Finishing is one of the most important steps of wooden gun stock manufacturing, as it determines how resistant, durable, and aesthetically beautiful the final product will be. Dealing with gun stocks, oil finish is really appreciated to protect, renovate, and enhance the raw material. We talk about this finishing technique in this article.

What is a gun stock oil finish?

Oil finish is a protective and decorative technique that lets you enhance the natural elements of the raw material, avoiding possible damage from dust, moisture, and humidity.

One of the advantages of an oil finish is that its small molecules penetrate deeply into the wood, making it look richer and translucent and preserving interior and exterior fibres, keeping them nourished and supple.
Even if the protective qualities of gun stock oil finishes can be less durable than varnishes, enthusiasts really love them for their elegant effect.

If compared with high VOC varnishes, oils are more natural products and easier to maintain over long periods of time. Therefore, they can be considered more sustainable compared with other finishing options.

Gun stock oil finish: what oil should you use?

Many different types of oil are used by wood manufacturers, and they can be divided into two groups:

• drying oils that essentially change from liquid to solid when exposed to air, providing a durable finish to the surface on which they are applied. Linseed oil, tung oil, and walnut oil are some examples. These are generally used for frequently used surfaces and objects that could be exposed to water and other external factors that could ruin them. Linseed oil is a common gun stock oil finish.

• nondrying oils that don’t harden if exposed to air, staying wet indefinitely and being removed easily with soap and water. As they do not create a solid film on a wooden surface, they are considered a temporary treatment more than a long-lasting finish. Edible oils (e.g., almond oil, olive oil, and peanut oil) and mineral oils are nondrying and often used for objects used in cooking—as they are safe for food—and skincare products.

Let’s analyse some of the oils used in wood manufacturing.

Linseed oil

This oil is one of the most popular gun stock oil finishes, as it saturates deep into the wood grain to protect it and make it water-resistant. It is really appreciated by collectors, as it produces a satin finish that brings out the natural colour and veins of the raw material. Linseed oil, which derives from the flaxseed plant, can be processed in different ways. Raw linseed oil is the purest form but is rarely used as a wood finish because of long drying times. Boiled linseed oil is frequently used in wood manufacturing as well as polymerized linseed oil, which is also safer and dries more quickly.

Tung oil

This is one of the most popular oils used in wood manufacturing. It is a great alternative to other drying oils, such as walnut, linseed, and soy. Tung oil is extracted from the seed of the tung tree, which is native to Eastern Asia and has been used in China as a wood finish for centuries. It is versatile, eco-friendly, dries quickly, and is safe for food. It is used as a gun stock oil finish because, like other oils, it penetrates the wooden surface and makes it more resistant and durable.

Walnut oil

This oil is extracted from the nuts of the Juglans regia tree and is very high in linoleic acid. This peculiar property lets walnut oil dry and differentiates it from other edible oils. It is often used on kitchen tools, as it is safe for food. If left raw, walnut oil takes a long time to dry, so it is often boiled or polymerized to hasten the process. If used for firearm stocks, it is usually mixed with wax for better water-resistance.

Mineral oil

This oil is used as a wood finish if a more natural look is required and is especially common on cutting boards, kitchen utensils, and bowls since it is nontoxic. It is often used over a water-based paint to bring out the natural look of wood.

Danish oil

This oil is a common gun stock oil finish, the composition of which varies among manufacturers. Generally, it is a mixture of an oil, a varnish, and a thinner. Typically, boiled linseed oil or tung oil is used but not always. It can be considered a drying oil, as it can polymerize into a solid form when it reacts with oxygen. Danish oil is used to enrich the natural appearance of the raw material, providing more protection against moisture or wear.

The importance of choosing the right supplier

Each type of wood has its own peculiarities. If you decide to apply a gun stock oil finish, you need a competent wood manufacturer that can treat and prepare wood properly. To provide top-quality finishes, your supplier must have access to advanced technologies for the sanding and polishing phase and the application of the final type of finish.

At Minelli, we offer a full range of finishing options, relying on innovative automatic processes and robotic arms to properly treat the raw material. Thanks to our machines and decennial experience, we can guarantee the same precision and processing for each surface we manage, and we can advise as to which is the best solution for each specific case.

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