[DaFadda]

from my many years of woodworking..... here ya go..... try the least offensive first. Goof off. If it doesn't work, then paint remover/thinner.... if that doesn't work.... a full blown paint stripper.... and bless your heart..... acetone as a last resort.(ALL outside and no smoking of course). Bondo is an incredibly useful product that has been a woodworker/carpenter secret for years and years. Its incredibly strong and sands nicely. IF it loosens up and needs to be replaced... it's easy to work with. Probably well within your skills.

I say the above because you seem to want to repaint, rather than stain/varnish. The above wouldn't apply to restaining. The bondo won't take a color, so you would have to use some type of opaque stain, then varnish/poly on top.

But paint? Go for it! Just post a picture when your done. I don't need to tell you to remove all metal before you start the stripping process?.....Now... what kind of paint? Seriously... I would think about a two part epoxy from Sherwin Williams. It's used for heavy duty use on cabinetry.... so it should be fine for gun furniture that is going to see at least some heavy range use. my preferred application would be with a thinned down product coming out of a HVLP (High volume, low pressure) spray gun to avoid overspray and "look ma...no brush marks".... very light coats.... repeating until you build up the thickness you want.


Hope this helps...
Da