Cleaning Up Old Guns?

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Ithacaman

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Today at the range I fired a 1950s vintage 22 bolt action BSA, which I recently acquired and really like. It didn't fire a couple times simply because, as best I could determine, the bolt and feeding area had not been totally cleaned by me and certainly not by the previous owners. After a quick cleaning at the range, it fired every time.

Tonight, I cleaned it for an hour and removed years of gunk and it seems fine.

My question: When buying these oldies, should I just automatically take everything apart and soak the parts in a proper lubricant? What products do you guys use and recommend for such work? Any other tips?
 
I'd like to hear answers to this as well. Also, I would like to know the best way to do the best job possible of cleaning surface rust from an old rifle that surfaces after years in a closet.
 
Light surface rust is easily removed with fine steel wool and a light oil. Any firearm, new or used, should be completely field stripped and cleaned before use. If really caked with years of debris, then completely broken down. Mineral spirits and brake cleaner work good on metal parts.
 
I have had good luck with brass brushes and WD-40. It takes the surface rust off but doesn't harm the blueing. It is very gentle but will really do a number on the rust. It will take a few treatments but I think it worth it since steel wool can harm blueing. Brass won't hurt the blueing. Start gentle and see what happens. No need to harm the finish if you don't have to.
 
Does carburator cleaner work as well as brake cleaner for cleaning? I have lots of it so figured it might work, just asking first.
 
I detail strip every used gun I get. I take a lot of digital pictures of how everything goes together for reference. Once everything is apart, I clean every part with a nylon brush, Breakfree Powderblast, Hoppes and 0000 steel wool. 0000 steel wool is soft enough it won't hurt your blueing. If you have parts with years of crud caked on or caked into hard to reash areas, let the parts soak overnight in kerosene. That'll loosen up any crud that you can't get by normal means.

A light coat of oil or grease, depending on the type of gun, on any moving parts, makes the actions work smoothly.
 
Whenever I bring home another oldie but goodie, I take the thing apart and get out the 'tools'! I like Kroil to wash away years of crud. I use 0000 steel wool on the surface metal. On the inside I've got tooth brushes, dental picks, Q-tips(lotsa Q-tips), un-waxed dental tape, canned air(for your keyboard), and an old pocket knife. I usually take everything apart and clean, even clean the crud out of the screw slots. For the wood, it depends on how bad it is. Simple green works on most grunge, then a go over with Scotts liquid gold or Murphy's oil soap. Unless the stock is in prime shape, I'm gonna refinish it shortly anyway.
 
Old? Man, those are young sprites compared to most of what I have!

But, a good disassembly and soaking in solvent is a wonderful idea. Not only does it familiarize you with the firearm, but it also is a great way to catch problems. In milsurps, it can find badly pitted barrels (outside pits). It even found a ground-out barrel for me once (would have hated to fire that baby). Those problems won't likely happen with commercial firearms, but you can notice broken springs or other tiny parts or other defects which could actually end up being dangerous.

In the end, with clean parts reinstalled, you can feel comfortable about your firearm's condition and serviceability.

Ash
 
Like others here I disassemble everything I bring home. New, old, or in between it all gets a very careful inspection and cleanup of all parts before I even remotely consider shooting it for the first time. If you are not comfortable with that level of breakdown/inspection (or don't have the proper tools) I would strongly recommend taking it to someone who is and having them do it. It's just a matter of safety.

I usually use Kroil oil, very fine steel wool, and an extremely light touch to remove any fine surface rust and loosen any stuck parts.

The next step is a cleanup with a 3-to-1 ratio of hot water and simple green along with a variety of nylon brushes to completely strip all of the crud off the gun. (Warning, simple green is mildly corrosive, make sure you rinse all the parts off VERY well with lots of clean water and then lube immediately).

Finally I lube everything up. You can use the lube of your choice. I've been won over completely by Weapon Shield CLP.

As for old stocks, I've found that Murphy's oil soap and a sponge will clean up a lot. If the stock is oil soaked then oven cleaner, rinses, and time, will pull most or all of the oil out BUT it WILL remove the finish completely so you will have to re-finish the stock once you are done.

If you don't want to re-finish the stock, putting it in a trashbag with cat litter and sticking it in a hot trunk for a few days will also pull a good amount of oil and such out of wood stocks.
 
I too start with Simple Green, but with BOILING water. I have an old teapot for this. I just put all the metal in a pan and pour the mixture over it. The combo of heat and SG really loosens up and remove all the old grease and grime very quickly. The residual heat dries the steel quite quickly and I follow up with mineral spirits and a brush or WD-40 to blast out crud from hard to get spots. After wiping down, I'll clean and lube with CLP.
 
I can't stop laughing about the cat litter trick. Very creative, how did you come up with that? Not by accident I hope :)
 
"...to clean up the old wood..." Wood is wood. Use the same products used for fine furniture. No oven cleaner though. It's caustic and can burn the wood. Mineral spirits or any wood cleaner.
 
When buying these oldies, should I just automatically take everything apart and soak the parts in a proper lubricant? What products do you guys use and recommend for such work? Any other tips?
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It's SOP for me to disassemble the entire firearm. clean all the parts with mineral spirits and a toothbrush, then soak all the metal with Breakfree CLP. The wood may get more treatment depending on the finish and how bad it is. I let everything sit a few days, then clean the bore with Hoppe's #9, wipe everything down and reassemble.

I not only like to get everything cleaned up, but it gives me a chance to carefully examine all the parts and be aware of any excessive wear or broken parts. I've come across broken springs, missing parts and very creative field repairs.
 
Does carburator cleaner work as well as brake cleaner for cleaning? I have lots of it so figured it might work, just asking first.
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Yes it is OK for steel just not on stock finishes or plastic. It can or will melt and or ruin both. I have even used carb dip on some parts, but again just metal.
 
Yes it is OK for steel just not on stock finishes or plastic. It can or will melt and or ruin both. I have even used carb dip on some parts, but again just metal.
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Well, the carburator cleaner worked pretty good for me, the gas piston on my SKS was fouled real bad and no matter how much hoppe's and other solvents I used, it wouldn't come off, but the cleaner took it right of with the help of a brass brush.
 
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