Moral-Flexibility.Net

A year ago I acquired a second USGI stock for my M14S rifle, I had planned on experimenting with various paints, and trying out some camoflage schemes on this stock (leaving the stock I already had as is). The stock, purchased used for $40, was found to be in horrible shape when it arrived. It appeared the previous owner had attempted to repaint the stock using some sort of racing green oil-based paint, applied with a brush. The checkering on the stock had been painted so heavily it was almost smooth, and the paint itself was extremely resistant to removal.

The first step was the removal of the oil based paint that had been used (or at least most of the paint), and this was accomplished with good old fashioned elbow grease and alot of sandpaper (medium and fine grit). The checkering was cleared by running an exacto-knife down the rows and scraping the old paint out (a rather tedious process).

Once sufficient paint had been removed two specific modifications were made to the stock. The first was the filling in of the “fire select switch cutout” on the right hand side of the stock using JB Weld. The cutout was for use with the military M14 capable of select fire when a special switch was installed. As the civilian versions do not have this feature, the cutout serves only as an unsightly hole in the stock. The process is simplicity in itself, requiring little more than the application of duct tape along both the inside and outside of the stock around the cutout, and then gooping JB Weld in. Allow it to cure, then sand it to match the stock.

The second modification is one unique to the Chinese M1A’s. The Operating Rod Spring Guide retaining pin on the Chinese rifles is shorter than its American original. As a consequence a USGI stock has sufficient space inside the stock to allow the retaining pin to release the spring guide during operation (typically this is noticed by the shooter when a magazine is removed, and the spring guide launches itself into the mag well).

Two fixes suggest themselves, extend the length of the pin or build up the inside wall of the stock to remove the space that allows the pin to move. I opted for the modification as I had plenty of JB Weld left. As with the selector cutout I used duct tape and cardboard to create a dam, and then gooped JB Weld in.

I allowed the JB Weld to become fairly solid, and then carved the top edge down to match the profile of the receiver. More sanding was required once the JB Weld had properly cured. With these two modifications complete I once again sanded like mad to make sure everything blended together properly.

Paint selected for the project was Krylon Camouflage Olive Drab. Prior to the application of the paint, the stock was primed and given 24 hours to cure (the directions recommend 12, but it’s a little damp here, and I’d prefer to err on the side of caution), then some touch up applied where the first coat had gone on too thin.

Sadly a few ridges are barely visible where the JB Weld was applied, but this is not a presentation stock so a few flaws (the worst scratches and dents in the stock were patched and sanded) are far from critical. Still the stock looks worlds better even with just the coat of primer on it. With the weather as it is I was tempted to leave the stock a solid white, and attempt a winter camouflage, but decided to stick with the OD plan (I still have the other stock to play with once this one is completed).

The OD paint takes less time to set, so the first coat and touch up were done in one sitting, with the stock left to dry overnight. The paint is fairly easy to work with, and seemed to dry evenly. A second coat was applied and left to dry.

The second coat took well, although there was some evidence that the paint was a little too thick around the checkering, and for this reason only two coats were applied.

Recommended by the experts at Canadian Gun Nutz I went with Excel Colorvision Matte Clearcoat to finish the paint job. The instructions state that the stock is safe to handle 15-20 minutes after application, but the recomendation by the experts was to let it cure for 7 days to be sure the finish is not marred.

16 hours after the first coat, I applied a light second coat and then left the stock for the recommended 7 days. There was some slight dripping of the first coat, but I’ll ignore it as it’s far to much work to get rid of it at this late stage in the game (this is my “not presentation stock” defence again).

The end product certainly seems to look right, the down side is that it draws attention to the wear on the rifle itself. Ah well, thats another project.

The patched areas are nicely blended here, and can hardly be seen.

Cost Breakdown:
$5.99 - Excel Colorvision Matte Clearcoat
$5.99 - Krylon OD Matte paint (Camoflage System)
$8.99 - JB Weld
$2.99 - Sandpaper
$40.00 - Used (and abused) USGI stock
$63.96 - Total Project cost

Timeline:
The entire project from start to finish took approximately 2 weeks to complete, with the majority of that time spent waiting for things to dry and cure.

Summary:
Overall I am quite pleased with the results, the few blemishes are minor and in rather inconspicuous places. This has been a learning experience (as it is the second stock I have ever refinished, with the first receiving little more than two coats of black paint).

I will of course be repeating the entire process with the stock currently on my M14S, so the new OD stock will get its fair share of field trials over the next few months. I will endeavor to document the wear and tear it suffers as a result of normal handling.