I want to finish my CMP Special Garand and am deciding between boiled tung oil and Minwax Tung Oil Finish.
I don't want a very glossy look but do want a durable finsih that I don't have to reapply often.

I'd go with pure Tung Oil; you may need to order it.  Far superior to BLO and it's very slow to build gloss.

Ty

You either want Tung oil or Bolied Linseed Oil BLO. Personally I prefer BLO. Just use thin coats ,wait a day in between. Rub stock with lint free lowel in between coats. Here are some pics of some stocks with BLO
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f197/Garandlover/correct58/MVC-002F-2.jpg

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f197/Garandlover/MVC-004F.jpg

http://s47.photobucket.com/albums/f197/Garandlover/Correct%20Grade%20HRA/?action=view¤t=HRA2.jpg

Pure Tung Oil it is!

RAG- im no pro. but, i just put my first coat of BLO on my K98 stock.

the upsides to BLO- easy to apply, dont need to mix it with anything- if the stock needs a touch up, just BLO it again and let it dry.

ive "heard" tung oil takes a long time to cure. BLO really only takes 24 hours to be dry.  tung oil will protect against water better than BLO from what ive read, but in my personal life- my '38 mauser WONT be out in the rain, so water penetration isnt a concern, to me at least.

people say the BLO will make the stock darker- but most will reply saying it will be barely noticeable.

ETA ive read that you should stay away from MINWAX for a rifle. again, not being a pro, but you might want to find out if there is cosmoline soaked into the rifle stock before you finish it. if there is, you might want to sweat it out.

dont quote me on any of this, just reffering things that ive picked up from reading forums.

some people say to use howards feed and wax- i wouldnt. its just a layer, doesnt soak into the stock.

and if you do want PURE tung oil, you have to order it. the stores probably wont stock it in PURE form.

He has one of the CMP "specials" with a new production stock - possibly by Boyd's I am not sure.

I would email or call CMP (or visit the CMP forum) and find out what the stock was finished with when made. You want to be compatible with that. If the "correct" finish was used, it is either Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO) or Tung Oil - they switched to Tung oil during WWII I believe.

BEWARE!
Minwax Tung Oil finish and most other common types of "tung oil finish" such as Formby's are not actually tung oil at all! They are a diluted varnish (i.e. a "wiping varnish") that soaks into the stock. There's nothing wrong with that type of finish and it gives good looking results, but it's not correct and affects what finish you can use in the future. A varnish totallly seals the wood and BLO on top of varnish is not good.

Thanks again for the replies. I heard that CMP used BLO but it sounded like Tung was a better choice according to their website. I don't anticipate needing to waterproof the stock, I just thought it'd be a better idea. I will reconsider the BLO, I thought it would take longer to dry but apparently not!

Here is what I did and it worked good and looks genuine.

Step 1.  Clean wood using denatured alcohol and green scrubby(scotch type scouring pad). This results in nearly stripped wood without any harshness to the wood itself. Remember to change out the alchohol when it gets dirty. Try to wipe the wood down before the alcohol dries. This cleans the wood amazingly well and easily.

Step 2. After wood has thoroghly dried, generously coat entire stock with BLO. After you have the whole thing covered in BLO wipe it all off with clean lint free rags (I used old t-shirts).  Repeat at least once in a day or so.

The results will be a no gloss authentic GI looking finish. Note I did not sand anything or repair dent and dings.  Also, if you like the vintage "red" look of an aged finish this method does not produce that look. You get the natural wood color. I am sure you could add something to the BLO for a red hue if you wish.  

Take a look at this link from the CMP web site, If it was me I'ld be using the Minwax

http://www.odcmp.com/Services/Rifles/wood_cleaning_article.htm

Here is a pic of my SA 5.9M Service Grade. Picked it up in July at the North store. She had a GAW stock on her so I decided to go with  CMP stock set. They come with what feels like one coat o BLO. Since your special is NEW wood, you don't have to worry about cleaning anything off.

I put one more coat of BLO on her and then two coats of Tung oil finish. I applied the tung oil with 0000 steel wool so I didn't get the gloss finish. I let the tung oil finish soak in for a few minutes and wiped off the exxess with an old tee shirt. (No lint) I let her dry for at least a day between any of the coats.  The satin sheen is from the lights. The stock has a nice soft oil finish look.



Go to Milsurpshooter.Net, those boys will tell you EVERYTHING and ANYTHING you want to know about finishing your stock.  GL

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc5/AJ100_01/PICT0044.jpg

WOW! That is one nice rifle! My Dad was in the army and fell in love with his M1 Gr. and M1 Carbine! For years he would tell stories about shooting at Camp Perry with the Gerand and sliding on the ice while in the prone poss. on a poncho. Going to N.M. and shooting so much that the BLO was boiling with not one JAM!! I have got to get me on of each!!!