How to Clean the Wood on a Gun

Keep your guns clean

Cleaning your gun barrel and stock after each use will keep your gun in good working condition and looking like new. You will want to keep the wood and barrel on your gun shiny to maintain the gun's value. Failure to clean the wood can result in soft spots in the wood, loss of luster, and eventually wearing away or cracking. Consider your gun as an investment that you may someday sell or pass on to the next generation in your family. You can clean the wood parts on your gun to help it looking good always.

Things You'll Need

• Tru-Oil
• Service and Polish Cloths
• Sheen & Conditioner
• Gun Stock Wax

Instructions

1. Determine the type of wood that your gunstock is made from before choosing a cleaning product. A soft porous wood such as rosewood will absorb oil quickly so wax products should be used instead of oil products for cleaning soft wood. However, hard woods such as maple will not absorb oils as long as they are removed quickly after application.

2. Dip your service cloth into the oil or wax product that you have chosen to clean the wood on your gun. Only place a small amount of the product, about the size of a dime onto the cloth at a time. You may want to wrap the cloth around one of your fingers and dip the tip of your finger.

3. Rub circular areas of wood that are 1 to 2-inches in diameter with the wax or oil that you have dipped onto the cloth over the tip of your finger. Continue to rub small areas until you have cleaned all of the wood on your gun.

4. Polish the wood using the polishing cloth immediately after applying wax or oil removing any excess oil or wax from the wood. Continue to rub the wood until you are satisfied with the sheen.

5. Apply sheen and conditioner if necessary using a clean and dry polishing cloth for the final coat.

Tips & Warnings

• Leaving excess oil on the wood can contribute to the collection of dirt and dust, which increases wear on the gun. Use a fine grit sandpaper or steel wool to remove old dried-on finishes and to smooth wood and finish if necessary. Consult the manufacturer's recommendations or a professional to help you choose the correct cleaning products for your particular firearm the first time.

• Attempting to clean the wood on an antique gun can decrease the value so seek out professional advice before hand.

References

• http://www.trapshooters.com/cfpages/thread.cfm?threadid=176219&Messages=13
• http://www.rimfiretoday.com/GunStock.htm

Resources

• Maple Fretboards, Gunstock Oil/Wax & EBMM WW's.
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