Well, if you do decide to refinish it, the simpliest way to strip it completely without messing with / breathing chemicals...and worse...doing any sanding which immediately beginds tochange the dimensions of the stock, is to drop it off at a local antique furniture place.

Theyusually have commercial chemical stripping booths that they use to refinish old furniture...I've refinished several old 1970's TC Hawken stocks because they needed refinishing...I droppthem off at my local antique place, pick it up a week later for $20...and have a perfectly clean,bare,dry stock waiting for me to take it home and apply my first coat of Tru-Oil.