Here is the thing... Orinal finish is shellac. Shellac does wear off with handling over many years. Combine that with gun oil that is applied to the surface and then dirt and skin oils, the shellac that is removed will be replaced with all that other stuff.
Thus explaining why Murphy's will remove more on some stocks than others. Like others suggested, your stock was lacking much original finish to start with. I have tried Murphy's a few times on some stocks and and it seemed to do nothing. Maybe because they had more original finish left on them.
Anyway... When I remove finish from stocks, I have a tall 7 gallon pal with a sealing lid that is full of acetone. I put the stock in, seal it up and let it soak. When it comes out, all finish and oil is removed from the wood.
As for finishes, there is so much out there to choose from and everyone has their own opinions. Shellac can be difficult to work with. A lot of finishers resort back to Tru Oil for work. It is a good finish that is easy to work with. The ultimate question one has to ask when choosing a finish is what the desired look of the finished stock is to be.
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B. Dudley
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