Bruised Bavarian

[Allen-T]

I have a 3-4 year old Bavarian 30-06 with maybe 400 rounds through it. Due to my stupidity, the stock has developed a couple dozen dings/dents/divits along the right side. See pictures for detail.


I’m approaching a point when it’s time to hand this guy down to my son but I’d like to consider repairing the stock first. Maybe that’s a bad idea to even attempt? For all I know it may require the whole stock be stripped and refinished. I would accept that assuming I had the right person doing it. Or is there a shortcut that just raises the dings without a major overhaul?

If you were me, where would you send this project? I’m asking this community because you’re all seemingly serious about Sako. I know what Reddit would say …

 

[bloorooster]

You can use steam to raise those little dings…look it up on YouTube. It’s very easy

 

[paulsonconstruction]

Steam will raise the wood in the dents, but it most likely will damage the finish, as well, & you'll end up with an even bigger mess. The cheap & easy fix (which I would try first) is to get one of those Blend-Fill Pencils that Minwax sells. They are made specifically for filling dents, scratches, nail holes, etc in wood that is already stained & finished. They come in many different colors so you should be able to get a close match. You can rub a little finish oil (very sparingly) over the whole stock to freshen it too. Then, I'd let your son add his own "character" marks on it & let him decide when or if it needs refinished, unless your itching to spend several hundred dollars for a professional refinish job that he will put dings in too. If you use a rifle it will get dings. Even taking them in & out of a safe will eventually give them blemishes. If the finish was a true hand rubbed oil finish with a spirit stain that is "in" the wood & not a sprayed on colored factory finish that is "on" the wood, those dings would hardly be noticeable & much easier to fix. So if you decide to refinish it, have it done right with a hand rubbed oil. The stuff you see at the gun stores, like Tru-Oil, are varnish type finishes that go "on" the wood & are not durable. Good luck.

 

[stonecreek]

It's a hunting rifle, not a showpiece. I wouldn't spend any money or effort on the cosmetics of the stock -- I've seen much worse. Any refinish, particularly one you try yourself, will typically lessen its market value (if that should ever be a consideration). Even the best professional refinish costing many hundreds of dollars won't increase its value. Besides, with a multi-hundred dollar refinish you (or your son) will be hesitant to take it out for serious hunting. Enjoy it just like it is would be my best advice.

 

[bloorooster]

Agreed…my sons love dad’s old guns!
Those little dings aren’t bad at all once they know the stories connected to them!

 

[Bucktote]

Ditto, All the above!
pass it on with love! B/T

 

[Allen-T]

It's a hunting rifle, not a showpiece. I wouldn't spend any money or effort on the cosmetics of the stock -- I've seen much worse. Any refinish, particularly one you try yourself, will typically lessen its market value (if that should ever be a consideration). Even the best professional refinish costing many hundreds of dollars won't increase its value. Besides, with a multi-hundred dollar refinish you (or your son) will be hesitant to take it out for serious hunting. Enjoy it just like it is would be my best advice.

I thought this recommendation was coming and maybe I just needed someone to say it. I like shooting this Sako and my son just told me he prefers that it looks a little used. (Why didn’t I ask him earlier?). There are a couple of more conspicuous spots that I might try to fill in. But I’m inclined to hit the brakes. I like the steam idea but doubt it would truly level the surface completely. I’m more of a pistol shooter and I run those things hard, but they still don’t get dented up. That’s maybe what’s going on in my head.

 

[icebear]

As Paulson says, steam will damage the finish. To fix the loss of finish is time-consuming if the gun has a natural oil finish and all but impossible with a synthetic. I use steam occasionally, but only if I'm refinishing a stock.

I like Paulson's suggestion of a furniture stick.

 

[Chayse]

Man, that’s a cool piece of wood. I love these bavarians. I get it though, it’s so hard to decide on taking to the woods or keeping it in perfect condition. There is no going back. However, we bought them to shoot them and make memories. Once I got mine I didn’t want to take it out of the safe… I’m struggling to care if I put a ding or dent in it.

 

[Spaher]

I would leave it as is, an unrestored field gun. If you were passing on your sports car to your son you don’t restore it because you hope he uses & enjoys it as much as you did.
If you or he wants a perfect Bavarian then go find one still with a box.
My opinion that they should be used.

 

[Arian]

ofcourse up to you but i agree with leaving the scars. A wooden tool will always end up scarred if used as intended, i consider it a patina. I have made alot of bows, handles and furniture over the year and they always end up dinged up over time. I have used the steam method on a table before, it works to an extent but i have never seen it restore wood entirely, the dents become shallower but they will still be there.

I am no gunsmith but my advice as a woodworker is either leave it or go all the way, strip, steam, sand, polish and finish. Anything in between is unlikely to be a big aestethic improvement and could make it look mutch worse.