Oil or lacquer?

I have just bought a 2005 Miroku 20g and the stock looks like new. Can anyone tell me if this is oil or lacquer finish as I want to oil and wax it? Any advice would be welcome

GeordieTrapper said:

I have just bought a 2005 Miroku 20g and the stock looks like new. Can anyone tell me if this is oil or lacquer finish as I want to oil and wax it? Any advice would be welcome

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Difficult to say without seeing it, but a simple test is to put a small spot of Alkanet root oil on the flat area at the base of the pistol grip. Alkanet is a thin oil and should soak in quickly IF the stock is oil finished. If it sits on the top the next day, a pretty safe bet it is varnished. Alternatively, just use a good wax polish on the wood. Either way it will not harm either finish.

Is it a grade 1  or a grade 5 ? The grade 5 is definitely oiled .  Although not as common as the grade 5 guns in 20 gauge , MK 60 and MK 70 were available in grade 1 and these I believe were a satin varnish .  MK60 GD5 below 

ps , lovely guns to shoot with , enjoy it . 

It is a Miroku Mk70 Grade 1 multichoke, the wood looks very good but that is probably because grade 1 wood was better 15 years ago. The finish is satin rather than sheen, thanks for help so far.

This can be hard to tell as some 'oils' actually contain added polymers and stuff that behaves and looks like lacquer. I'd find a small unobtrusive part where the finish (or bits of it) are unduly present (say, underneath the butt pad) and see if you can scrape a tiny tiny bit off. If all you can scrape off is (permeated) wood, I'd say its oil. If you can remove part of the layer without touching wood I'd say lacquer. The colour of what comes will help you in deciding but then some lacquer is heavily coloured.

If it dissolves in paint thinner, it isn't wood   

Don't make the mistake I made and use Philips Gun Oil....got it in the chequering of the Perazzi, the oil has got some sort of hardener in it, wasn't a pretty outcome.  Got to meet Tim Greenwood as a consequence and was a few hundred quid lighter around 4 months later - exquisitely beautiful finish now though. 

I would be a little careful about using wax unless you are sure the finish is as you want it - wax will look nice on both oil & varnish finishes but with an oil finish it can stop any further oil from being soaked up by the wood.

Freddypip said:

I would be a little careful about using wax unless you are sure the finish is as you want it - wax will look nice on both oil & varnish finishes but with an oil finish it can stop any further oil from being soaked up by the wood.

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I agree, BUT a light rub over with some linseed oil and 0000 grade wire wool and it's ready for another coat of oil. I use beeswax polish from Home Bargains 'Wood Silk' around £2 a spray can. This stops the oil finish taking on white marks if the wood gets wet. I have 7 guns, 6 of which are oiled finish and 1 varnished, I use this wood wax polish on the ALL without any problems. I have been doing this for some 50 years, so I think any problems would have shown up by now.

westley said:

I agree, BUT a light rub over with some linseed oil and 0000 grade wire wool and it's ready for another coat of oil. I use beeswax polish from Home Bargains 'Wood Silk' around £2 a spray can. This stops the oil finish taking on white marks if the wood gets wet. I have 7 guns, 6 of which are oiled finish and 1 varnished, I use this wood wax polish on the ALL without any problems. I have been doing this for some 50 years, so I think any problems would have shown up by now.

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Just to add to the above, I will only use Trade Secrets or CCL oils on my guns. I make my own alkanet root oil.

Second Wood silk, lovely stuff for giving you gun a wipe over after cleaning, spray a light coat onto a cloth(microfibre in my case) and wipe over job done