...they are very..sticky. I know I can strip them and refinish but is there any way to remove the stickyness without completely stripping the factory finish ? I'd prefer to leave it on them if I can.

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1st smiles,lies.Last,gunfire.

You could try a little mineral spirits and see if it takes the sticky coat off.It shouldn't hurt the original finish if it's still there under whatever's on there now.Acetone will remove the factory finish if you decide to start over

Thanks ! I've stripped quite a few pairs with acetone, but they needed to either be refinished ( missing parts of the finish ) or the checkering was rough and I wanted to recut them. Never had a pair that was beautiful but sticky.

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1st smiles,lies.Last,gunfire.

I would try warm soapy water and a soft bristle brush. If that didn't get it so to something like mineral spirits. Good luck.

Renaissance wax or something similar may work. Soft bristle in checkering.

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Mike, AmVets Member, Navy Vet

My experience is that once the coatings start breaking down, they will need to be completely stripped (not just on grips). The Mineral Spirit wipe down may help for a short while, but the stickiness will more than likely return. Many grips sold on ebay and such are touched up with a quick spray coat of something or other for the sale. What happens shortly after might be what you are experiencing.

I'd soak them in some Acetone, strip them clean, let dry and refinish. Not a hard job and works great. You have a plethora of options however personally I'd restore them to the correct period finish if they were mine. S&W used different finishes on different grips throughout the years. Find out what is correct for your date of manufacture.

I keep a bottle of spray "Murphy's oil soap" for cleaning stocks that I don't want to refinish. It doesn't hurt the finish or wood and will remove any dirt and grime.

The "sticky" is more than likely linseed oil , it has a problem truly drying out even in super thin coats and even a moderate coat will not dry all the way through.... Wet a rag with mineral spirits and see if that will remove it . If so , a toothbrush dampened in mineral spirits will clean the checkering. Let them dry for several days and give them a thin rubbed in coat of Minwax Tung Oil Finish...this stuff has driers and makes an excellent stock finish...it's all I use now.
Gary

Before trying anything else, put them in direct sunlight for a day or 2 and see if that helps. Maybe they were top coated with oil that is not fully cured. A little UV goes a long way.

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My sgntr is mor thn 30 chrctrs

A surface that’s sticky or gummy is often the result of dirt, wax, and grime accumulation—especially when it’s frequently touched. Some may disagree, but the build-up of waxes can and will cause sticky feel with age. The combination of perspiration (salts and oils), wax, dirt, and gunpowder grime, etc. can build up over time, but can also attack the finish, making it impossible to repair. Many of us have seen old wood railings where the finish can be scraped away with your fingernail. Nothing can be done there except stripping and refinishing and that is what you may need to do to solve the problems you are encountering.

One unconventional repair I have researched, but never tried is the use of shellac. The process involves wiping down the surface with alcohol and after it dries, apply a couple of very thin coats of shellac. Can't hurt to try if all else fails. If it works, great, if not you probably need to refinish anyway.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

This is out there, but anytime I run into sticky stuff I try an orange based hand cleaner. I haven’t tried it on grips but many other things. It doesn’t seem to affect anything from carpets to car paint. Nothing to lose, if it doesn’t work you still have a good hand cleaner. Can be found at most auto parts stores.

They may have a coat of whatever finish/oil rubbed on and it's not drying because the wood has been subjected to all sorts of super space age oils and preservatives.
People are just obsessed with oiling and greasing up their guns and the wood usually gets it too. Many of the gun oils are touted as being 'good for the wood' as well.
They might not hurt the wood or make it shrivel up and blow away in the wind, but they certainly don't help when you try and finish the wood.

Many have silicone or other super slipperys in them. You can't get much to dry over the top of any of those. They are tough to get out of the wood too.

Some finishes are just not compatible with other finishes.
Oils, lacquers, polys, ect,,they all tend to get piled on and lovingly rubbed in.
This is supposed to result in a classic look of your choice.
It usually is just a lot of effort for nothing.

You may be trying to get thinned out TruOil to dry over a surface that has been blasted with Pledge and had Renn Wax buffed into it,, and orig finished with nothing more than a dunking in raw linseed.
The former is silicone oil,,the latter never drys completely.
,,and Wax is just that no matter the name. It repells anything you try and lay over it.

Just an example of course,,could be anything and any combination. People use all sorts of stuff and concoctions to finish gun wood. Stuff they'd never consider using on a wooden chair or table.
But a gunstock...for some reason that seems to be fair game for hocus pocus finishing formulas and techniques.

Strip the wood completely till there's nothing on or in the wood.
Then bleach it w/oxalic acid (not laundry bleach!) to even up the color and remove and unwanted marks.
Stain it to where you want it. Apply the finish you want to the degree of gloss you desire.

If you can get the "sticky" surface coat off chances are the original stain or underlying finish will be OK....The original color/patina of older grips is hard to re create , I would try to preserve it if at all possible. A thin finishing coat of Tung oil finish , rubbed in , should bring them back to life .
Gary