I took my Mauser to the range the other day (I'll post some pictures of the rifle later), and post-range I was washing out the barrel with some warm soapy water, and a few drops trickled out the back of the action and down the buttstock that I hadn't noticed, and consequently discolored the wood in their path.
I was a little unhappy with that, but I didn't make too much of it because they aren't too noticeable. As you can see the stock has a nice reddish color, but I can't tell if it's finished or just stained, or neither. If it's the latter, how can I repair that bit of water damage on the stock? I don't want to sand the whole thing; could I just rub some tung oil into it for a few weeks and have the discoloration disappear? I'm assuming that the reddish color is the natural color of the wood.
I appreciate any help because I've never done this sort of thing before, and I don't want to ruin the history of the firearm. Protecting it from any future damage by giving it a better waterproof varnish would be nice too; however, I don't really want to use polyurethane.
I was a little unhappy with that, but I didn't make too much of it because they aren't too noticeable. As you can see the stock has a nice reddish color, but I can't tell if it's finished or just stained, or neither. If it's the latter, how can I repair that bit of water damage on the stock? I don't want to sand the whole thing; could I just rub some tung oil into it for a few weeks and have the discoloration disappear? I'm assuming that the reddish color is the natural color of the wood.
I appreciate any help because I've never done this sort of thing before, and I don't want to ruin the history of the firearm. Protecting it from any future damage by giving it a better waterproof varnish would be nice too; however, I don't really want to use polyurethane.