I have my Grandfather/Father's 1940 Winchester and 1941 Remington.  Stocks are in good shape, but I want to oil/protect them

I got some real Tung oil to oil the stocks on some M1 Carbines.  Would Tung oil be OK on these stocks?  I think (from CMP forum) that was original finish on the M1's, but not sure how commercial stocks would have been originaly finished.

Tung oil was commonly used during that period.
Linseed oil (raw or boiled) is the other most likely finish, but is not as desirable as tung oil.
Since there are no issues with applying tung oil over linseed oil, and you have tung oil, that's what I'd use.

Be sure to buy "real" tung oil, the stuff they sell in the box stores is more than likely just really thin poly.

Yep, pure tung oil is the cats ass, especially for your application. I don't think it likes going over existing oil, though, and won't do you any good over laquers or sheen oils. If your rifles are "bone stock" in terms of just having BLO on them over time, you should be ok, and tung won't hurt.

Tung is designed on fresh wood to be laid heavy, excess wiped, then dry for 24 hours.

In your application, I would actually go on a little light, and wipe the excess. Maybe repeat a couple times. Please post your results.

I would not apply a drying oil finish on your finished stocks. Unless you are re-finishing them.

Just wipe on some Old English Lemon Oil.  That's what I use on all of the furniture I've made over the years.



And fwiw, ALL of the oils above only penetrate the wood by around 1/32".

+1

Thanks for a ll the replies.  I ordered some pure Carnuba gun stock wax and am going to use that.  From what I can gather that is the safest.  I mainly don't want to mess them up.