Quoted: When I first started messing with guns, I used some Tru Oil. I regret it. Horribly ugly material. Try to use what was orignial to the firearm. I am a fan of BLO as a base and Tung Oil as the final coat.
Poly urethane is also just plain evil. |
Linseed oil is also a poor choice for a gun stock finish, if you want one that will water proof the gun. For starters, it never cures, even with the dryers added in virtually any you buy from a paint store or hardware store. It takes months for a linseed oiled stock to remotely cure out, particularly if coats were added before the first coat cured.
Finishing off with Tung oil is an improvement, but it's still not nearly as good as a modified oil.
I'm betting you would be surprised at the number of custom rifles that are finished with Tru Oil, and most of the other finishes such as Linspeed aren't really vastly different.
Polyurethane and epoxy are evil, if you value the guns appearance. If it's a rifle with a wood stock for hard service in wet and cold, then epoxy is probably the only choice that will seal the stock well enough to prevent shifting zeroes, which is everything for a working rifle. Just don't leave it shinin'.
Tru Oil is also easy to get whatever degree of shine or matte desired; buff it out for shine, or knock it back with steel wool for the English look.