A word about my Ishapore

[Hardware]

Well, picked up my Ishapore 2? on Friday. I believe it is a 2A1, but I can't confirm since I can't read the markings through the crud and the paint. The cosmoline isn't that bad, it isn't hard for the most part so I don't think my rifle was stored all that long. I've heard some horror stories from CMP buyers about hardened, congealed lumps of cosmo.

Anyhow, I stripped the rifle down and dumped all the small parts in a sealed can with mineral spirits in it. While doing that I noticed all the screws seemed to have been completely boogered by some overeager armorer with the wrong screwdriver for everything. The mineral spirits seems to have done the job on the cosmo, but there is still concentrated crud on some parts, such as the rear sling swivel.

I'll take any suggestions for a tool or chemical that will strip off the crud without scratching the metal. I tried nylon and brass brushes but stopped short of a stainless steel brush in hopes of someday getting a halfway decent finish back on the rifle. I'm looking to lose the crud and the paint but keep a matte or smooth finish on the metal.

I've also heard of using oven cleaner on the stock to strip gunk and cosmo. Any feedback on this would be appreciated. This will strip the finish off at the same time, right?

 

[Ivy Mike]

perhaps a stronger solvent like carb cleaner or brake cleaner.

to take it down to bare metal, call up a machine shop and see if they'll hot tank the metal parts for you.

 

[alamo]

I've also heard of using oven cleaner on the stock to strip gunk and cosmo. Any feedback on this would be appreciated.

Some folks do use oven cleaner but it is bad for the long term health of your stock. I use laquer thinner or acetone as recommended on the C&R Rifle Stock Cleaning and Preservation Forum. You may need to register to get into the forum:


http://p102.ezboard.com/fparallaxscurioandrelicfirearmsforumsfrm34

 

[m39fan]

Heat also works well and doesn't invole fumes. You can use a high heat hair dryer or a heat gun on low (don't leave the hea gun one spot or you get baked on cosmo). I've even had good luck with leaving the weapon in the sun during summer months or over a register in the winter.

HTH,
Mike

 

[Cosmoline]

I hate to put it like this, and no insult to the Enfield crowd is intended, but a lot of those rifles are simply dirty looking and always will be. They were not made to be shiny, quite the contrary. They're supposed to have dark stocks, dark metal and little gloss on them. Permadirt on them isn't such a bad thing and efforts to force it off with metal brushes may be counterproductive.