Refinishing a Browning A5 stock and forearm

[garndawg]

Gents,

Saw a couple of refinishing posts on here and it's given me courage, but I have a few questions for those of you who might have done this before...

I have a couple of old guns, heirlooms, in my case that I'd like to dress up. Both weapons are well-used, with scratches and bluing rubbed off considerably. The stocks are my primary concern, however. I've been quoted $150 to refinish and that seems a little steep as I can buy brand new walnut replacements from Cabela's for $120.

In the worst shape is my father's A5 handed down to me. This 12ga has had no-telling-how-many cases of shells through it, as dad used it for duck, quail, turkey, etc, etc. Anyhow the stock has had most of the finish eaten/worn off of it from rough use in duck boats, drips of the old vietnam era bugjuice, a slipon recoil pad, and hard use. I'd like to refinish the stock and forearm, but two things make me hesitant.

First, both stock and forearm have a lot of checkering on them and I'm cautious of how best to clean that area up. Second, the stock has a very slight split where the wood has been weakened from oil seeping into the wood from the action.

To note: I've never done this before and I don't have vast experience in woodworking. I have done stain and refinish on tables, etc. but nothing with this many complex curves.

Your thoughts?

 

[stevetarget]

$150 is not steep to refinish a A-5 stock, especially if you want a gloss factory look. an oil finish is easier to do. it won't be cheap either.
The Cabelas stocks are not checkered nor are they fancy pieces of wood. There just plain functional stocks.
The oil in the stock is a problem when you try to repair the crack. You will have to get it out. cooking or chemical. you normally can't sand it out
use stripper and a plastic brush to clean the finish out of the checkering. you might even want to recut the checkering with a single line cutter. The job is not all that hard but it is very time consuming. You will see why its $150 when you get done. there is plenty of information on the net about this subject, just Google .

 

[Bernard goldsmith]

I use bleach an heat to try an dri up the oil. Tape the checkering with good ole duck tape,but still be careful when removing the old finish. Sand with the grain not across it. Be sure you de-wisker it before you apply the finish.

 

[cotton top]

Look on gunbroker.com, I saw quite a few A-5 parts on their site.
Good luck with the redo job.

 

[doublebarrel]

Be very careful when you sand the stock not to get it lower than the metal! That is the mistake a lot of beginners make and it ruins the wood. Put the butt plate or pad back on before you start sanding also. BB

 

[Larry Rooks]

150.00 is a good price for the job you described. And if you want it blued too, another 100.00 is also a good price.
The crack can be repaired if you have the materials to do it with and the gun be strong enough to shoot. I just got thru
doing an old A5 Sweet 16 that was in bas shape like yours.
And at the above prices, and he was well pleased with price and the way the gun looks now.

Try buying a BROWNING replacement stock, which want
match up now since the last A5's they built had a different
shape to the pistol grip compared to the Belgium made guns. Belgium guns had the round vs flat on Japan models.

If you want the checkering to stay sharp and distinct, it's
gonna have to be recut and that is about another 300.00
for someone that really knows how to checker to do

 

[garndawg]

Thanks for all the replies.

I don't any any intention of recutting the checkering, as that's just too much work for not enough gain. Was curious how best to preserve/clean it on a refinish.

Basically, it sounds complex enough for me to pay someone to do it. One last question, however. Would there be any benefit to my stripping/cleaning up the stock/forearm before giving it to the gunsmith? Seems like that would save him some labor and me some $$$.

Also, any recommendations for someone in the N. Atl. area that is familiar with this kind of job?

Thanks much for ya'lls time and experience...

 

[Larry Rooks]

You doing all of the sanding, stripping and cleaning up etc would save some time and money. It will still take several coats of finish and some elbow grease to finish it, after each coat there will be some steel wooling and more finish,
and repeat this several times untill all grain is filled and the final coat applied. Plus the staining prior to any of the finish
work. Carry the stock to the gunsmith all clean and ready for finish work will save some money

 

[silverstreak]

There's little that most refinishers want an amateur to do, except leave the wood alone. The trick is doing the least damage to the wood as possible. Sanding is the last thing a professional wants to see a beginner doing. Once wood is removed by sanding, it can't be put back. The beginner can use a chemical stripper, if they use a light one. Heavy strippers can damage wood as well as remove the finish, especially when there's fine checkering or something like the pressed checkering used on some of the earlier Remingtons. You won't save enough time to make it worth the possible damages. Usually a professional would rather use his own methods to complete the entire job.

It's best to deliver the entire gun to the refinisher. When that isn't possible, package the wood so there will be no damage in transit.

If you have an old gun and don't mind taking some chances, you can find some good do it yourself instruction videos. Heed the warnings though. If you don't have the skills required to do a job, leave it to those who do.

 

[Ths dog hunts!!]

As for refinishing stocks, you have the best of the best rt there at you, He'll usually answer a question or 2, Dave Matteson, PM me for his Number.
As for the Bluing, I suggest you talk to Bob Sims, At Bob's Custom Firearms in Palmetto GA. his Number is 770-463-4140

 

[csam]

Not to rain on your parade, but when you refinish an old soldier like that, it loses it's character. Your Dad probably put a lot of honest miles on the gun, and its history is in those scratches and wear.

Personally, nothing wrong with a refinish, especially if it is rusting or some other signs of abuse. Just think about what you have and what you will lose if you do the refurb. Just remember, you can get refinished A5 for about $3-400.

I had a Grandfather that was a game warden in Vermont and I never met him. he had a pile of great guns that were given away long before I came around. I have seen the occasional pic of him with one, and just wish I had some of those old guns.

 

[currahee raider]

refinishing old gun

Afraid I'll have to agree with CSAM. These old guns lose all their character when refinished. I would think long and hard about it. If you decide to do it, get a pro, don't risk screwing up a family heirloom.

 

[Bill Mc]

My old Light 12 has alot of character. Wished I could have taken better care of it. Walking thru briar patches rabbit hunting and sweating on it during 98 degree dove shoots.

Still shoots great

 

[The Cohutta Strutter]

I would have to agree with csam and raider, think long and hard before you do anything. I inherited my grandads 1915 Rem. Model 11 a couple of years ago and all the character it displays. I just almost went for a restoration with it and now I'm extremely glad I did'nt erase all that character. Mechanically it has a couple of issues that I'm currently getting fixed and my concern is to only go as far as to put it back into original working order and then take it out ocassionly and enjoy it. I'm not exactly sure where on your gun the crack is but it is common for the forearm to develop a crack where it joins the receiver. If it's there don't fret because it is easily repairable. That A5 you have is special as they don't make em' anymore and it was a perfect design from the start. Combine that with a gun that displays family use and for me anyhow it is priceless. As you already mention it is a heirloom and will only be more prized as the years pass. If you must go for a restoration please research it and at the very least go over to shotgun world and get advice there as they are very knowledgeable and will steer you in the right direction. You certainly don't want to have someone use the wrong type of blueing on the metal or finish on the wood,etc... I hope this helps as I'm only trying to pass on the "Big" picture. Cheers.

 

[Shug]

I use a tooth brush and wood soap to clean up a stock then use a product called Feed-N-Wax or Restor-A-Finish to bring the old stock back to life. I've had great success with this method. Old gun still has character and stock looks great.

http://www.howardproducts.com