Both of my 2009 Rossi's 'mystery wood' stocks and forearms were not all that appealing and it's common knowledge that they don't respond well to stripping and then refinishing. I've seen examples of the stocks that were stripped and then refinished and in truth, I wasn't impressed. However, I was determined to add some life, color, and depth to my bland stocks.
My 2009 made .357mag Carbine with the it's dull, unexciting stock finish:
As you can see above, the standard finish is pretty dull with a lifeless looking color which has no depth or interest. I just couldn't let it stand so I looked around for a way to enhance both stock's appearance. It turned out I had it in my garage all along. You see, I've used WATCO Danish Medium Walnut Oil for over 25 years to touch up scratches in my baseboards, door frames, and doors. All I do is soak a small cotton rag and wipe over the scratches, let it 'dry' and it's good to go.
So, I decided to give it a try right over the standard stock finish on my Rossis. So, I removed the stock and forearm, took off the metal pieces, cleaned the stock with alcohol to remove any grease and/or wax, and then applied a couple of wet brushcoats of WATCO Danish Walnut Oil IAW the instructions on the can.
I think the picture speaks for itself. The finish came to life with color, richness, finish, and durability. Both my rifle and carbine are now much better looking and I think they even shoot a bit straighter to boot!!
The only downside to using WATCO is that it doesn't 'dry', it 'cures' so it takes a few days to harden completely. If you wanted to add a topcoat of say lacquer, they recommend you wait a full 2 weeks for it to completely cure. However, I've found that once cured, WATCO is pretty durable all by itself and it doesn't need any topcoat.
BTW, for those of you who may want a darker color, just look for WATCO Danish Dark Walnut Oil or WATCO Danish Black Walnut Oil. For those of you who want a red toned finish, try WATCO Danish Red Mahogany Oil.
My 2009 made .357mag Carbine with the it's dull, unexciting stock finish:
As you can see above, the standard finish is pretty dull with a lifeless looking color which has no depth or interest. I just couldn't let it stand so I looked around for a way to enhance both stock's appearance. It turned out I had it in my garage all along. You see, I've used WATCO Danish Medium Walnut Oil for over 25 years to touch up scratches in my baseboards, door frames, and doors. All I do is soak a small cotton rag and wipe over the scratches, let it 'dry' and it's good to go.
So, I decided to give it a try right over the standard stock finish on my Rossis. So, I removed the stock and forearm, took off the metal pieces, cleaned the stock with alcohol to remove any grease and/or wax, and then applied a couple of wet brushcoats of WATCO Danish Walnut Oil IAW the instructions on the can.
I think the picture speaks for itself. The finish came to life with color, richness, finish, and durability. Both my rifle and carbine are now much better looking and I think they even shoot a bit straighter to boot!!
The only downside to using WATCO is that it doesn't 'dry', it 'cures' so it takes a few days to harden completely. If you wanted to add a topcoat of say lacquer, they recommend you wait a full 2 weeks for it to completely cure. However, I've found that once cured, WATCO is pretty durable all by itself and it doesn't need any topcoat.
BTW, for those of you who may want a darker color, just look for WATCO Danish Dark Walnut Oil or WATCO Danish Black Walnut Oil. For those of you who want a red toned finish, try WATCO Danish Red Mahogany Oil.