Protect your finish (don't do what I did)

DustyGmt

DustyGmt

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Just lamenting a lil bit about what happened last spring and would like to save others some grief if I can.

If you have a beloved shotgun (or any rifle for that matter) with the glossy wood/poly finish, like the famous RWK/DuPont "Bowling Pin" finish, that was actually used on bowling pins to withstand hard wear and maintain the "Gloss" after lots of hard use. Evidently some of the best finished wood stocks from Remington used a DuPont formula that was only produced by a factory in (Illinois? Iirc) up until the early 70's or so, but anyway.....

Lots of companies used proprietary finishes on quality wood back in the day and if you're lucky, you've managed not to futz up your finish by doing what I did.

This is my offense, it was spring, the gnats, mosquitos and biting flies were out in full force on my first trap outing last spring so I sprayed my neck, face and arms with some of that bug repellent made by "Off" that sprays on dry. It was about 80°F and I was a lil sweaty but didn't think much of it, at the end of the shoot, I wiped my gun down and put it away.

Fast forward to the following week, I pull my 870 TB with beautiful wood and glossy bowling pin finish from my rifle case to find my beautiful high gloss finish has been ruined and is very splotchy and dull, apparently as a result of using bug repellent. This may be common knowledge to some, but I had no idea. I was pretty bummed so I reached out to a guy on my squad whose whole career is refinishing and restoring wood and he said that he would bring it back to it's former glory.

Just a word of warning to you guys shooting guns with high gloss or "bowling pin" Remington's, don't spray on bug spray before a shoot. Your beautiful gun might not be so nice the next time you see it...... :(
 
Last edited:
Scooter22 said:
Makes you think twice about spraying that stuff on. I remember when I was a kid (mid 60s to 70s) at our old camp we would spray on the Off, K12. and other mosquito sprays. We usually went to bed with that on and washed off in the lake in the morning. I can't imagine what we absorbed.
Click to expand...
That's what I was thinking, if the stuff will strip hard finishes what's it doing once it seeps into your pores. I never wear the stuff and eschew most spray on anything, even deodorant, but I made an exception that day because the biting flies were so unrelenting. Had welts all over my neck, face, ears and arms the following week anyway and ruined my stock finish.
 
Last edited:
DustyGmt said:
That's what I was thinking, if the stuff will strip hard finishes what's it doing once it seeps into your pours. I never wear the stuff and eschew most spray on anything, even deodorant, but I made an exception that day because the biting flies were so unrelenting. Had welts all over my neck, face, ears and arms the following week anyway and ruined my stock finish.
Click to expand...
 
As a kid in the Bronx we’d occasional have helicopters fly over spraying some sort of insect killer, probably DDT.

I’m sure whatever it was was to our detriment. Did the same thing much later when West Nile virus was around, but of course, DDT was long banned by then.

I wonder if the repellants with picaridin would have the same effect on finishes?

OP, hope your stock refinish works out well.
 
As a kid in the Bronx we’d occasional have helicopters fly over spraying some sort of insect killer, probably DDT.

OMG! This just reminded me. My wife and my families were in city neighborhoods. In the early 80s here family moved about 5 miles out into one of the burbs. That area was originally lower wet areas in a lake plane. During the summer town trucks would come through with foggers up and down every street. Big white clouds of poison the younger kids would ride their bikes behind them.o_O
 
Found several quart cans of Vietnam era military surplus bug juice in a barn years ago. Took one can home and used some when I went fishing. Put some on my hands and rubbed a little on my neck and ears.
Tried tying a jig and the line was turning into spider web, then the handle of my fishing rod started melting, then the boat seat and the outboard throttle.
Everything I had touched was turning to goo.
Got rid of that stuff but never had a mosquito anywhere near me that day!
Years ago, I had an out of production browning BSS with high gloss finish that cracked. I tried repairing the crack and refinishing it and it was horrible. I contacted browning and they actually located a new old stock and sold it to me for $100 plus shipping.
 
Kingcreek said:
Found several quart cans of Vietnam era military surplus bug juice in a barn years ago. Took one can home and used some when I went fishing. Put some on my hands and rubbed a little on my neck and ears.
Tried tying a jig and the line was turning into spider web, then the handle of my fishing rod started melting, then the boat seat and the outboard throttle.
Everything I had touched was turning to goo.
Got rid of that stuff but never had a mosquito anywhere near me that day!
Years ago, I had an out of production browning BSS with high gloss finish that cracked. I tried repairing the crack and refinishing it and it was horrible. I contacted browning and they actually located a new old stock and sold it to me for $100 plus shipping.
Click to expand...
I don't know what's worse, known carcinogenic bug dope that's melting everything you touch or some of those disease carrying hummingbird size skeeters in Nam.....
 
DEET, or N,N-Diethyl-m-toluamide, is NOT carcinogenic, neither toxic if used per instructions. That means, that if one showers his entire body with it every day it will get you sick, but other than that... Use with common sense and do read what is printed at the back of the bottle. But it will melt plastic in a heartbeat - that's why manufacturers advise against using it with/on synthetic clothing and etc.
 
DustyGmt said:
Just lamenting a lil bit about what happened last spring and would like to save others some grief if I can.

If you have a beloved shotgun (or any rifle for that matter) with the glossy wood/poly finish, like the famous RWK/DuPont "Bowling Pin" finish, that was actually used on bowling pins to withstand hard wear and maintain the "Gloss" after lots of hard use. Evidently some of the best finished wood stocks from Remington used a DuPont formula that was only produced by a factory in (Illinois? Iirc) up until the early 70's or so, but anyway.....

Lots of companies used proprietary finishes on quality wood back in the day and if you're lucky, you've managed not to futz up your finish by doing what I did.

This is my offense, it was spring, the gnats, mosquitos and biting flies were out in full force on my first trap outing last spring so I sprayed my neck, face and arms with some of that bug repellent made by "Off" that sprays on dry. It was about 80°F and I was a lil sweaty but didn't think much of it, at the end of the shoot, I wiped my gun down and put it away.

Fast forward to the following week, I pull my 870 TB with beautiful wood and glossy bowling pin finish from my rifle case to find my beautiful high gloss finish has been ruined and is very splotchy and dull, apparently as a result of using bug repellent. This may be common knowledge to some, but I had no idea. I was pretty bummed so I reached out to a guy on my squad whose whole career is refinishing and restoring wood and he said that he would bring it back to it's former glory.

Just a word of warning to you guys shooting guns with high gloss or "bowling pin" Remington's, don't spray on bug spray before a shoot. Your beautiful gun might not be so nice the next time you see it...... :(
Click to expand...

Many insect repellents also can permanently ruin watch crystals and plastic lenses in eyeglasses!
 
Sudden Thunder said:
Many insect repellents also can permanently ruin watch crystals and plastic lenses in eyeglasses!
Click to expand...
I never use the stuff, like ever. I don't even like roll on/spray on deodorant, I hate sprays and liquids on my body, I even eschew sunscreen. It's most unfortunate, the bugs just happened to be so bad that day that I actually used bug dope for the first time in a decade and it proved to be a pretty costly mistake but life happens.

I usually try to avoid chemicals and use other methods for deterring insects like lemon oil/juice and peppermint, that and i carry lil cirtonella torch lamp refills and have been known to light a couple of those in my vicinity when outfoors.... I hate the idea of hosing myself down with chemicals even though as a teenager I ingested my fair share and wasn't so picky :D
 
As someone who is not a fan of glossy "bowling pin" finishes, I would use the unfortunate occasion to remove all of the old (not an easy task with the RWK/DuPont finish) and refinish the stock with a traditional oil-based formula. But that's just me and my old man biases.
 
I live down here in south Florida - not far from what's left of the Everglades so bug spray and sunscreen are very common items. Add to that I'm a full time fishing guide (when I have customers...) in the salt and brackish portions of those same everglades - and I'm using chemicals - all too often on any exposed skin. Along with that I did have a good friend that swore up and down that those same chemicals caused skin cancer (something I'm also entirely too familiar with... ) and it's been a concern of mine for years and years...

Yes, most bug sprays contain DEET as a primary ingredient - and the stuff will attack any form of plastic (including seat coves in boats...) it comes into contact with. As a result I do what I can to minimize my contact with it - even when standing in a cloud of mosquitoes or no-see-ums... My first level of protection is to simply cover up - both from insects and the sun - even in August I'm wearing long sleeve shirts, long pants, and a face covering along with a hat and sun gloves... Here's what I look like...
8m2KVXN.jpg

friendly looking fellow - no?

Make sure your clothing is both lightweight and very loose fitting for best protection - and avoid dark colors if at all possible. Time after time I've noted that anyone wearing dark colors on my skiff has all the mosquitoes - to themselves... Properly dressed in bug country - you won't look like a fashion plate at all..

The ultimate bug protection though - when you're really needing it is to simply put on your raingear - since the bugs can't bite through it... Not very comfortable though - but it does beat wearing that nasty bug spray. By the way both bug spray and sun screen... will nearly blind you if your sweat allows it to drip down into your eyes (another of those "ask me how I know" deals...).

As far as sunscreen goes - that's something all of us really need down here in the tropics - so you learn to live with it (and I'm scheduled to see my skin doctor - every three months...) lucky me.
 
DustyGmt said:
Just lamenting a lil bit about what happened last spring and would like to save others some grief if I can.

If you have a beloved shotgun (or any rifle for that matter) with the glossy wood/poly finish, like the famous RWK/DuPont "Bowling Pin" finish, that was actually used on bowling pins to withstand hard wear and maintain the "Gloss" after lots of hard use. Evidently some of the best finished wood stocks from Remington used a DuPont formula that was only produced by a factory in (Illinois? Iirc) up until the early 70's or so, but anyway.....

Lots of companies used proprietary finishes on quality wood back in the day and if you're lucky, you've managed not to futz up your finish by doing what I did.

This is my offense, it was spring, the gnats, mosquitos and biting flies were out in full force on my first trap outing last spring so I sprayed my neck, face and arms with some of that bug repellent made by "Off" that sprays on dry. It was about 80°F and I was a lil sweaty but didn't think much of it, at the end of the shoot, I wiped my gun down and put it away.

Fast forward to the following week, I pull my 870 TB with beautiful wood and glossy bowling pin finish from my rifle case to find my beautiful high gloss finish has been ruined and is very splotchy and dull, apparently as a result of using bug repellent. This may be common knowledge to some, but I had no idea. I was pretty bummed so I reached out to a guy on my squad whose whole career is refinishing and restoring wood and he said that he would bring it back to it's former glory.

Just a word of warning to you guys shooting guns with high gloss or "bowling pin" Remington's, don't spray on bug spray before a shoot. Your beautiful gun might not be so nice the next time you see it...... :(
Click to expand...

I generally give my glossy bowling pin finish stocks a scrumming with a green scotch-brite pad, which turns them into satin bowling pin finish stocks.

No flash, like an oil finish, but still bowling pin tough.
 
When I do use bug spray - it's on my clothing or on my hat (particularly under the brim) instead of on my skin... Seems to work well if you don't mind what it will eventually do to your seats... I do replace the seats on my skiff every three years or so and believe that bug spray shortens their life (bass boat style seating from Tempress), three across on my old skiff...
 
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