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Tiger Stripe a Shotgun Stock

RH2OMANRH2OMAN Member Posts: 87 ✭✭
edited August 2003 in Ask the Experts
I have a shotgun marked Comstock Arms Co. Duluth. I know it was private labeled but who was the manufacturer? I am guessing early part of the 1900's.

It has an imitation tiger stripe. I dimly recall that his was done by dissolving nails in nitric acid, using it to paint the stripe on the stock, then neutralizing with baking soda. Is this the way to do it?

Thanks.

Comments

  • bobskibobski Member Posts: 17,868 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    another commom way was to burn the wood with a torch. all these methods were created to offset the high usage of figured walnut...which was and still is, becoming a rare commodity. if done right, they can fool the best of trained eyes.

    former air operations officer SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 2. former navy skeet team, navy rifle/pistol team member. co-owner skeetmaster tubes inc.. owner/operator professional shooting instruction.
    Retired Naval Aviation
    Former Member U.S. Navy Shooting Team
    Former NSSA All American
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    MO, CT, VA.
  • TxsTxs Member Posts: 18,801
    edited November -1
    The old method I'm familiar with calls for soaking a heavy string in coal oil or kerosene and wrapping it around the stock. You then light the string and allow it to scorch the wood. After this is done you remove the remains of the string, sand/smooth the wood and apply an oil finish.
  • jjmitchell60jjmitchell60 Member Posts: 3,887
    edited November -1
    I do not know the exact method but some old time gun builders have told me one way to tiger stripe a stock was with the use of Pine Taror pine pitch. My 45 cal longrifle was tiger striped with pine pitch method and it looks great. Unfortunatly the gentleman who built it has passed away so I can not ask him exactly how it is done. I would do some research into old time gun building methods to find exactly how it is done if I was wanting to do one. One source of good books would be:
    http://www.dixiegunworks.com
    Hope this helps.
  • HangfireHangfire Member Posts: 3,010 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I saw one at a gunshow the seller claimed he did by wrapping the stock with small cannon fuse spaced about 1".Touched it off and stepped back. Looked good

    Gun control is a steady hand
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