Oil Finish

With a table belt sander and a jig you will make out fine. Slow and careful. I think it would be hard to get it smooth and more important flat with the dremel.

Good advice. I will tape mine as you suggested. I've never installed a pad so I'm not sure where to begin. If I had to pick something I'd love to do well, it would be pad installation and checkering. I'm very tempted to buy a checkering tool and learn the technique. I love to draw and have good artistic skills, so it seems like something I could learn and do well. As for the pad, I need to get a sander and get started. I wonder if I could use a Dremel tool?

Very easy as mine is broke. The "ring" at the front of the wood where the barrel tightens against has broken away from the retainer. No worries and no trouble with function and makes disaaaembly easier. Tape yours off and strip away. Add a red butt pad from CMCS, they have the old London Guns style pads. That is the one I am using.

By the way, how difficult is it to remove the fore end hardware?

I guess we did kinda of feed each other's agenda for the day, didn't we?! You've made much more progress on your stock than I have on mine. The butt section of my stock is stripped and now I'm on to the pistol grip area and the sides up to the forend checkering. Your stock is looking great Ed. When my current project is complete, I'll immediately begin on my Beretta 303. I have always wanted to put an oil finish on it and there's a couple of dings I'd like to remove in the process. I really hope the Beretta goes much easier and quicker than the Weatherbys have gone! My Beretta stock has a lot of sunburst grain in it but your has mine beat by a fair margin. My forend has good grain in it so it'll be a really nice look when I get it done.

Sunday started as a lazy day of not much to do but sleep in, Big breakfast and maybe a trip to the range. First I check in online and the wheels of the days plans fell of quickly. Jb posted pictures of his 3 300wby's with newly done oil finished stocks. Now I am no stranger to Oil and have been thinking that my A303 needs a good oil finish as well. One email leads to another and JB and Myself find ourselves, abiet 2000 miles apart, stripping stocks for oil finishes. Here is todays progress;
Pic 1 is about the 3rd application and the finish is really rolling off.
Pic 2 is stripped and washed down, ready for a final sanding/steel wooling.
Pic 3 and 4 are the stocks stripped, sanded, steel wooled and 1 coat of Alkaneet oil to bring a little red into the grain. This was a wild looking stock to start with but the high gloss urethane really drowned out the firgure. Now it is out for all the world to see.

It is now receiving a hardening coat of Slakum which I will cut down with Ochre and oil. A solid red pad will be added when it arrives.