Cleaned my shotgun after a muddy duck hunt and found something I didn't expect

[Night-king]

I figured this would be a normal post hunt cleaning, gas system, chamber, the usual spots people actually check. Then I got to the stock and found water pooled inside the buttstock, sitting there from a small crack I'd never even noticed was there.

That kind of thing can swell the wood, warp it, throw off your accuracy down the line and none of it announces itself the way a dirty gas system does. The action checked out fine everywhere else. The stock had just been quietly absorbing the damage on its own, without a single sign on the outside.

I check the wood now after every wet hun not just the metal. It tells you things the action never will.

 

[blue raven]

Wet conditions have this sneaky way of showing damage you didn’t even realize was building up. Wood just soaks it all in quietly.

 

[guntha45]

I like wood stocks best but in a case like this synthetic material is more practical.

 

[HWB13]

The cracks are one thing, but most factory stocks and grips care more about the outward appearance. They should be finished the same on the inside as the out. Regular maintenance should include a quality wax on all surfaces in side and out. I use Renaissance wax on all wood guns and grips. I also have used J&J floor wax as well as, i can't recall the brand, bowling alley wax.