On a lark (and from a suggestion from Chuck in California) I tried Min-wax wipe on poly in satin. I used it on a $400 Tobin 12 gauge, that I didn't really care about, with rather plain wood.
Following the directions, I built up a coat at a time for most of a month, knocking it down with steel wool between coats. The last coats were knocked down with various grades of wet-or-dri paper, out to perhaps 1200 grit. I rubbed it with a Birchwood Casey stock sheen of some sort at the end, but, didn't like the look, so I rubbed again with 3M "Finese-it" auto body polish, to which I added a bit of rotten stone from a shaker.
From a distance of 5 feet or so, it mimics a rubbed oil finish. It is water-proof as a wood finish comes, and hard as a rock. It much improved the figure of the rather plain wood. To say I was pleased with it is an understatement.
On a gun that gets used, polyureathane is almost mandatory. On a gun that gets talked about being used, use whatever traditional oil finish you want. They aren't weather-proof.
Best,
Ted
