Refinishing stocks for the 1st time

I have these two old Mausers (one is a Czech BRNO 30/06, and the other is a Golden State 30/06.) Both stocks were beat up and worn, so I decided to try something new and refinish them. I'm doing the linseed oil treatment, but I'm undecided as whether to leave them like that or put a gloss. Here are some pics of my current process.

Looking good...nice job!

So i've been considering do the same to a home build 700 that I pillar bedded but I know next to nothing about wood finishing.

Did you end up using some chemical to strip the original finish?
Do you basically just keep applying linseed oil over and over with a cloth until it all looks even?

Mine as some deep scratches like the ones in your second pic. Would you post a picture of how that scratch looks like now?

Sorry to ask so many questions. Thanks in advance.

Good questions. The first one I did (the one on the left), I just sanded the original finish off with 60 grit. The second one (the one nearer to the camera), I used a spray-on varnish remover (Crown STRP) and scraped the original finish. Then I sanded it down to the wood with 60 grit. Then, I did the same process for both of them from that point on. Linseed oil applied with my hands, let it dry for 3 or 4 days, then sand it with progressively finer sandpaper each time, then linseed oil, and repeat the process. The stock on the left now has 5 coats of linseed oil, and the other stock has two. I'm not sure if I want to leave them just oiled or maybe use minwax poly or some sort of other product to give it a high gloss look. I've also seen guys on YouTube use Meguiar's Polishing compound.
As far as the scratches, they are all gone as far as I can tell. I'll take a closer look tonight and get a picture of that.

Great, thanks for the info. Hard to bounce these questions/ideas because no one around me does these kinds of things.

That said, this may now push me into NOT doing it. My primary concern is the checkering on my stock. the idea of all this sanding worries me.

Go on YouTube. There is so much info on this. Also check out Midway USA on Youtube with Larry Potterfield.

Here's just one example of many.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8Y6ThDVfs8

Tongue Oil is another good sealant coat if you like the wet look. I did a side by side shotgun with about 8 coats of lemon oil, then sealed with tongue oil and it turned out great.

Can I put the tongue oil over the linseed oil?

I’ve tried several finishes on gun stocks. Started with shellac, when I was a teen. Later I used hand rubbed BLO for a while and got good results, but it was labor intensive if you want to do it right. A few years ago I tried Minwax Antique Oil, which looked real good (being a woodworker, I have a cabinet full of finishing materials), but has little water resistance. The most recent refinish, after surface prep I put on a coat of that Minwax followed by about 4 coats of Waterlox Original in satin. That turned out great and has some resistance to water penetration. Next time I’ll use the Waterlox again, probably.

I put a screw in eyelet in the butt of the stock and hung the stock fore end down in my workshop. I applied the Waterlox in very light coats using a foam brush, to avoid runs. One coat per day. The first coat always looks bad. Second coat looks better but not great. Third coat looks pretty good. Fourth coat looks great. More coats look even better. Let it cure at least a couple of weeks at least, then rub it gently with a piece of brown paper bag. Then wax.

It’s Tung Oil, not Tongue Oil. And you should be able to put it over BLO, though I’ve never tried it. Could be a problem if the BLO isn’t dry. I’d just use the Tung Oil instead of the BLO. I don’t use BLO for anything any more.

"I’d just use the Tung Oil instead of the BLO. I don’t use BLO for anything any more"
Is this because it's not as labor intensive?

This is what I did — good finishing oil recipe. https://www.sportingshooter.co.uk/features/how-to-refinish-a-wooden-stock-1-5319016

Tung Oil does about the same as BLO, but does it better. You wouldn’t need them both. The Waterlox I mentioned contains Tung Oil, for whatever that’s worth.

What redsnake mentioned is similar to the process I used years ago, though I used the one outlined in The Shotgunner’s Guide. It did look great by the time I finished, but it took a month or three and was hard work.

50% Tru-oil
25% Mineral Spirits
25% Japan Driers

Trust me.

If you want gloss, you need to build up a lot of coats.

I figured you would have some knowledge on this TDK. As always, that is impressive work.

Ditto on the Tru Oil...hand rubbed. I have not thinned it down like TDK but use it full strength. Looks great, easy to do!

I use the recipe that TDK posted now. I used Tru-oil by itself on the first stock I did (a Marlin 336 stock and forearm) and then found that recipe on another gun site.

It is relatively easy to apply and as you can see, it makes the grain in your wood really pop. I would bet that stock that is closest in the last picture would be beautiful with that treatment.

One more tip. If you have dings or scratches in the wood itself, put a damp wash cloth or handkerchief over the dent and then put a hot iron on it. It will "steam out" the ding. May not remove it completely, but it will help. Make sure you let the wood dry completely before sanding and putting your first coat of oil on it.

Thank you!