Guns & Outdoors Forum

I've tried a few times but they always turn out blotchy. I usually give up and paint them black. I tried stripper, scand paper and liquor thinner. The reason is as is I have a Marlin 25, my friend Tom's, with interesting grain and it just isn't turning out the way I'd like. I stripped it sanded it, soaked it in hot water, sanded it, used stain control and it's still blotchy. Same result as some NEF's and other "Hard Wood" stocks. What kind of wood are they using. Is there any way to soften the density differences in the wood or effects of previous finishes?

I’ve never had luck with the NEF pallet wood stocks. Blotchy every time. So, I just roll with blotchy. It’s an is what it is thing.

Try a conditioner. I have not done a stock, but many woodworker swear by this sort of product.

https://www.amazon.com/Minwax-134074444 ... r=8-6&th=1

I have refinished quite a few walnut stocks...most of the woth that plasticized finish that Remington used. After stripping that mess off and giving the checkering a good going over woth stripper on a toothbrush, I would sand the stock dowm to bare wood and then spend the next month or so hand rubbing an oil finish with Tung Oil.

Many moons back I decided to "beautify" a Glenfield 25, basically the same gun as the one from Marlin you're trying to. I sanded the stock to take off the factory sprayed on finish and the bare wood basically refused to take any type of dark stain with satisfactory results.

My solution for that gun was to HIGHLY polish (I think I took it to 1500 wet dry paper) and then blue the metal as dark as dark as I could with the old Oxpho until I had a very dark glossy finish. I then took a rasp and reshaped the 2x4 stock into a very slim and light sporter look with a hint of a schnabel fore-end and a real, but super thin, rubber recoil pad. I then sanded it to a nice smoot finish and did about 5 applications of the lightest stain I could get and ended with a pretty light golden stock with just a hint of grain. I sealed it with Tung oil with just about every day applications (and sanding) over a period of a week or so until I had no pores showing. The end result was a rather handsome high contrast dark polished blue with a light blonde stock that quite frankly looked a LOT better than many way more expensive guns out there. A friend's son fell in love with the gun so I gifted it to him but I wish I had that little rifle back.

You know, somewhere in one of my safe's I have an old 25 that I have not shot or probably seen in years, and I believe the stock has some dings on the finish and crappy pressed checkering. Marlin/Glenfield 25s are excellent shooting guns and I think I might make a clone of that old little rifle and give it to one of my granddaughters.

They are usually birch or beech wood and they are hard to stain. I usually never even bothered trying to make them look good!

I've refurbished a lot of old guns and never had luck with these hardwood stocks. I usually paint them black and they look good. Tom wanted this one wood grain. I should have left it blond!

You can also tint the finish rather than stain the wood. Something like Mixol, or a similar product. The furniture maker I worked for years ago did more tinting than he did staining.

Beech wont stain!
You can paint it or varnish it with tinted varnish or flat tinted urethane. It doesnt work with oil or wax finishes either. don’t attempt to checker it. Just seal it to keep the moisture out.
Should be tough an stable if sealed.

Old tech, they used to use nitric acid and heat to darken stocks on flintlocks back in the 1700 and early 1800’s. Then wash it with soda and water to neutralize the acids

And I just found that old Glenfield 25 today, as well as 7 old Mossberg .22s. Thanks for sending me hunting.

I've worked on both and found them to be very accurate inexpensive rifle. Parts are available and IIRC the Mossberg had Walnut stock.

Wambli Ska wrote: ↑Fri Feb 06, 2026 6:10 am And I just found that old Glenfield 25 today, as well as 7 old Mossberg .22s. Thanks for sending me hunting.

Wambli
Its almost disgusting that you “found” 8 rifles. 8 total guns of all types is way over my high water mark.

You guys should be ashamed of yourselves! No matter how much you save reloading a 22 is still cheaper to shoot and ventilate a can just as well.

Elk Creek wrote: ↑Fri Feb 06, 2026 3:38 am Old tech, they used to use nitric acid and heat to darken stocks on flintlocks back in the 1700 and early 1800’s. Then wash it with soda and water to neutralize the acids

I used that technique on my Kentucky Long Rifle ML. I really like how it turned out. I wanted a traditional finish on that rifle so I rust finished the metal.

Ok, Tom really likes the finish. It's his gun not mine! I would have painted it black. I'll put 10 -20 coats of oil on it and call it good. If he's happy who am I to say different. After extensive prep and conditioner I applied Minwax "Gunstock" stain, it turned the wood red! I immediately applied "Dark Walnut" and it looked better. After a day I applied another coat of Dark Walnut and waited another day before adding the first coat of boiled linseed oil. It does have a nice red hew but...not my style or typical work. Not my gun! I appreciate the feedback I'm a tinkerer not an expert.