Removing wood from DH...?

[Walter Clayton]

I have a 16ga DH..I would like to remove the wood to clean and lightly refinish...how difficult is it to remove? Thanks, WC

[Bruce Day]

On a scale of 1 to 10, its a 7 or 8.

See FAQ #11.

I don't remove the wood if that's all I am doing, but the gun may need a thorough cleaning anyway.

[Dean Romig]

If you're using any kind of solvent that may cause harm to the finish of the stock head, especially if it is the original shellac finish, I would recommend removing the stock.

I don't know if it is as hard as a 7 or 8 as Bruce suggests (I've done it several times and the one time I didn't I damaged the original finish) but it does require care and patience so as not to chip or mar the edges of the wood where they fit perfectly with the metal.

See FAQ #11 as Bruce suggests.