Gun stock

[matt colvin]

I suppose this question would go here.

I have a Browning Citori Ultra XT that I shoot trap with, and am wondering if I can use a Meguiars wax on it. I have Nxt, 16, and can easily get 26 if I need to.

Are these waxes safe to use on a wood finish. I don't anything about wood, but the finish on the gun is shiny, similar to a clear coat---I think it is a laquer finish,but really have no idea. I've used Birchwood Casey's stockwax on it, so I know that is waxable, but didn't know if any of these 3 waxes contained ingredients that make them a no-no fo wood.

Thanks,
Matt

[Accumulator]

I've used #16 and numerous other "for automotive paint" LSPs on the interior wood of cars so with a finish like your Browning has they shouldn't do any damage. Well, I honestly dunno about the NXT...

While I can't imagine anything in them being detrimental to the finish, *I* wouldn't use them (at least not the #16) as they'd make the stock too slippery for my liking. That's assuming it's a user and not a display-only piece, and it's just a personal preference thing, but something you might want to consider. I'm all about "form following function" when it comes to firearms and slippery isn't good IMO.

[Mike Phillips]

Hi Matt,

I saw this question get posted when I was teaching this weekend's class as I checked on the forum at noon while we we're eating pizza.

http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/sho...threadid=12111


Sorry I couldn't get to it at the time and a big Thank You to Accumulator for chiming in.

The wood on rifles and pistols and handguns are usually either finished or unfinished. If they're unfinished, (go coating like a paint), they you would want to use an oil made for unfinished wood. I'm pretty sure we make a couple of products for this type of wood and I'll collect the information for future use.

If you wood is coated with a paint, then it's likely lacquer or possibly some type of polyurethane or urethane. Either way, yes you can clean, polish and protect these types of finishes safely with products from our Professional and Consumer lines.

[matt colvin]

Oh, I think I've made the description of the gun unclear, my bad. I meant to say that the wood is shiny as though it has a clear-coat on it.

here is a pic from the Browning site:



Sorry for the mix-up. My gun is just like this.

[Mike Phillips]

With that kind of gloss, clarity and shine, it looks like it has some kind of paint on it, clear paint of course.

I would contact the manufactures and ask them what type of coating in on the wood.

Regardless of the type, if it's a clear paint, then my suggestions still stand.

Nice looking shotgun by the way.

[Mike Phillips]

I've resized the photo and uploaded it into our gallery. I noticed the photo was hosted on PhotoBucket and too many times when people post pictures hosted on PhotoBucket we end up with red x's down the road or this.



In fact it happens so often I wrote this article...

Why PhotoBucket is a waste of time...




Here are the photos in our gallery,



And here's a 700 pixel side section cropped out of the original to show off the finish on the wood.

[matt colvin]

Ok, thanks alot guys

I've used the Birchwood Casey wax on it before, just wanted to make sure, say #16 for example, was safe to use on it. Thanks.


Lol, just got to thinking that a shiny gun could be an advantage during a shoot.

[Accumulator]

Originally posted by matt colvin
Lol, just got to thinking that a shiny gun could be an advantage during a shoot.

Heh heh, I'd say the opposite, I don't like the chance of glare But man is that a beauty you have there! Guess I'd want to keep it looking good too.

Since last replying I checked the stock finish on my Browning Auto-5; it's old and even it has a clear finish on its wood as opposed to an oiled finish. Your gun is almost certainly finished with something far more modern/durable/etc. than mine and mine is the kind of finish that'll be OK with anything you're likely to try on it.

I'd avoid products that "dry white" as it might get into deep grain and be a pain to buff out. Or at least use the wipe-on-wipe-off method and accept the compromised durability (heh heh, I hesitate to even mention that disreputable application method ). I bet the #16 will look better than the Birchwood Casey

[matt colvin]

Yeah, i certainly hope it would Accumulator.

The checkering isn't cleared like the rest of the gun, and I have still yet to take a SOFT nylon toothbrush to it to get the white and dust off. But the gun did look good, and felt slick. Slick is good with a trap gun, because it allows your gun to slide under your cheek, instead of sticking and pulling your skin back. This why alot of people put talc powder on their cheekpiece, all in the aim of keeping that tight cheek weld that is essential to shooting well.

I'll try the #16 this weekend and report back. It still looks good on my truck a month and a half after 1 application, so it should look great of the gun's stock.

[Accumulator]

Great point about the trap shooting and being able to slip into the spot-weld against your cheek, I didn't think of that

The checkering on mine appears to be sorta-cleared, but no, not like the rest of the stock. But then mine's pretty beat up so who's to say for sure. And I suspect that yours is finished to a different standard than mine

[Tim Lingor]

Originally posted by matt colvin
Yeah, i certainly hope it would Accumulator.

The checkering isn't cleared like the rest of the gun, and I have still yet to take a SOFT nylon toothbrush to it to get the white and dust off. But the gun did look good, and felt slick. Slick is good with a trap gun, because it allows your gun to slide under your cheek, instead of sticking and pulling your skin back. This why alot of people put talc powder on their cheekpiece, all in the aim of keeping that tight cheek weld that is essential to shooting well.

I'll try the #16 this weekend and report back. It still looks good on my truck a month and a half after 1 application, so it should look great of the gun's stock.

Hey Matt,

For years, I used to target shoot/hunt and had all kinds of guns from Winchester's to Browning's. On my Browning A-Bolt Medallion, I would only wipe down the urethane coating with #34 Final Inspection as I did not want the coating too slippery for obvious reasons. Just IMHO!


Tim

[matt colvin]

Tim,

That would be the same type of finish as mine. Thanks for letting me know what it is. I'm a member of a couple gun forums, and right now I don't know why I didn't just ask them about what the finish is.

As far as slickness, mine has some good checkering on it, so I'll have plenty of non-waxed stock to grap on to. I'd just like to protect it as well as I can. I bet the detailer sprays would really clean the smudges off quick though! I hadn't thought of that, thanks!

BTW, how'd you like the A-Bolt??? What was it chambered in?

[Tim Lingor]

I LOVED that Browning A-Bolt!!! It was a 7MM Mag with a 6x Leupold Scope. It was the best gun I ever owned! My next favorite was a Winchester Featherweight .30-06 that kicked like a mule. That one had a Redfield 4X Wide-angle scope on it. Third favorite was my .22-250 Browning with a with a distance compensating scope. That gun was crazy accurate!

Tim

[matt colvin]

Just wanted to follow up on this. I'm finally home and off for the summer, so I had the time today to apply a thin coat of #16 to my Browning Trap gun. Unfortunately, I do not have a camera here, so you'll just have to believe me, lol.

I highly doubt that there have been many of these "grade" of Brownings that have had a gloss as good as mine now has. I first used blue painter's tape to mask off the butt pad, and they lightly turned a hi-tech applicator pad in the tin of #16. This was easily enough for the entire gun, in fact a little too much. I applied the wax to all non-checkered wood surfaces, and leaned to stock and forearm against a wall to dry to a haze. After awhile, the #16 was ready to show me its stuff!!! It filled any little scratches that the gun might have had, and created an awesome looking level of depth that really shows the good looking grain of my stock.

Thanks alot Meguiars, you've made me happy yet again!


edit: Oh yeah, my cheek slides on the cheek piece like never before, that will really help keep on the gun like I should. Bringing my head off of the gun is the principle reason that I miss during a trap shoot these days, so maybe my scores will go up!!!!

[Accumulator]

matt colvin- Glad it worked out so well for you!

Let's see if your scores improve...heh heh, that'd be a new advertising idea

Oh, you might want to be a little careful with your cleaning solvents and whatever you use on the metal parts, I'd expect such stuff to compromise the #16 if it comes in contact with it for an extended period.