doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Cleaning the Classics.

I�ve been asked to start a thread about how we go about cleaning up the older classic rifles.

I can tell what I do and I�m sure others have their methods as well.

Most of the rifles that come through my hands are early pre-war (1908-1940) custom sporting rifles on the 1903 Springfield action. The very first thing I do is remove the metal from the wood. I remove the scope if it has one, then the Lyman sight slide, then the bolt.

I put the rifle in a padded vise with the bottom side up with the butt end on a rest. I always check if it has a front sling swivel to make sure it�s not screwed into the barrel, many are. I remove the floorplate with spring and follower. I then loosed both action screws until they are handy. I hold the rifle together with one hand and remove both screws by hand. I then, VERY carefully, lift up the stock off the barreled action. Remove the barrel from the vise and then hold the stock in the vise to remove the bottom metal, I push with my fingers down to remove this, many are stuck in solid and I have to use a wooden dowel and hammer.

More later.

I clean the metal first and start with the bore using a tight cotton patch with Hoppe's 9 on a button end using NOTHING but a one piece steel rod. If any color (blue-copper) I soak the barrel with No. 9 and use a bronze brush.

Many bores will be found with dried grease, all manner of corrosion and sometimes both. Most of the dried crud and grease on the outside can be removed with No.9 or Kroil Penetrating Oil. I see a lot of the Lyman 48 slides frozen up and I use Kroil on them.

Living where I do Hoppe's No. 9 will protect the bore and anything that will not be shot or stored for a long time I use RIG in the bore.

Almost all metal can be cleaned and not hurt using No. 9 a tooth brush and in some places 0000 steel wool. Don't get in a hurry, let the chemicals do the work, soak it, you have lots of time.

Many rifles show up with a leather sling. I remove these first thing. If they are by G&H, Hart, or a good leather government sling I tag and bag it. Many slings end up in the garbage. If the sling is dry and worth keeping I use Pecard Leather Dressing.

Do you ever use an ultrasonic cleaner on parts?

I have one that is pretty wimpy but it does a nice job, albeit slowly.

Excellent thread Michael:
Please keep it going. What you have presented so far is the same general approach I use in rehabilitating older firearms. I think your main point is to proceed slowly and I completely agree. Many times the age old gunk that's accumulated has nearly "welded" the parts together and irreparable damage can be done by forcing the parts apart.
Jim

I bought one from Harbor Freight a few years ago to clean cartridge cases, it's a heated model and I started using it for small parts. It works great, water and white vinegar for brass, even the primer pockets look like new.

For parts I use simple green and or spick & Span as recommended by Ron Peterson's article on the subject.

Metal restoration can be anything from covering a simple scratch or bad spot and for these I use Brownell's Oxpho-Blue. For larger areas I am set up to rust blue anything up to the size of an action.

The most common unwanted (IMO) conversion is the mounting of a modern scope. The receiver is drilled and tapped, the bolt handle is then bent and notch is cut in the stock and many times into the action itself.

This work in beyond my abilities and must be sent out. This is not something to be undertaken by an amateur.

Here is a rifle that had all of that done to it. Only the area where the wood was replaced was refinished, the rest of the rifle was not.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v311/mjpetrov/jw8.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v311/mjpetrov/jw13.jpg

The barrel......Lots of things from not having been properly cleaned to re-chambering will be found. Bad things like a re-chambering or re-boring and even a new barrel seem to show up on rifles at auction more than others because it's not always possible to ask the right questions. You just have to do what you can live with it or not. You might reconsider before you take on any rifle with a questionable bore or chamber.

I believe that most folks are just not knowledgeable and they are not dishonest. I bought a rifle a while back that the owner swore was a .22-Hornet and he even fired .22-hornets in it. It was a .22-3000 Lovell which was better. If in doubt leave it alone.

Many years ago I bought a heavy barreled Niedner 1903 with a stock worked over by J.V. Howe. The owner said he never shot it and the bore was full of dried grease, it took weeks to get the bore clean and I then found a horrible throat so bad patches would hang up on it. I set it aside and one day I loaded some ammo to see how it would shoot. I've had the rifle now for over twenty-five years and the last group was about 1.5" at 330 yards.

You can't say your rifle has a bad bore until you shoot it.

Am I getting to far afield with this stuff?

Happy New Year! Tomorrow the wood.

Michael,

Great info and many thanks for this thread! Please continue!!

Your example of the rifle with the worn throat gives me hope for a NM 1903 that took about two weeks of cleaning to discover a very worn throat. I have yet to shoot it, but I have a bit more hope for it now!

Happy New Year,

Tom