I am lucky enough to have an 1885 in .260 Remington. Shoots great, carries easy, balance is super and the wood is gorgeous. BUT, with that gloss stock it is like carrying a Christmas lights in the woods, I can't make that much flash with a signal mirror. The question...How can I tone it down while still letting the beauty of the wood show through. Rottenstone, fine pumice, brass or steel wool? Any experienced suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

TED

Ted, welcome to AR. Yes, the Browning finish is quite reflective, but a Browning Low Wall is quite a collector's piece...not many out there. I've seen them for $2,500, where usual Low Wall rifles are in the $1,000-$1,450 range. You might want to reconsider changing it, unless it already looks "hunted", in which case you'd wind up getting the stock redone down the road anyway. I'd just try fine steel wool at first and see how it comes out.

Thanks for the welcome, Biebs. You are correct, I have been offered some big loot for it, but I decided about 40 years ago that I could not keep a NIB "investment" gun for more than about a week before I fired it up. And this one is such a pleasure that I hunt it all the time. Thanks for the advise on the OOOO wool.

TED

I have owned and sold several Browning Low / High Walls over the years. Great rifles, extremely accurate, nice wood, well balanced, and solid action. Most have had gloss finishes, although two have had their gloss finishes remove chemically.

The simple way to remove the gloss sheen is to take 000 or finer steel wool, and gently and consistently rub in the same direction while applying Cleanzoil as a buffer. This will allow the poly finish to remain, make it less glossy, and make it less apt to show scratches. The amount to apply Cleanzoil and the amount you choose to rub will determine the type of finish you acquire.

We use to do this in my shop when we were Beretta dealers and our customers preferred oil look finishes over poly.

Hope this helps. I am sure there is a youtube video to demonstrate this common practice.

Thanks md, I will give it a shot and also looking @ youtube, never thought of that one...TED

I would suggest masking/painters tape on the metal b/4 working on the wood/finish

smear a bit of the camo facepaint stuff on.

I suggest bronze or synthetic wool, though. If you have to use steel wool be certain you get all of the remnants off the metal or it will pit.

I had mine reblued after 400grit paper for a nice matt finish. I had first engraved those big flat surfaces [highwall]. Wood was carefully gone over with 0000 wool with water to cut the gloss .I hate shiney stuff ! Then it went hunting - no deer complained !

Mete...Sounds about what I want but thinking about color casing instead. And yes, nothing worse than a complaining deer.

I let Harvey King of HK Custom Guns do his magic on mine. This is what he made of it:

Hondo...That is an absolute beauty!

Nice work on that finish. That's what they should look like.

Mike

Hello Guys - nice rifles, thanks for the pictures. Yes these Browning Low-walls would have to be the nicest rifle to carry I've held in many a long year . . mine is 5 lbs 14 oz with rings and balances beautifully in hand and at the shoulder.

I ve aquired one of them, I've been looking since 2006 but hadn't seen a single example for sale - they are literally as rare as rocking horse poop down here.

Mine is in 22 Hornet, and has had a K chamber cut, as well as a slight shortening of the stock. I need to tear it down as there is also an issue with the sear, but I'm holding off on that till I get the "TexasMac" book as they look pretty complex inside and the 'net is full of reassembly horror stories!

Anyhow, as these are so rare down here I think I'm going to have an extra barrel made up, probably in 6.5-06 as I have a fine Krieger barrel so chambered.

Could someone with a 260 or a 243 please measure the barrel at the muzzle, I'm curious to see if the taper is the same as the Hornet.

Thanks
Foster