clean up of mil surplus rifle

[porsche]

the classic arms mauser arrived. very nice 1939, clean bore etc. d-i-r-t-y. i want to "restore" the laminated stock and get some of the layers of grime off and be able to see the grain. want to leave an oil finish. can anyone suggest a procedure useable by a person with little tool sense.

 

[davera]

On my Russian capture K98 - which was also filthy I used, variously ... mineral spirits and a rag, mineral spirits and fine steel wool, the spray on "Scrubbing Bubbles" stuff with a fairly stiff brush.

Over time and elbow grease, it got clean. Application of boiled linseed oil from Brownell's was the finishing touch.

I also used ... very lightly, some fine sandpaper and ended up getting the stock clean enough to make out a barely visible waffenamt marking and the original stock serial number. Be very careful with the abrasives though ... any further for me and those markings would have disappeared.

 

[Rugerlvr]

The guys on the CMP forums will actually run their M1 stocks through the dishwasher. It both cleans them, and swells the wood, which smooths out dents and dings.

 

[buzzard80]

I recently cleaned up the stock on a new-to-me Lee Enfield #4 Mark 2. After reading through a lot of information, I cleaned the stock with acetone and steel wool (apparently mineral spirits has a little oil in it that is left behind, while the acetone completely evaporates). I then finished with 6 coats of tung oil (supposedly much more durable than boiled linseed oil). It finished up beautifully; still retains the historical look while looking clean and refreshed.

 

[Mr White]

Mineral spirits works well. After you clean with mineral spirits, go to the hardware store and get a box of TSP (Trisodium Phosphate) It comes in a white powder form. Mix it a little on the strong side of the instructions and clean it with that using a stiff bristled nylon brush. It'll remove anything the MS missed as well as any rsidue from the MS. After that, a few coats of boiled linseed oil, Danish oil or tung oil to bring out the character of the wood and you should be all set.

If you want to to a more complete refinishing job, there's lots of information here and on other forums on how to do that.

 

[Zouave Rifle]

Oven cleaner! It doesn't require a lot of scrubbing and takes all the finish off back to bare wood. Also it swells the wood when you rinse it off with water.

Works for me.

 

[Halo]

There's a variety of methods out there. I tend to shy away from using powerful solvents on the wood. In my experience the best way to remove cosmoline soaked into the wood is with heat. Some people cover the wood with an absorbent like kitty litter, and put it somewhere hot like an attic or car in direct sun light for several days. As for me, I wrap the wood with paper towels like a mummy and stick it in the oven on the lowest heat setting for about 30 minutes. The cosmoline and grease, etc, will liquefy and soak into the paper towels. It works very well!

 

[cluttonfred]

Check out the The Box O' Truth - Educational Zone (scroll down) for a number of articles with photos on cleaning up and refinishing C&R rifles, including with oven cleaner.

 

[vzenmn]

I got good results with hot water and dishwashing soap on a M44 this weekend. Filled the sink up hot water, lathered the soap on the action and dumped it in and let it sit for a while. The stuff came off with a tooth brush and rag. It probably won't work for hardened cosmo though.

Used auto strip for the stock. The nasty paint came of with a rag and required not a bit of sanding.

 

[W.E.G.]

Cosmoline melts at 130 degrees.

Hot. I mean REALLY HOT soapy water usually does a good job without using toxic chemicals.

I've had good results heating parts in the oven to 150 degrees, and wiping them while still hot.

If the stock is truly inundated with cosmoline, all I can say is "good luck" in your quest to get it all off.
Frankly, the heat-and-wipe method gets enough cosmoline off the stock that a wipe and buff leaves a decent "military" patina, without any further oil finishing.