I disagree completely Woodreaux. I'd like to retire comfortably someday, but accomplishing that means that I shouldn't piss away money on inferior products. If I save a lousy $20.00 on a stock refinishing job, that is money I can use toward the purchase of more ammunition, my next gun, or fuel to fill the tank on my truck. Wasting that amount on an inferior product when better, cheaper products are available is merely proof that P.T Barnum was right about a sucker being born every minute. And it is well known that boiled linseed oil, i.e., refined linseed oil with a dryer added, is at the extreme low end of overall performance as a gun stock finish. It has little water or abrasion resistance. It offers virtually no UV light protection to wood, and it is actually a food source for mold and mildew. The addition of naptha to thin it, and sunflower oil which is more suited for cutting boards and wooden salad bowls adds nothing to that performance. Mike Hunter correctly pointed out that linseed oil in combination with copal and other resins has a long history as a better wood finish than linseed alone. Linseed is a great additive in varnish and oil based paints. But for a gun that is actually used, there are many better finishes available.
The only good thing about Linseed Oil as a wood finish is that it is relatively cheap and readily available. But when someone markets it as something it isn't, and then charges an exorbitant amount for it, to me that is little different that the con artist that sells fake Rolex watches or gold plated jewelry that is stamped 14k
