The last few days have seen the stock refined and reshaped a couple of times. It has been sanded through 100, 150, 220, and 360 grits then wetted and 360 sanded twice and the same with 600 grit paper so it is ready for the finish now and that will start with about 4-5 coats of 75/25 turps/spar varnish and then a couple of 50/50 coats (sanded with 600grit paper between coats) to seal the surface from the inside. The finish will be straight tung oil for as many coats as it takes to get it right then a rub off with rottenstone and it should be good to go.

I am waiting for a new extended left side flag safety to arrive so all the metalwork can go back to the GS fitting, getting the cartridge engraved on the barrel and the blueing done. Fortunately we are in mid winter and while I look forward to having it completed, the weather is not condusive to extended testing of loads etc. I will probably get the brass fireformed and leave the load testing for better conditions, besides which the high country I like to hunt is not excessible till about november anyway so I have time to find a load it likes with a 139gn privi partisan and the 120gn TTSX. QL is telling me I can run the 139gn bullet to 2800fps (H4350) and the 120gn to 2950fps (H414) with a 57k psi redline so ther is plenty of performance to tap into.