Ive been asked to start a thread about how we go about cleaning up the older classic rifles.
I can tell what I do and Im 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 its 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.
