There was a recall on those stocks and all it requires is a phone call to Browning and your local Browning Dealer to be involved.
Send it, get new stock in return or so I was told by Shane at Reliable.
sticky synthetic gunstocks...repair ideas?
- Thread starter jjohnwm
- Start date
There was a recall on those stocks and all it requires is a phone call to Browning and your local Browning Dealer to be involved.
Send it, get new stock in return or so I was told by Shane at Reliable.
I know yours was not a Browning gun.
Already mentioned, but, I Thought I'd post my own experiences here ...may help someone out.
RE- Browning replacement stocks for the "Dura-touch issues".
Contact them, you will receive the go-ahead and ship instructions (your dime) Once they receive it, you will get notification and a reference number. They ship it back on their dime.
I just did 2 guns back to Browning in Montreal this year.
First one was an X-Bolt Stainless in 300WSM. They require the complete firearm because it has to be bedded by them to continue the warranty. Sent that one in in Feb/23...received it back end of April or early May..forget now (old age..lol.) Looked great...like a new gun ! Very pleased and well worth it !
Not bad at all I figured...off season too.
Last one was a Browning Maxus Sporting Carbon Fiber. I called them in May, shipped the gun in June. I included a note with it...the small latch spring was broken and a pin was missing...asked if it was covered or not ? Worth a try I figured.
They told me from the get go that they were 3-4 months or more behind in repairing these issues. No problem...it was for a friend...I had no rooster in this coc-fight.
Saw that someone signed for receiving it at Browning. Couple or three months passed and I received another email stating that the gun was being shipped/delivered to the gunsmith in QC that was doing the complete stock stripping and carbon fiber re-dipping.
Nearly 2 more months pass, (( Nov 6th)) it showed up at my doorstep via C Post ! Looked like a new gun ( well...the stock set did anyways) Fixed the parts too !! Owner was thrilled with it !!
If you have one of these sticky stocks...get a hold of Browning and get it replaced...you'll be glad you did !!
Already mentioned, but, I Thought I'd post my own experiences here ...may help someone out.
RE- Browning replacement stocks for the "Dura-touch issues".
Contact them, you will receive the go-ahead and ship instructions (your dime) Once they receive it, you will get notification and a reference number. They ship it back on their dime.
I just did 2 guns back to Browning in Montreal this year.
First one was an X-Bolt Stainless in 300WSM. They require the complete firearm because it has to be bedded by them to continue the warranty. Sent that one in in Feb/23...received it back end of April or early May..forget now (old age..lol.) Looked great...like a new gun ! Very pleased and well worth it !
Not bad at all I figured...off season too.
Last one was a Browning Maxus Sporting Carbon Fiber. I called them in May, shipped the gun in June. I included a note with it...the small latch spring was broken and a pin was missing...asked if it was covered or not ? Worth a try I figured.
They told me from the get go that they were 3-4 months or more behind in repairing these issues. No problem...it was for a friend...I had no rooster in this coc-fight.
Saw that someone signed for receiving it at Browning. Couple or three months passed and I received another email stating that the gun was being shipped/delivered to the gunsmith in QC that was doing the complete stock stripping and carbon fiber re-dipping.
Nearly 2 more months pass, (( Nov 6th)) it showed up at my doorstep via C Post ! Looked like a new gun ( well...the stock set did anyways) Fixed the parts too !! Owner was thrilled with it !!
If you have one of these sticky stocks...get a hold of Browning and get it replaced...you'll be glad you did !!
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Today I reached way back into the back of the gun safe to get my Sako 85 Finnlight .270 Win in its synthetic stock, which I had not touched in over 3 years.....yep, very sticky as if the outer surface was sort of melting. Same issue many have identified with the Sako 85's in the synthetic stocks. But nothing coming off the material, and the stock felt as strong as ever. Nothing visibly melting, just very sticky/tacky.
I first rubbed the stock with a rag soaked in 99% isopropyl alcohol. Maybe a slight improvement, but still the stickiness remained.
Then I applied Johnson's baby powder to a rag and wiped down the stock. Presto! No more stickiness, as in zero. The stock feels just like new, normal. At the range today I was using bench rest bags and the stock recoiled sliding in the bags as intended.
My Sako 85 Finnlight stock colour is a blackish dark gray with lighter gray inserts of grippy rubber. The baby powder application shows a little as some flecks of white on the dark surface. But I don't care, its a synthetic stock, and its hardly noticeable.
I have used baby powder on silicone seam seal for many tent seams and tarp seams with the same positive effect. The silicone seam sealer dries but remains very sticky and will pick up dirt and debris if not de-sticki-fied. Rub the baby powder on , and with a cloth wipe off the excess powder. The baby powder works every time, and with the silicone seam sealer, just one application of baby powder seems to work for the life of the fabric. It won't come off in the rain on the tents and tarps, so it appears to bond permanently to the surface.
We'll see if the stickiness returns on the Finnlight stock. But if it does, another application of baby powder should fix it fine.
I first rubbed the stock with a rag soaked in 99% isopropyl alcohol. Maybe a slight improvement, but still the stickiness remained.
Then I applied Johnson's baby powder to a rag and wiped down the stock. Presto! No more stickiness, as in zero. The stock feels just like new, normal. At the range today I was using bench rest bags and the stock recoiled sliding in the bags as intended.
My Sako 85 Finnlight stock colour is a blackish dark gray with lighter gray inserts of grippy rubber. The baby powder application shows a little as some flecks of white on the dark surface. But I don't care, its a synthetic stock, and its hardly noticeable.
I have used baby powder on silicone seam seal for many tent seams and tarp seams with the same positive effect. The silicone seam sealer dries but remains very sticky and will pick up dirt and debris if not de-sticki-fied. Rub the baby powder on , and with a cloth wipe off the excess powder. The baby powder works every time, and with the silicone seam sealer, just one application of baby powder seems to work for the life of the fabric. It won't come off in the rain on the tents and tarps, so it appears to bond permanently to the surface.
We'll see if the stickiness returns on the Finnlight stock. But if it does, another application of baby powder should fix it fine.
The stickiness you describe sounds identical to that of my stock, and the effect of the baby powder is apparently the same as what is achieved with corn starch.
Aside from the EE, experience-based suggestions and info like this is what makes CGN such a great resource.
The stickiness you describe sounds identical to that of my stock, and the effect of the baby powder is apparently the same as what is achieved with corn starch.
Aside from the EE, experience-based suggestions and info like this is what makes CGN such a great resource.
Any powder may have a similar initial effect but I suspect that baby powder or foot powder (ie talcum powder) would be longer lasting and better. Corn starch would probably turn into grotty mess
As soon as I started applying it I wondered that exact same thing. I briefly considered using baby powder or Gold Bond powder, but both of those are strongly scented and that alone put me off. Does talcum powder come in an unscented version?
All I can say at this point is that it's been a month since the application and the effect has not changed. I carried the rifle on several days of this year's deer hunt and was ecstatic about how nice it feels and handles now. Before the treatment, the stock was irritatingly sticky to my bare hands, and completely unbearable when wearing gloves (we had several fairly cold, snowy days). Time will tell how long this fix will last over the long term.
Talcum powder can be purchased unscented as talcum powder. There are some unscented versions of baby powder and foot powder as well (but probably less common). My comment on corn starch may not be of large concern given the small amount used but YMMV especially when moisture comes into play overtime.
In a pinch out on a hunt, dry dirt would probably work to alleviate the distracting/irritating stickiness. Personally, if I had such an issue, I'd just spray paint the stock.
Early on I did try a couple of different spray-on clear coat products that I had on my workbench. I cautiously (and nervously...) applied them to two small sections of the tacky surface as a test. They took awhile to dry (longer than expected) and looked pretty good...but even very light handling had them cracking and wrinkling and quickly peeling off. The stickiness beneath was unaffected.
I'd love to just paint it, but any paint or clear-coat finish insists that it be applied to a clean, dry surface. If I could get the dang thing clean and dry...I wouldn't need or want to paint it!
Right now I have the stock comfortable to the touch and very usable. I'm just going to wait it out and see how it lasts. If I need to re-powder it every year that's okay; if it becomes too much trouble I may try just sanding off the factory rubber stuff and spray bombing it.
Again...it's not a fancy showpiece, just a practical beater type of rifle which I happen to enjoy using. So far I haven't actually spent a dime on fixing it, just tried various things I had on hand already. I'd be willing to invest some time...not much!...on a more permanent repair if that becomes necessary, or if I just decide I want a winter project. For now, all is good.
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Okay...another update...brought about by the fact that I just can't leave well enough alone!
The corn starch held up for most of the winter, no problems, quite effective...but it just bugged me. When the stock got wet due to snow or condensation, the stickiness returned to those spots and they required re-application. Eventually I removed the cornstarch by the simple expedient of washing the thing with dish soap and water; the corn starch came off with no effort, and the dang stock underneath was just as sticky as I remembered. I applied a light rub of unscented talcum powder, and it worked exactly the same; it gave a nice dry smooth texture, but looked like hell and was easily lifted or loosened by wetness.
And, although I know that I said that appearance was unimportant...the stock looked like a black jelly doughnut with icing sugar. I really, really like this gun, I have two barrels for it which are both outstanding shooters, and it irritated me to see it like this.
So...although a couple of cleaners that contained acetone had proven ineffective...I finally took a rag dampened with pure acetone and began to rub in one corner of the fore-end. It became quickly apparent that the sticky layer was coming off, so I expanded my efforts. Within 15 minutes, I had all the gummy crap off the stock; it's easy to see where it is gone, where it needs more attention.
Surprise Bonus #1: the black colour is unaffected. I fully expected that if i ever found a solution it would require repainting the stock, and was prepared to do so. Nope! The sticky top layer is completely gone, but the black underneath is undamaged.
Surprise Bonus #2: all the little marks and scuffs and dots which I had readily accepted as simply character marks picked up in the field...were apparently mostly just pieces of crap embedded in the goo. Virtually all of them are gone. The gun looks far better now than it ever did since I bought it (used). It no longer has that "feel" of being rubberized, just feels like smooth hard plastic. I can live with that.
So, the entire stock...one buttstock and two fore-ends...took less than an hour to clean with acetone, then wipe down with methyl hydrate, and finally to wash with soap and water. Left it to dry, and re-installed. That was maybe a week ago, and nothing has changed in that time.
Obviously not a true long-term test, but results so far are encouraging. I'll let this thread die now...finally!...if the fix turns out to be permanent. Will report back if problems arise.
The corn starch held up for most of the winter, no problems, quite effective...but it just bugged me. When the stock got wet due to snow or condensation, the stickiness returned to those spots and they required re-application. Eventually I removed the cornstarch by the simple expedient of washing the thing with dish soap and water; the corn starch came off with no effort, and the dang stock underneath was just as sticky as I remembered. I applied a light rub of unscented talcum powder, and it worked exactly the same; it gave a nice dry smooth texture, but looked like hell and was easily lifted or loosened by wetness.
And, although I know that I said that appearance was unimportant...the stock looked like a black jelly doughnut with icing sugar. I really, really like this gun, I have two barrels for it which are both outstanding shooters, and it irritated me to see it like this.
So...although a couple of cleaners that contained acetone had proven ineffective...I finally took a rag dampened with pure acetone and began to rub in one corner of the fore-end. It became quickly apparent that the sticky layer was coming off, so I expanded my efforts. Within 15 minutes, I had all the gummy crap off the stock; it's easy to see where it is gone, where it needs more attention.
Surprise Bonus #1: the black colour is unaffected. I fully expected that if i ever found a solution it would require repainting the stock, and was prepared to do so. Nope! The sticky top layer is completely gone, but the black underneath is undamaged.
Surprise Bonus #2: all the little marks and scuffs and dots which I had readily accepted as simply character marks picked up in the field...were apparently mostly just pieces of crap embedded in the goo. Virtually all of them are gone. The gun looks far better now than it ever did since I bought it (used). It no longer has that "feel" of being rubberized, just feels like smooth hard plastic. I can live with that.
So, the entire stock...one buttstock and two fore-ends...took less than an hour to clean with acetone, then wipe down with methyl hydrate, and finally to wash with soap and water. Left it to dry, and re-installed. That was maybe a week ago, and nothing has changed in that time.
Obviously not a true long-term test, but results so far are encouraging.
I'll let this thread die now...finally!...if the fix turns out to be permanent. Will report back if problems arise.
jjohnwm, I hear you on that stock.
I have a similar stock that came on a Remington 700, and like your stock it got all sticky.
I got to thinking what else I had with the same issue and it came down to tires on my truck and a Remington Mountain Rifle with laminated stock and an Eze Trol (no idea who made it) butt pad which is very good at absorbing recoil but it's STICKY.
I found out it got that way when the previous owner cleaned off the "finish" and applied lacquer instead, which will be coming off when the days are cooler. 38+C temps and I don't even open the doors of my shop. It will stay cool in there for a month of this weather if I don't.
He used acetone and Circa 1886 stripper to take off the other worn finish and it reacted with the butt pad.
Anyway, I went up to the local car wash and when one of the customers came in right away, I implored them to let me put a toonie in the dispensing machine for them so I could get some of that "acidic soap" that's used by the Brush Wands.
This stuff is miraculous for removing everything from grease stains on clothes to road tar off the vehicle body, grease stains from the seats and floor carpets, and the list goes on. It's also excellent for cleaning tires of oxidation and sometimes that sticky goo which will suddenly appear for no reason.
You likely know all about that stuff but I only learned about it just before the Covid shut downs.
I got about a liter of that PINK FOAM from the Brush Wand, took it home, and by then, only a few minutes, it was already a liquid mix of the soap and water. Pre mixed is good.
I washed off the butt pad with this stuff and it ate up most of the sticky goo. Another application and it got rid of all of it.
That Remington stock I did, was pre-Remington bankruptcy, so no returns available.
I gave it a similar treatment almost three years ago and it's still fine.
I suspect it's just a chemical breakdown, brought on by UV rays from sunlight, or maybe someone soaked it in cleaning solvent?
Give it a try, it will only cost you a toonie and a bit of time.
Do not get this "soap" on the rifle's metal surfaces, especially the trigger guard, which is pot metal. It will turn everything a dull gray.
Lol, my neighbour just suggested this stuff a couple weeks ago. It was on my list of stuff to try, until I found myself in the paint aisle at Canadian Tire looking right at a can of acetone. The rest is history.
Thanks for reading what I said about liking the gun and wanting to use it...and not suggesting burning or throwing the stock away with no options for replacement.
Dish soap and a blue scotchbrite pad fixed up a sh!tty plastic Sako A7 stock I have. It's no uglier than it was before I started. lol.
If you're going to try acetone, I'd start in an inconspicuous spot as it could end up whitening the rubber. Did you try armorall or pledge - too much will make it slippery, but it will take the stickiness away.
If you're going to try acetone, I'd start in an inconspicuous spot as it could end up whitening the rubber. Did you try armorall or pledge - too much will make it slippery, but it will take the stickiness away.
Didn't try Pledge, but Armorall was one of my first attempts. No result, neither good nor bad. Same with WD40.
I first applied the acetone to a spot on the inside of the fore-end, which was just as sticky as the rest. Not only did it work beautifully, but I was pleased to see that it did not discolour or otherwise damage the black underneath the goo. The whole thing is a done deal now, I'll post a pic or two when I get home.
THIS is the correct answer. Those stocks are crap to start with. Even new they feel like a marital aid.
I’ll have to take your word on that one
Chuckbuster
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I just saw this thread. I’m going to have to try the cornstarch. I have a Browning shotgun that’s sticky as hell, and I really don’t want to go through the hassle of sending the whole gun in to Browning.
All of these "throw it away" answers seem to ignore that I like the gun itself, and am willing to put some effort into making it workable. Again, no aftermarket or OEM replacements seem to be available.
FatCatsDad
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Grab a pint of Xylene at Canadian tire.
Lint free cloths.
Gloves.
Well ventilated area, outside is the best option.
