"Got 'er done".
I stripped the wood, put a red oak stain on it, and then 5 coats of Danish Oil. It really came out nice. I'll post some pics when I can.
I thought about putting a couple of coats of poly on it, but just the oil finish looks fine.
I also removed the bluing from the charging handle and shined up the chrome underneath. Came out good.
Thanks for your help on this. I'll post a few pics when I can.