If you've watched the archive video clips on making of either the M1903(x) or M-1's, they show the completed stock being dipped in a BLO bath then allowed to air dry, hanging so the excess BLO doesn't settle on the bottom of the stock. Then the rifle is assembled, proof tested, cleaned, accepted stamped, and packed in crates. Reading both TM 9-1275 (for the M-1) and TM 9-1270 (for the M1903(x)) rifles, The official recommendations for periodic application of BLO is to dismount the hand guard(s) and stock from the rifle, and apply BLO, with a clean cloth LIGHTLY, allow to sit for a while for the excess BLO to come to the surface, and be wiped off with either a clean dry rag or the hand, and the stock polished with the hand or a clean dry rag. It also mentions NOT to apply BLO to the inner surfaces of the stock, and that the application of BLO should not be allowed to get on the metal parts of the action and dry and possibly gum up the working bits.

Lets look at this from the context of a used surplus rifle, the stock is either well treated with BLO and the wood fibre's are not dry. or the stock has dried out over years of storage. Overly dry the wood is going to soak up BLO/Tung Oil. and once it's reached saturation isn't going to dry, and the excess oil will either seep out to the outer surface or migrate to the lower surfaces of the wood, depending how the rifle is stored. Or migrate to the inner surfaces of the stock and move out onto the metal surfaces and possibly gum up the action, and collect dust in solution with the BLO to make a mess. Plus the fact that a really dry stock, is going to be affected by the BLO/Tung Oil raising the grain of the wood, and you're going to have to do something about the raised grain.

Now for a *new* stock on an old rifle. The manufacturer of the stock, either treated the wood with BLO or Tung Oil or some other wood preservative, or shipped it dry with just the remaining moisture from the dried/cured wood blank. For my preference in a new untreated stock, I'd follow the Govt. TM, and dismount the wood, rub in a small amount of BLO or Tung Oil into the dismounted stock parts, and allow to dry, wipe off the excess and hand polish the stock, to warm the remaining preservative oil so it moves into the depths of the wood. IMHO this once a day for a week, once a week, once a month, just puts too much preservative oil in the stock, and it's going to migrate by gravity to the lowest part of the stock and come to the surface. Then you're going to have a mess on the storage surfaces, the stock's lowest areas, and the metal parts of the rifle. As for periodic application, I'd stick with once a quarter, dismount, rub in preservative oil, allow to set/dry, wipe off excess and hand rub.

If you're trying to re-create the deep red color of a service rifle, by repeated application of preservatives, you're just going to make a mess. I'd stick with the slow method, of time and care.

Just my humble opinion.

R. Brown