WebleyGreene455
AH fanatic
Good evening all. I need a little advice on something, if you please.
My absolute favorite rifle in my collection is my M14. It was my college graduation gift, built on a new-made receiver and barrel from USGI parts with a M14E2 Automatic Rifle's pistol-gripped stock. Alas, a few of its components (the folding foregrip and the unique E2 buttpad assembly plus the available repro bipod and slip-on stabilizer) are not present but I don't really mind so much 'cause I have an idea for an improvised foregrip, I don't really want the bipod, and the stabilizer means I can't fix bayonets. Anyway, it looks very much like this:
Here's my problem. As you can see in the pic, and note from the title, it's got a birch stock on it. Now, I live in coastal GA where it's sometimes VERY humid, and plainly, I'm concerned about having that rifle (or any wood-stocked one, which is pretty much all of them except my XM16E1) out in the rain or an extra-humid day for fear of the stock getting warped or swollen or what-have-you.
Should I really be concerned about this? Can I do anything to help its water-resistance besides the tung oil it's already been finished with? Or am I just overly worried because of the whole "M14 and M40 sniper rifle stocks were replaced with fiberglass because the wood got all messed up in Vietnam's wet-as-everything environment" thing and should remember that wood-stocked rifles suffered all kinds of miserable conditions for hundreds of years and it's sturdier than I think (and is pretty unlikely to just up and break, too)?
I daresay more than a couple of members on here might've carried wood-stocked battle rifles of their own once upon a time in the 60s and 70s and keep on doing so with their hunting rifles now, so I'm hoping y'all can help put my fears to rest.
Kindest regards,
~~W.G.455
My absolute favorite rifle in my collection is my M14. It was my college graduation gift, built on a new-made receiver and barrel from USGI parts with a M14E2 Automatic Rifle's pistol-gripped stock. Alas, a few of its components (the folding foregrip and the unique E2 buttpad assembly plus the available repro bipod and slip-on stabilizer) are not present but I don't really mind so much 'cause I have an idea for an improvised foregrip, I don't really want the bipod, and the stabilizer means I can't fix bayonets. Anyway, it looks very much like this:
Here's my problem. As you can see in the pic, and note from the title, it's got a birch stock on it. Now, I live in coastal GA where it's sometimes VERY humid, and plainly, I'm concerned about having that rifle (or any wood-stocked one, which is pretty much all of them except my XM16E1) out in the rain or an extra-humid day for fear of the stock getting warped or swollen or what-have-you.
Should I really be concerned about this? Can I do anything to help its water-resistance besides the tung oil it's already been finished with? Or am I just overly worried because of the whole "M14 and M40 sniper rifle stocks were replaced with fiberglass because the wood got all messed up in Vietnam's wet-as-everything environment" thing and should remember that wood-stocked rifles suffered all kinds of miserable conditions for hundreds of years and it's sturdier than I think (and is pretty unlikely to just up and break, too)?
I daresay more than a couple of members on here might've carried wood-stocked battle rifles of their own once upon a time in the 60s and 70s and keep on doing so with their hunting rifles now, so I'm hoping y'all can help put my fears to rest.
Kindest regards,
~~W.G.455