HD...

I am making a list of things I need to shoot and maintain both rifles.

I was told I could shoot commercial .308 ammo, but nothing hot. Because that is clear as mud, I am going to get an adjustable gas plug for both rifles. Do you guys recommend the Schuster Adjustable Gas Plug?

Other items I am looking at, but not sure where to get or if I should even get are:

- Gas Cylinder Wrench (so I do not screw anything up while changing the gas plugs)
- Combo Tool
- Chamber Brushes (would I just be able to use a .308 chamber brush on both rifles?)
- High Temp Axel Grease


Also, I am not sure what I should use on the wood of the .308 rifle. It is only stained and I think I need to put something on it to protect it. Any recommendations? All of my other rifles have synthetic stocks, so I have not had to deal with protecting real wood.

FROM CULVERS WEBSITE: This is what I use. For the beeswax you can use those O-ring seals for toilets. I suggest you buy new. The "magic finish formula" consists of equal parts of Boiled Linseed Oil, Turpentine (essentially a solvent) and Beeswax. (1/3rd Linseed, 1/3rd Turpentine, and 1/3rd Beeswax. Melt the mixture over a "flameless" heat source (hot plate, radiator or the manifold of your vehicle). Stir the concoction and allow to cool into a paste. Put the paste in a convenient container. I put into a small can from the paint area from Lowes or Home depot.......

quote:

Originally posted by bozman:
Also, I am not sure what I should use on the wood of the .308 rifle. It is only stained and I think I need to put something on it to protect it. Any recommendations? All of my other rifles have synthetic stocks, so I have not had to deal with protecting real wood.

The correct finish for a USGI Garand stock is 100% pure tung oil. (NOT the "tung oil" sold in your local hardware store, which is a comparatively small percentage of oil mixed with various thinner and drying agent chemicals.)

I get my 100% pure tung oil from www.realmilkpaint.com

But considering it's a new production replacement stock, it's not as vital to use the real deal, since you don't have to worry about hurting its collectors value.

A 1/3 linseed oil/turpentine/wax mix as described above by phil in indy is a good choice for wood stocks in general, even if it's not "correct" for a USGI rifle stock. It will look great, and the wood will be protected and water-resistant, plus it's a bit easier/quicker to apply than a straight tung oil finish.

If you don't want to bother with making your own 1/3 mix as described above by phil in indy, you can buy it premade from Tom "The Gun Stock Doctor" here: http://thegunstockdoctor.com/

I've used Tom's 1/3 Mix on several wood rifle stocks, with good results.

You DO NOT need a adjustable gas screw with commercial or USGI ammo in a 308 Garand unless shooting 180 gr or over bullets or the super preformance ammo

All,

Thanks for the finish recommendation. I will probably go with the pre-made stuff Rogue suggested and also get some tung oil for the .30-06.

The wood on the .30-06 is in good shape, but has a couple of dings and a rack number that was written on the stock with a sharpie

What would you use to clean the stock without starting in on a complete refinish job? I don't care that the rack number or dents are in it, I just want to clean it some. Is there a commercial product or something for furniture you would recommend for a lite cleaning before re-oiling?

So... I do not need an adjustable gas plug for anything below 180 gr.? I do not want to jack up the receiver by messing this up. Current I have AE308D 150 Grain American Eagle and 7.62 NATO 147 Grain FMJ M80 IMI Ammo that I shoot through my LMT MWS. I have a couple thousand rounds of each.

For the .30-06 I have the PPU Garand ammo from SGAmmo that will be here Wednesday (was delayed by UPS due to the winter storm we are getting through the midwest). In your opinion, is this safe without an adjustable gas plug?

Any other tools you think I should get? I already have the standard stuff like a Tipton 1 piece cleaning rod, brass jags, brushes, etc. I picked up some Mobil 1 Synthetic Grease this morning.

I am going to be getting the rifles out today to clean and lube. I will take some pictures at that time. Here is a shot of the two of them I took quickly last night.

quote:

Originally posted by bozman:
For the .30-06 I have the PPU Garand ammo from SGAmmo that will be here Wednesday (was delayed by UPS due to the winter storm we are getting through the midwest). In your opinion, is this safe without an adjustable gas plug?

Yes.

quote:

Originally posted by bozman:
The wood on the .30-06 is in good shape, but has a couple of dings and a rack number that was written on the stock with a sharpie

What would you use to clean the stock without starting in on a complete refinish job? I don't care that the rack number or dents are in it, I just want to clean it some. Is there a commercial product or something for furniture you would recommend for a lite cleaning before re-oiling?

Don't use chemicals or cleaning products.

Get some of the 100% tung oil I mentioned above, as well as some cheesecloth.

Then go to this online article from the CMP, and read section #9 on cleaning a dirty collector's stock.

http://thecmp.org/training-tec...-cleaning-article/#9

This is the most pertinent part:

"All that the new owner needs to do to clean a collector stock of crud and whatever else is to get some cheese cloth, the funny open weave stuff, and use some pure tung oil to wet it. As the wood is rubbed with the cloth and tung oil, the new oil will dissolve the old crud that is dried and stuck on. The cheese cloth will collect the crud and carry it away as the cloth is turned.There is nothing more needed to clean a real USGI stock in near perfect condition. ANY complicated formula product that is used will take away finish, stain, wood and so on. The result will be other than original. Some collectors believe that any cleaning by any means creates a non-original result and that nothing should be done to that quality of stock so as to preserve its historical originality.

Cheese cloth, pure tung oil, and a bit of elbow grease will clean the stock, leave it protected, and it will look perfect. Don't let the tung oil sit on the top of the wood wet or soak in forever or even worse dry on the surface. Clean the wood and then wipe it dry to cure as soon as the user is finished cleaning. What soaked in while rubbing and was left in the wood as wiped dry is good enough. Stop there."

I've done this on several USGI rifle stocks, with good results.

Thanks Rogue...

The but plate on the rifle isn't exactly rusted, but it looks like it is starting. I was going to use some very fine steel wool and CLP and give it a light rub. Good idea or bad?

Oh... I should mention I am not a collector, I just wanted a piece of history. So, if a little patina comes off, no big deal to me. I just want to keep rifle/parts in good order.

Also, I cannot find anything on the internet about greasing the piston end of the op rod. Is it necessary to put a lite film of grease on the end that operates in the gas tube?

Bronze/brass wool would be a better choice for removing rust without harming the finish. I'd start with that.

No, you do not grease the gas piston at the end of the op rod. You want the interior of your gas cylinder to remain dry. You can use solvent to clean the interior of the gas cylinder, and even oil the interior of the gas cylinder if you're going to be storing the rifle for a long time, but you'll want to clean out any solvent or oil from the gas cylinder before firing. Similarly, if you're cleaning the bore of your Garand without completely disassembling the rifle, it's advisable to do it with the rifle upside down, so that solvent doesn't inadvertently run down through the gas port at the 6:00 position in the barrel and into the gas cylinder.

Here's a good tutorial on greasing the Garand: http://www.garandgear.com/m1-garand-grease

Rogue... Read that article and intend to follow it. The reason I ask is because it came from the CMP greased.

As for the Tung Oil... Can I use that to finish the .308 stock? I assume I would heat it slightly, rub it everywhere inside and outside of the stock and let it dry? Do this 3-4 times?

OR, is the other product a better product seeing as that it is definitely not a collector's piece?

Again... Thank you all for your input so far...

quote:

Originally posted by bozman:
Rogue... Read that article and intend to follow it. The reason I ask is because it came from the CMP greased.

Likely to prevent rust during extended storage.

quote:

Originally posted by bozman:
As for the Tung Oil... Can I use that to finish the .308 stock? I assume I would heat it slightly, rub it everywhere inside and outside of the stock and let it dry? Do this 3-4 times?

OR, is the other product a better product seeing as that it is definitely not a collector's piece?

You can absolutely use 100% pure tung oil on your .308's new production stock. Unless you're storing the tung oil outside in an unheated shop or garage or the like, you shouldn't need to heat it beforehand. Starting with a small amount of oil in my palm, I rub the oil onto the stock by hand. Then hang the stock up, wait about 45 minutes, wipe any excess off with a clean lint-free cloth (like an old well-worn cotton t-shirt), and then hang it to dry for a day or two. Do this for each of the desired coats of tung oil. I'd start with two coats, and see where you're at. It may take more. If the stock is really dry, it may take several more. Once you're done applying your last coat of oil, hang the stock to dry for about a week before reassembling the rifle.

The 1/3 mix is a bit easier to apply, since it dries faster than tung oil and is a bit less messy (being a paste instead of a liquid). It will also likely require fewer coats. And the beeswax also adds to its water resistance.

Great... Thanks.

For the Tom's 1/3 Mix, did you use the "white" or "natural"?

Your guns are beautiful by the way...

I bought my 1/3 mix from Tom several years ago before he had various color options. He only had one choice. I'm not sure if the original formula I've used is his current "white" or "natural" formula.

I'd suggest calling or emailing Tom to see which one he recommends.

Cool... I just watched a couple of videos and I may just use the tung oil to clean the one stock and finish the other UNLESS you think that is a bad idea.

I have never finished a piece of wood in my life other than painting it.

quote:

NOT the "tung oil" sold in your local hardware store,

Absolutely. That stuff has a varnish in it that will make the stock look like it was polyurethaned. Looks like crap.


I use this.
https://www.woodcraft.com/prod...r-pure-tung-oil-pint

The first coat is thinned a bit with mineral sprits and allowed to dry. Takes time but worth it. I then add coats up to full strength hand rubbed in. I don't use a cloth in later coats. Just use fingers and palm to rub it in.


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