I'm interested in buying a Boyds stock for a Remington 783 as a winter project. The plan would be to add pillars, skim bed, repaint it, and maybe even shave off some weight by sanding down some areas and/or drilling. This is for a hunting rifle that I use all year from -20 to 30C and my concern is the wood swelling or warping. I understand that laminate stocks are far less susceptible to this than a hardwood stock, but what I'm unsure of is if by exposing the wood underneath the outer coating, am I opening it up to potential problems?
Boyds stocks are for the most part finished with a clear coat to protect them and it seems like people recommend using polyurethane or another sealer if they remove the original clear coat on the stock. I was planning on getting a stock with their black textured paint finish for the additional grip and would be doing a rattle can paint job over that. In order to prevent allowing in moisture should I be using some kind of sealer over the wood before repainting, or are laminates just fine with just a layer of paint between them and the elements?
Boyds stocks are for the most part finished with a clear coat to protect them and it seems like people recommend using polyurethane or another sealer if they remove the original clear coat on the stock. I was planning on getting a stock with their black textured paint finish for the additional grip and would be doing a rattle can paint job over that. In order to prevent allowing in moisture should I be using some kind of sealer over the wood before repainting, or are laminates just fine with just a layer of paint between them and the elements?
