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Old 05-25-2019, 04:24 PM
218bee 218bee is offline
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Default Cooper 38

I recently acquired a rifle I have wanted for a long time. It is a Cooper 38 in 20 Vartarg. The previous owner left some scratches and dents on the stock. My question for you, will I ruin the value of the rifle if I choose to raise the dent's and refinish the stock? I spoke with Cooper and they say that they use True Oil. True Oil is not waterproof. I had planned to use a Spar Urethane to give it a waterproof finish. What are your thoughts on the finish?
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Old 05-25-2019, 05:15 PM
varmintshooter varmintshooter is offline
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They use true oil now but they used Deff ( I think is the name, not sure ) back when they made the M38 in 20vt. If you google it you will find it is a furniture finish and also not waterproof. Myself, I would not mess with hard finish if I was going to sell in the future.
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Old 05-25-2019, 05:47 PM
TinMan TinMan is offline
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Deft is the finish, and it is like a brushable lacquer. It is very thin, clear and watery. I have used it for a couple of furniture pieces, not on rifle stocks. My Dad used it years ago to finish a knotty pine basement wall back when I was in grade school. It never turned yellow and darkened, just looked great.

Personally, I like the oil finishes on my Coopers. I wax them using either Minwax Finishing Wax or Howard's Feed and Wax. It is an oil that has carnauba wax dissolved in it. My wife is a weaver, and one of her looms is oil finished solid cherry. I use Howard's on it.

When you refinish the stock on the M38, I suggest you take it all the way to 800 grit paper, and it will look wonderful.

Last edited by TinMan; 05-25-2019 at 05:49 PM. Reason: typo
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Old 05-25-2019, 09:02 PM
Herb in Pa Herb in Pa is offline
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Deft Satin Finish (neutral and tint base) UPC Code 3712517604
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Old 05-26-2019, 01:35 AM
xring xring is offline
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218bee , over the years I have called Cooper and asked what they used as a Finish , and each time I got a different answer . Perhaps they have used quite a few different Brands over the years .... I just don't know . I called one of the Manufacturers Cooper said they used and the Manufacturer said they made no such Product . This is the first I have heard of TruOil or Deft . For myself , I don't shoot in the rain so all I care about is matching the older Finish . Anyway , I do know you can raise small Dents on many "old" Coopers without removing the Factory Finish . I did raise the Dents on a few , but due to some arm problems I have not yet tried to blend in various Finishes to hide the dull looking steam raised spots . These spots look pretty smooth to my eye , but I'm not sure whether any spot Polishing would be required . Before refinishing the whole Stock , why not raise the Grain and try various Finishes to see if you can hide the repaired spots . If you do , I would be very interested it what you discovered and what Finishes you used .

Last edited by xring; 05-26-2019 at 01:43 AM.
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Old 05-26-2019, 02:23 PM
drover drover is offline
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I have been to the factory numerous times and can verify that up until about 5 or 6 years ago Deft was the finish they used. They began using Tru-Oil on the later ones, I never bothered to ask why they changed because all of mine are old enough that they have the Deft finish on them. I purchased some Deft years ago and have used it to touch up places on my stocks and it blends right in.

drover
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Old 05-26-2019, 04:38 PM
218bee 218bee is offline
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Hey Drover and others,

I don't plan to hunt in the rain. I am merely trying to prevent seasonal shifts in the wood from changes in humidity and temperature. Do you think Deft would suffice for it assuming I seal the bare wood on the inside as well?
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Old 05-26-2019, 06:29 PM
Herb in Pa Herb in Pa is offline
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Well, reading from the can it states that it is a high solids finish that penetrates, hardens and protects from within. That said, it also mentions it is for interior wood surfaces. I've not needed to do any touch up work on my Coopers but if I did I would use the Deft and then a good coat of wax.
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Old 05-26-2019, 06:33 PM
TinMan TinMan is offline
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Like Herb in PA said, and make sure you wax the inside of the stock also, i.e. the barrel channel.
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  #10  
Old 05-26-2019, 10:11 PM
ray h ray h is offline
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I guess I look at Coopers different, unless it's truly a rare model , I don't see refinishing the stock will hurt anything if done right. Just too many out in the public to be anything but just a desirable gun. I only have 3 now and don't think the finish is anything very special they put on mine. Lots of good oil finishes that will bring the grain out better than what they put on.
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