Started staining it this morning, I am thinking it is 2 different kind's of wood the but stock is a darker wood than the rest.

I was going to darken it up a lot but for some reason i like it like it used to look "other than the gold" so im trying to go back to that look for the stock.
Do i need to have some kind of clear coat to seal it?

I need to finish this rifle so i can make a range trip for it and the new AR i built last night.