My mother has an old (but nice) Charles Lancaster sxs with sidelocks in 16 gauge that needs some love and attention. It was originaly built for my great-grandfather, and was used by him for years until my grandmother took it over. She again used it for some years, until it ended up with my mother where it for the most part has been in her safe since she prefers to use a couple of other shotguns she has in 20/76.

It's been awhile since the stock was oiled, and I was wondering what you guys would recommend? A gunsmith here in Norway recommended a German product called "SCHAFTOL premium gold". It's linseed based as far as I can tell. Anybody heard of it?

Or would using pure linseed oil be just as well perhaps?

BTW, does anyone have any experiance with Tru-oil?

Erik D.

So non of you ever take care of your shotgun stocks?
Come on guys, what do you use?

Erik D.

ErikD:

OK, Erik, I guess the reluctance may be like mine. I haven't "rubbed" a shotgun stock with linseed oil in over 50 years -and I suspect that most guys nowadays leave it to a gunsmith. When I did it and I did do it with "old" (even then to me a teenager) doubles, the routine was to sandpaper down (I forget the X fineness on the sandpaper)until it felt glassy smooth. Then using a primer (I again don't remember a brand name) to open the pores in the wood. Now came the real drudgery. Hour after hour of slopping (at first) ordinary linseed oil on to the stock and the constant rubbing. As I recall it went on for several weeks of applications about twice a week. If there are modern day products that eliminate that drudgery, fine. But certainly, to answer your basic query, linseed oil should do fine. (Since your doubles are clearly older shotguns, you shouldn't have any problem with so called "sealers" used in later times)

No experience with the German stuff you mentioned but I have used Truoil on a couple of stocks, you can get anything from a matte to a gloss finish with it. Pretty easy to use and if you mess up just go for another coat.

Unless there is some obvious reason you need to refinish the stock, I'd leave it alone. Wood does not need to be "fed".