Need help with stinking wood grips!

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chwebmaker

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I just picked up a 1983 S&W chrome 586 4" with wooden grips. The person that owned it must have been a serious chain smoker. The grips smell so bad that after you've handled the gun, your hand reeks of nasty smelling smoke. I took the grips off the gun and used hoppes #9 on the frame. The metal now smells like a gun. The wood grips on the other hand reek something awful. No way I'm putting this gun in my safe. Does anyone know if I can immerse the grips in baking soda or something else without messing them up. If you think I'm crazy, I had a friend smell these nasty grips and he laughed and said he would throw them away! And ideas would be appreciated! :confused:
 
I dunno about the grips, but your 586 is nickle plated, not chrome and that hoppes #9 will eat it up.

I would make sure to thoroughly rinse the gun with a non-kerosene based CLP.

I'm assuming you know those two don't play well together, but you never know.
 
sorry you are correct it is nickel. I have a browning sitting in front of me that is called silver chrome and had a brain fart while sending my last post. I oiled the metal on the gun when I was done so it should be fine. The grips are out in the garage reeking away!
 
You could strip the finish with acetone, and apply a nice Tung oil finish. Fairly simple as far as wood working and restoration goes.
 
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I wonder if you soaked them in a wood specific cleaner like Fornby's or something similar to get the smell out . Murphy's oil soap might work as well.
 
Use an old toothbrush, and Lemon Oil Furniture Polish to give then a through scrubbing.

It will remove anything Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson didn't put there.

Without harming the factory finish.

rc
 
Maybe try "Oder-Ban". Wipe it dry then the Formby's. Let it dry good and give it a sniff. Then, if the smell is gone, work in the tung oil. 'Gotta help it... some. Several ideas sounded good. If it still smells bad, just keep on till you hit one that does the trick!

Never heard of this.

Mark
 
rcmodel said:
Use an old toothbrush, and Lemon Oil Furniture Polish to give then a through scrubbing.

It will remove anything Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson didn't put there.

Without harming the factory finish.

rc
Click to expand...
This.

I used a generic orange scented polish and Colgate soft bristle tooth brush to remove a tobacco odor from 1911 grips that a previous owner had stunk up.
 
Boy, if this thread doesn't get someone to stop smoking.......
 
I'll send ya $25.00 bucks for them as is. I gave up smoking some years back and the odor will comfort me in my dotage and situation.

Truth is, had I known they banned smoking in these state rehabilitation/detention centers I wouldna shot that couple who complained about me smoking a pipe in a public park. They accused me of polluting the atmosphere, global warminizing and afflicting school children. I demanded they produce said children and they pointed to 5 of them 50 or so yards away. I called them double liars as the children were too far away to smell the smoke and may have been truants or delinquents far as I knew as there was no school nearby. So the schoolchildren bit cut no cheese with me.

I offered the couple that if they could reach those youth by the time I counted to 5 they would be fine. If not I'd shoot. I also told them that seeing as how they were non-smokers they had a good chance of it.

I wouldn't be here now except that the Judge asked if the count was a fast or slow one. I did not recall I honestly told him. But I confessed as it was short as I stopped at 3.

Anyway here I sit. The cruise director here says that the stocks are allowed so I can send you the $25.00 and you can send me the comfort and the smell. You will be blessed for your kindness no doubt. Of course I need your address.

Do you have a spare room by the way? Or a small house or trailer out in the back? I'll be out soon and don't need much room. Smoking's not a problem is it?

tipoc
 
Putting them in a bag full of dry baking soda certainly couldn't hurt them. I was in the same situation once. After about 3 years the smell finally went away on its own.

A stinky gun can be a real problem to some people. I got a nice Model 28 that had been in someones sock drawer for many years. It still smells like old fabric softener.
 
rcmodel said:
Use an old toothbrush, and Lemon Oil Furniture Polish to give then a through scrubbing.

It will remove anything Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson didn't put there.

Without harming the factory finish.

rc
Click to expand...
That method has and will work. Why all the different and slightly stranger fixes? lol
 
Update - I appreciate everyone's ideas. I had a some pledge orange furniture polish around so i coated the front and back of the grips, left them coated for 10 minutes and then wiped them down and set them on a heating vent to dry for a bit. The putrid smoke smell is gone! The grips are a little slick from the polish but that's not a problem for my intended use. As for the soft gun case it came in, it stinks to high heaven! It is sitting in the garage where it will stay until the smell is gone....which may be never! And here's a picture of her now that she smells all pretty and orange! 20160304_175753-1_zpsxskcdeuh.gif http://"] 20160304_175753-1_zpsxskcdeuh.gif http://[/URL]
 
Soft gun case?

Pin it open somehow with Safety Pins.
Wash it with a load of laundry.

Dry it on 'delicate, in the dryer with other clothes.

Then set it outside in the sun for a couple of days to completely dry.

You can also hose it lightly afterwards with Silicone spray to ward off rust gremlins later.

But you could have avoided all this trouble in the first place by taking up smoking.

rc
 
Thanks RC! I will try washing the soft case today. As far as taking up smoking.....at 3 packs a day I think that would equal about 1 new gun every 2 months. I'd rather have the guns!
 
If it smells that bad why on Earth did you buy it? (or "pick it up" - whatever that means))
 
When your buying a gun from someone your not thinking about the smell of it. When you get it home and leave it on a desk and then come back 30 minutes later and the entire room reeks, then you realize you have an issue. This is a first for me. I've never had a problem quite like this.
 
Does Harrets or some other company make custom gripps for a Browning buckmark.

I have a Buck mark Standad. I have large hands and the grips do my fit my hands well.

Jan
 
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