Hi Joe gunman has given you the correct finish used on 1950s 700s at Webley’s the French polish used was ‘Garnet French Polish’ and Linseed oil. The idea of the French polish was the shellac stopped the oil from soaking to far in to the surface so speeding up the finishing process and the Garnet colour darkened the wood a little. In the photograph are two Webley 700’s of the 1950s each with the standard type factory finish the stock on the left has a ‘Blond French Polish’ as the base fore the finish the stock on the right has ‘Garnet French Polish base with a little red oil added to the finish top coats.
Webley & Scott 700s in the 1950s where a sound basic English boxlock shotgun made to a price with sound but plain timber and a finish to match.
The stocks were oiled with linseed oil with Alkenett root to colour ,various stains were tried at various times to darken the wood as Webley used plain straight grain wood for ease of machining and general overall strength .Sometimes the stocks were fumed with ammonia to darken them . The polish of what ever type was only used to fill grain ,unless the stock was ordered with a polished finish ,the heads were polished as were the forend woods the wood behind the checkering being buffed with a leather pad and rotten stone to give a dull lustre finish . Guns for the US as the later 720 and 728 were frequently polished as ordered .
