With turkey season on its way, I decided I better start looking for a 12 gauge to hunt with. I checked a few pawn shops...one guy wanted $150 for a Remington 870 that looked like it hadn't been cleaned in 10 years...it was in pretty bad condition. As I'm checking out the condition of the firearm, I set and pull the trigger, twice. Then he proceeds to tell me not to dry fire a shotgun as it will wear out the firing pin??? At any rate, I didn't purchase this gun. I then headed to the local gun store and found an 870 in VERY good condition for $190. It looked like it had been barely used. I ended up purchasing it, an extra full turkey choke, fiber optic snap on sights, and a Colt 30 round magazine for $250 out the door. My wonderful day came to a screeching halt, however, when I decided to use break cleaner on the action! Apparently that stuff is no good on wood. Anyone have a how-to on refinishing a stock?  Also, how do you remove the magazine plug? Thanks.

Heck, just pick up a synthetic camo stock set for it. They're not that expensive, and will make the shotgun more impervious to the weather that you'll encounter during a spring turkey hunt.

If you really want to refinish your wood stock, here are some tips from Remington's website:

Q. What should I use to refinish my older wooden stock?

A. Stain selection depends entirely on how dark you desire your stock to be. The final choice should be governed by your taste. Applying a small amount of stain to the barrel channel inletting may be helpful to your decision making process.

NOTE: For best results, follow the stain manufacturer's directions closely, since the method of application and drying and curing time may vary.

There are many types of finish available on the market that will give a beautiful, durable finish, and unless you are familiar with the pros and cons of each finish, seek the advice of a finish expert. Your local hardware store may be a good place to look.

Boiled linseed oil or tung oil is an excellent choice of a wood sealer that penetrates and hardens to form a durable, low gloss finish. These finishes usually can be applied with a clean rag and allowed to soak in before the excess is removed. To enhance the natural wood grain, several coats are recommended with a buff of 4/0 steel wool between coats.

If you need further assistance, we suggest taking your firearm to a Remington Authorized Repair Center.

Never heard the "no dry firing shotguns" thing.  Is there any truth to this?  I thought the only guns you shouldn't dry fire were rimfires.

Quoted: If your stock is walnut, it is worth spending the time to refinish it correctly. If it is the later "box crate" wood as used on Express Models, I would say just sand and paint with Krylon or such. You can even do a camo pattern and fool the turkeys!

+1

If the stock is not a prized quality wood, Krylon is excellent.  
My first question is, does the stock have checkering?  If so, you might consider masking it off. Sand everything smooth; you do not have to remove all the original finish, just get it smooth.
If you choose Krylon, make sure all the different paints are the same brand.  Mixing brands will cause problems (ask me how I know).
Prime the surface with grey primer.
Krylon has a "No-Skid" paint that is excellent for a textured surface for the areas your hands come in contact with (pistolgrip area of butstock and forends, but not the cheek rest area!)
Go over the entire area with 2 or 3 coats of black, OD green, or whatever color you select.  Krylon has an excellent color selection.
Seal the work with 3 to 5 coats of a matte or satin clear coat.

The end result will look like a custom, even synthetic stock.









The results are only limited by your imagination.

Oh, one other thing, don't use brake cleaner or other aerosol spray cleaners on firearms.  Just don't.  It doesn't do the job you think it does.  Clean the gun by disassembling it, and using the usual solvents.  By disassembling the gun and cleaning it, you are getting the dirt and grime out.  You think the aerosol cleaners do this, but they don't.

If you are looking to save money, get a sturdy gallon jug, like a vinegar jug or window washer fluid jug.  Pour in 2 quarts of automatic transmission fluid, 1 quart of straight 30 weight oil, and 1 pint of lighter fluid.  This concoction can be poured into smaller bottles, or a squirt bottle.
Clean your gun after every use.  If you do this, this custom mixed oil/cleaner will be all you need to use.  If you let your gun sit dirty for periods of time, you will have to use the Hoppes or other solvents.

Dryfiring is a professional courtesy no-no.  Will it hurt the gun?  Probably not.  If dryfiring breaks something, it was going to break anyway.  But, dryfiring a weapon in gun circles is portrayed as a display of ignorance.  When you are inspecting a firearm pryor to purchase, you want to look like a professional in order to haggle the best deal.  In order to do this, bring some items with you like snap caps, dummy rounds, bore inspections lights, etc.  Before you drop the first dummy round in the firearm, ask the shop person's permission first.  When you cycle the gun, make sure the muzzle is pointed in a safe direction, and make sure your dummy rounds land in an appropriate spot (ie., not flying across a glass counter top, or infront of another customer's nose).  Dryfiring a gun harmful to the gun, no; it is just bad etiquette.

2guntom
454 Casull +