doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Stocker Opinions?

Appreciate any advice on how to slow drying-out of my circa 1925 12ga SW stock which had been immersed for months in salt water. Metals parts great shape but wood which had been tight close to the action now is pulling away from the tangs on the right side. My guess is that this is the area most susceptible to movement because I had placed the action in methyl hydrate after fresh-water treatment. It's off next week for professional care.

King,

First you have to get all the salt out of the wood. Until you do this there is no need to put the wood back on the gun. You will be like the many Browning owners with salt cured wood that had major metal problems. Might be easier to find another set of wood for your Sterlingworth.

Long term soaking in fresh water to remove the salt will require frequent changes of the water. Then long term drying or placing the stock in a solvent type solution to drive the water out. Then let the solvent dry. In many ways metal is easier to restore after salt water than wood.

You might just try to seal in any trapped salt with some epoxy type finish on all the metal to wood contact areas. Like glass bedding the area to set up a barrier to the migration of the salt. This also will take care of any gaps which form.

King, I agree with Jon. But only his first paragraph. If you keep this wood, you'll be like all the Browning salt wood owners and I don't think there's a cure. Otherwise, somebody would have come up with it in the 40+ years since that issue surfaced. You're pretty lucky that you were able to salvage the metal. Unless you just want a project to mess with for a long time.

Good advice. Agree the wood will dry and crack---it has to at the head ---and the 'smith will epoxy the insides while making invisible repair. Nick Makinson knows his stuff. Thanks.