I just had my rifle rebarreled and had the smith beadblast the tube. Now I have a matte barrel but a stock shinny enough to use as a signal mirror. Can/how do I dull the finish to look more like my 700 Classic's stock? I don't really want to buy a new stock for this rifle because it fits me so well. What should I do??
Thanks
Elk Country

I rubbed mine down with 0000 steel wool. A really light touch does it. After you have it all rubbed down, A tiny bit of True-oil on your hand and rubbed in finishes it off. It gave mine a nice sheen, but wasn't glossy as hell.
Paul B.

I just finished doing up a Beretta shotgun I bought. It had the typical shiny stock with a matte receiver and barrel. Go to your local Walmart (I own stock so don't go anywhere else)and pick up two cans of paint stripper. I used the spray can stripper for the first time on this job and liked it. Strip the stock, it takes a couple of applications depending on the exact polymer finish on the gun. When it looks all done you can use various chemicals that will not raise the grain too bad, turpentine paint thinner etc. and clean the stock using 0000 grade steel wwol. Rub it lightly!!! Use an old toothbrush to clean out the gunk left in the checkering, allow to sit and dry for a couple of days. Examine closely to make sure all the finish is gone and you are down to bare wood everywhere. I used Truoil to finish the stock, it gave a really good looking finish. You can make it as shiny or dull as you want depending on how many coats you use and how much you rub it down with the steel wool after each coat. If you buy all the chemicals, steel wool etc. new it's about $20.00. Took me a full week to finish mine, stripped it on a Saturday, let it dry until Sunday evening, cleaned it up with turps steel wool and toothbrush, let it dry until Monday, put 1-2 coats a night of Truoil, rubbing between coats with 0000 steel wool, assembled and shot it the following Saturday.

I was at a sporting tournement last Friday and one of the guys asked why I put a custom stock ont he cheapest model Beretta (it's called the 686 Essential, made a couple of years as their etry level gun). I just smiled.
JeffM
Houston, TX

Thanks for the tips. I refinished a couple of Browning BPS shotguns a few years back and I had a hell of a time trying to get that stupid glossy finish off. After doing those stocks I was hoping there would be a way to just rub the stock down and dull the sheen, but it sounds like I may have a winter project to do in between trips to the goose blind. I guess if I want to do it right I should strip it all the way down to the wood. If it doesn't look right then I can always get a new stock from Boyd's!
Elk Country

Just yesterday, I asked my gunsmith the same question. He recommended the OOOO steel wool and a light amount of linseed oil or wax. Rub lightly in tight circles and be careful not to take the finish off to the bare wood. Use a soft toothbrush to get the wax or oil and residue out of the checkering. He said the finish can be made satin or dull as you wish, and if you don't like it, you can buff it back to something close to the original look.
-- Doc