wood. You're talking about a thin sliver of daylight. Think a fresh sheet of 100 grit wrapped around a square hardwood ballaster and just sand that area evenly until the stain is gone.

Google "Garand tilt test" and remove any wood the op rod is rubbing against.

Personally I've never needed to lower the stock ferrule. I'd say hold off on that and see how she shoots.

Lastly, Gus Fisher is the original go-to guy for advice on match-fitting a stock for the M1 Garand.


Good luck.
 
One word of caution on sanding--don't sand the lockup areas--the bearing areas where the trigger group and the receiver heel sit, with one exception--you CAN (and probably should) relieve the top of the stock, but ONLY from the inletting for the receiver legs back to two inches in front of the receiver heel.

See Orlando's posts in this thread:


Relieving a tiny bit of wood in the area shown in post #29 (Pic by Orlando) yields REAL good results--even with older (compressed) GI wood. You're talking about a thin sliver of daylight. Think a fresh sheet of 100 grit wrapped around a square hardwood ballaster and just sand that area evenly until the stain is gone.

Google "Garand tilt test" and remove any wood the op rod is rubbing against.

Personally I've never needed to lower the stock ferrule. I'd say hold off on that and see how she shoots.

Lastly, Gus Fisher is the original go-to guy for advice on match-fitting a stock for the M1 Garand.


Good luck.


Jesus. I don’t know who Master Guns Gus is but this ain’t his first rodeo!
 
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