MN Sporter
Strip stock and repair (if needed)

The method you use to strip your stock will depend on whether you have an oil finish or a varnish finish. You need not worry about the hand guard or the area of the stock that fits opposite the hand guard, (beyond the step). We will not be using them

VARNISH
For a varnish finish you will need a can of stripper from the local hardware store. NOTE: If the woman in your life asks where you are going, be very careful how you answer or else you may spend the next several hours (days) explaining why you are going out to pick up a stripper : )

Just brush on the stripper and let it do its thing, then scrub away the residue with some steel wool. It may take a few applications to remove all the varnish.

OIL FINISH
Oil is a lot more tedious to remove from wood. First clean away all topical oils with any method you have at your disposal. Spray carburetor cleaner works well, but I have also used automotive hand cleaner and Dawn dish soap with good results. As soon as the surface is dry, you need to heat up the wood to speed up the rate the rest of the oil works its way to the surface. My favorite way to heat them is to wrap them in newspaper, slide them inside a trash bag and put them inside a closed car on a hot sunny day. Then repeat the method you used to remove the surface oil. Repeat this process until you stop getting oil from the stock.

Another method I have used is to submerge the stock in non clumping, unscented kitty litter for a few weeks. This stuff works very well. Just be sure to shake it once a day to keep fresh litter in contact with the stock.

CRACKS?
Some folks see a cracked stock as a ruined rifle. I see them as a dollar saved. I wouldn't want them on a collectable, but on a shooter, they are just fine.

Stocks typically crack in two places, at the wrist as in the first pic below, and at the toe of the butt, as in the second pic. I would prefer the butt type, however either type can be repaired.

Drive in the blade of a small screw driver or a nail to spread the crack open. Don't over do it and make the crack worse. Use spray carburetor cleaner to clean and degrease the inside of the crack. ONCE IT IS DRY, drizzle in as much of your adhesive of choice as you can. I prefer Acraglas from Brownell's, but have also had good success with Elmer's wood glue. Compressed air can be used to force adhesive into the crack. Lightly clamp the pieces together. Be careful not to squeeze all the glue out. wipe off any excess.

For added strength you can drill a pilot hole through the crack and put in a screw covered covered with glue. Once everything has dried, you can cut off the screw head. Then grind it below flush and fill the holes, or just sand it flush and paint it to closely match and live with it.

If using Acraglas, you can also fill any annoying holes such as the sling slot in the pic below. As you can see I dyed the mix pretty dark. I will be staining the wood dark later. You can also fill holes with wood glue and sawdust. The sawdust will hold the stain later if you choose to use it..

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