refinished grip on SAA uberti

[derek45]

Dixie Gun Works ( Uberti ) Old Model

44 special

Used Citri-strip
stain
Boiled Linseed oil
2 coats johnson paste wax

Before and after stripping and refinishing grips

[hanover67]

I have a Colt New Frontier SAA .44 Special. Its grips are walnut, but have a light-colored finish I don't like, plus the fit poorly. I've thought about re-finishing them to make them darker. I did that with a pair of replacement Herret grips on an S&W 2nd Model Hand Ejector using tung oil rather than linseed oil and they came out like yours, darker and no gloss. My only hesitation is that the gun will no longer be "original." I also have a Uberti, a Cimarron Bisley .44 Special which came with shiny wood grips. For that gun I had a pair of Elk horn grips made.

[RED BEAR]

Look pretty nice.

[rancher1913]

they seam to match the gun better now.

[derek45]

[Wayne Smith]

Walnut stain? How light was the wood? I need to do something like this with mine.

[derek45]

Walnut stain? How light was the wood? I need to do something like this with mine.

Sorry, I just looked through my phone pics, and failed to find any of the wood, stripped and dry.

I did find these...

[Love Life]

Very pretty. One thing Uberti does well is use walnut that is similar to 1st gen grain patterns.

[Texas by God]

That stripper looks like caramel but I bet the taste is different.
As stated, now those grips look proper. Good job.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[GL49]

Anybody ever tried this on a Uberti rifle with the same reddish color on their stocks? I've got an 1873 in 44-40 and an 1876 in 50-95 I think could really benefit from the changes I see made on the revolver. Nice job.
What boolit is that in the second picture?

[derek45]

....
What boolit is that in the second picture?

It's a LEE 310gr that was cut down to about 270gr

here's the thread...

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-265-flat-base

before & after

[GL49]

Well now, I've got a 310gr. 2 cavity mould with the gas check, never did like the gas check base. And the machinist at work owes me a favor.......
Thanks for the idea. I think my 1873 will be first for the citri-strip treatment.

[35 Whelen]

Anybody ever tried this on a Uberti rifle with the same reddish color on their stocks? I've got an 1873 in 44-40 and an 1876 in 50-95 I think could really benefit from the changes I see made on the revolver. Nice job.
What boolit is that in the second picture?

@GL49 You bet, but I didn't use any type stain. Just BLO cut 3/1 with pure gun turpentine. I use a method I that was used by a now deceased gentleman who restored Winchesters.

His method, after the stock was stripped-

I use my fingers to apply a sloppy wet coat of oil. Then dip one of your 320 sand paper squares into the oil, and start to sand lightly with finger tip pressure. The wet oil will act as a lubricant, and you will not be cutting much wood with this wet sanding. You will be making wood flour from your stocks wood, and using that wood flour to fill the pores. The wet sanding will force wood flour into the pores. This wet sanding will cause a black paste to form, from the sanding dust, the oil, and oxidation. By the time the paste forms, you will feel the paper wear out, quit making sanding dust. Get a fresh square of sand paper and continue. Apply a wet coat of oil over the black paste, let set 20 to 30 minutes, wipe off with a paper towel. Don’t be too particular about the wipe off, if you leave the stock a little dirty, it will do you more good than harm. LET SET TWO DAYS TO DRY. Then repeat another coat of wet sanding in, and LET DRY TWO DAYS BETWEEN EACH COAT. Put on three coats of this wet sanding in with 320, then switch to 400 sand paper and wet sand in two more coats. Your stock will now be silky smooth, and the PORES WILL BE FILLED. The better the job you do filling the pores, the faster and easier the job will be to finish. Now the job gets a lot easier, there is no more sanding. Put the stock aside for a few days or even a week, to make sure the oil has completely dried deep down in the pores.
For the finish coats use only a very small minute amount of oil, apply with your finger tips, and rub in with the heal of your hand. There should be no oil left to wipe off from finishing coats, because its all rubbed in. Again, let set two days between coats.


A couple of random "before" pictures-





Then after-



Hard to believe it's the same stock!

35W

[Love Life]

Uberti uses some pretty nice walnut. You can buy their unfinished grips for $35 bucks and fit them to your gun. You really can’t beat that price for true one piece walnut. I’ve fit several sets for customer guns.

Sanding in with oil is my preferred method for filling pores. However, crystallac clear grain filler is also something I can use.

For sanding end grain I recommend going up to 600 grit. This will keep the end grain from absorbing more finish and being darker than the rest of the wood.

[GL49]

35 Whelen
That 1866 sure looks better than the new ones with the bright shiny brass and the reddish colored stocks. How old is the rifle and how long did it take to get that patina on the brass? I've been admiring those on gunbroker, trying to make up my mind between 45 colt and 44-40. My 1873 is a 44-40, I'm trying to convince myself I don't need another 44-40, and don't have a 45 colt rifle......
I'll probably practice my stock refinishing on a couple of old single shot shotguns, while the rest of the shotgun gets a new rust-blue treatment.

[35 Whelen]

35 Whelen
That 1866 sure looks better than the new ones with the bright shiny brass and the reddish colored stocks. How old is the rifle and how long did it take to get that patina on the brass? I've been admiring those on gunbroker, trying to make up my mind between 45 colt and 44-40. My 1873 is a 44-40, I'm trying to convince myself I don't need another 44-40, and don't have a 45 colt rifle......
I'll probably practice my stock refinishing on a couple of old single shot shotguns, while the rest of the shotgun gets a new rust-blue treatment.

This one was made in the '90's. Next time I have it apart, I'm going to look for the date code. I bought it from a gentleman who bought from the estate of a gentleman who supplied rifles for movies. I've had it for several years now and the brass has always looked like that.

I've for years been fighting the urge to get an 1866 carbine.

35W

[Wayne Smith]

I use exactly your friends process but use Tung Oil (the real thing, available through Woodcraft) instead of BLO. Two oils completely polmerize - or harden - when drying. Tung Oil and Walnut Oil. I use Walnut oil on bowls. Sanding in the oil is an old and well established way to fill the pores

[historicfirearms]

Learn something new every time I visit this site. The wealth of knowledge is unending.