I have this old rifle. . .

[gdmoody]

. . . that I performed a mild “bubba-zation on several years ago and wanted to correct.

This rifle was given to me about 37-38 years ago by my father. A couple of years after I got it, I decided that it would look better if it were painted black. A friend who worked at a car dealership told me that he could take it to the body shop for painting. They did an absolutely beautiful job in painting the stock.

Now, 35 or so years later, the black stock was looking pretty crappy with the paint cracking and peeling. Last week I was down in Florida visiting family and just happened to have the rifle with me. I got a “wild hair” to refinish the stock. I took it over to my brother’s mechanic shop and used his sand blaster to remove the black paint.

Now after a week of sanding and sanding and some more sanding, here is the finished product. The first picture is the only before picture I had and the other three are the finished results. It does not look great but it does look like wood again and it has been unbubba-ized.

Let me give you all a piece of advice – NEVER use a sand blaster to remove anything from wood! IT WILL EAT THE WOOD!!!


Does anyone have an idea on how I might get the steel butt plate flush with the wood?? It is a little bit oversized since a sand blaster got hold of the stock!!

[1shot1k]

Hello Gdmoody sir....I like your finished results..want to know if you are going to redo the wood any ?...

I'm not the best for metal stuff..as an Electrical Engineer..but I have fun making my own .1911 grips and will post some sometime...Im handy with Dremmel and basic tools so I woul ddo this if were mine and on Budget...( cause everthythin I do is on a budget..)

INstead of just only markin oversize of plate..I would remove plate and use a good stout cardboard cut out as a replacement fit that fits way u want...with as precisely as possible lining up screw holes and sizing screw holes exactly same as plate.....

then place template (cardboard similiar ) against plate and mark precislely with super fine point Sharpie......

If you dont have a Wheel standing grinder or good vise to use hand grinder...go to nearest meatl shop one day hour fore lunch and ask guy to remove excess neatly as possible and take him to lunch or slip him 10 so he can go.....

would be better to do yourself to check..but you could wrap rifle in trunk and guy would be glad to go out and check work or progress for chance to mess with a gun....

needs to be a good ole boy shop...some places nowadays if you dont know nobody...nothin touched without a dern work order....

anyway..remove metal in such a way no sharp edge..need to leave as existing edge is...get "mothers" polish from auto store and use then buff for shine or use good paint like "painters touch " to piant black then brush on poueurthane...just an idea....

edit- just thought..also take the "template " with you..when guy sees it..may say is easier and better to just cut you a new peice from good template..he will have tons of scrap right mil thickness...and tell him to
"cut it on the Chili " as we say in texas..meaning even make it smidgen smaller than your template...then you only have to use "sandPAPER" at ends of stock to match new plate.......just tryin to help

[gdmoody]

Thanks 1Shot, I would attempt to do myself and I never thought of the template idea. I will take my dremel tool to it probably. Once I cut it down, I will cold blue the edges.

I do not plan to do any more to the wood, at least right now. I used Birchwood-Casey Tru-oil for the finish and will probably just use some of their Gun-stock wax to finish it up (if I can find it).

[pinecone70]

Nice work unbubbaing, lol!

If you can't find gun stock wax, you can use a mixture of beeswax and mineral oil, melted together. I have used that on walnut with good results after a hard buffing.