Hi all, I just picked up my first Mauser, 1940 with stock, barrel, and receiver numbers matching (the rest do not ) and still has Nazi markings on barrel and receiver that are not stamped over.
I read on another forum that some one recommended using the "scrubbing bubbles" bathroom tile cleaner on the wood and claimed it didn't hurt the finish. Anyone ever use this, or have a better suggestion? I want to keep the original finish in tack since it's in pretty good shape. The stock is solid wood not laminated.
I used Murphy oil soap to clean up my Mosin 91/30 stock and it worked well, when I tried it on my Enfield No.4 MKI* it dried out the wood and I had to put a few coats of Tru oil on it to make it look ok again. I'm looking for a way to clean it up without destroying the origional finish. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
E
Dawn Power Dissolver works to take cosmoline and general gunk off Mosin Nagant stocks, E_005. It will take multiple applications and you will definitely have to oil the stock. But look on the bright side: you can steam any dents out of it before you oil it back up.
However, if you are trying to preserve the original finish, I'd suggest going with a dilute solution of Murphy's Oil Soap, and a whole lot of patience and repeated applications.
Dawn Power Dissolver works to take cosmoline and general gunk off Mosin Nagant stocks, E_005. It will take multiple applications and you will definitely have to oil the stock. But look on the bright side: you can steam any dents out of it before you oil it back up.
However, if you are trying to preserve the original finish, I'd suggest going with a dilute solution of Murphy's Oil Soap, and a whole lot of patience and repeated applications.
Thanks for the input. I used Murphy's on my Mosin and it worked fine but I got a bit scarred after the Enfield. After using the Murphy's on the Enfield, the wood looked like something that washed up on a beach, that's why I had to oil it. I don't mind the extra work to save the origional finish.
Should have left it alone! The Murphy's took off a bunch of the original finish. It looked better with the old grease on it. I'll probably have to put a coat of oil on it to protect the wood. This is definitely the last time Murphy's oil soap will ever touch one of my rifles!
I quit useing murphys on anything after an antique restorer I was talking to said to not ever use it.
I uise Scotts Liquid Gold to clean the wood. It will NOT take off finish. You spray it on and leave it for about 5 to 10 minutes. Then wipe it down. It leaves the wood nicely oiled and it seems to lift out the dirt cosmo and gun oil. It leaves the wood with a deep luster like tigers eye stone if you know what that is.
Only thing I dont like about it is it has a strong smell to it.
Dawn power disolver will take the finish off the rifles as well.
Which is good if that is what you want to do.
Scotts is better if you just want to clean the wood.
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Last edited by Capt'n Mil Coll; 11-18-2009 at 08:00 PM.
Now I am going to take off the finish. After getting it apart and cleaned, I found that the stock is laminated.
Can anyone tell me if DPD is safe for laminated stocks?
Don't mourn the "original" finish you're taking off. Sounds like the shellac the Russians put on the ones they captured. The Germans issued the laminated stocks unfinished. Individual soldiers may have applied whatever oil was at hand or just let the stock pick up the patina of hours of being carried in dirty hands.
I've used the scrubbing bubbles very satisfactorily, but was counting on re-oiling the stocks I used it on. That's the nice thing about an oil finish; if you end up stripping it while cleaning, a new application of oil makes it all good, just as if the finish had simply been maintained, rather than redone.
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My rifle and pistol are only tools. I am the weapon.
before doing a rubbed oil finish on a gun I was refinishing, I read somewhere how many coats of oil a piece of wood should have. Apparently an old adage was: once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year, once a year forever after... so underneath the dirt you were cleaning off, the stock might have been drying out already
The very best stuff I've found to put on wood to make it look perty short of refinishing is...
Johnson's F21. In that loud green bottle. It's like Armour All but 100% better. Spray it on and buff with a Terry towel.
Let me know what you think if you try it. I put it on all my guns stocks. It sure slicks them up real nice...A.H
Although many here will CRINGE, when I get a stock that's heavily oiled and loaded with cosmoline, I strip the stock of metal parts and toss it in the dishwasher..
Extra tablet of detergent, run it with temp boost and heat dry..
It'll strip oil out of a stock, and only once did I need to do it twice.
Here's the last Mauser I ran through the dishwasher.. (photo after refinishing, of course)
I've done this to 3 M1 Carbines, 3 Garands, 2 Yugo SKS's, and 2 Mausers.. It lifts bumps, cleans oil, and puts me to square one of refinishing..
I'm not going to recommend it to anyone, though.. I do it because I've had excellent results with minimal work required, but there are risks involved, such as stock warpage or hairline cracking..
Use at your own risk..
It'll lift bumps, but it won't lift names and initials pressed into wood with a screwdriver..
But, it does a nice job on something that wasn't treated quite so badly..
Thanks for all the advice. There was a matching sn stamped on the stock and a non matching sn in the barrel channel and the stock had some kind of varnish or laquer on it but no other marks. The wood itself is laminated and has only a few small dings on it, which led me to believe that it's obviously not origional to the gun and someone may have sanded and refinished it before.
I took off the rest of the finish with krud kutter, then put on 1 light coat of min wax special walnut stain. I put on one coat of Tru oil and will add at least one or two more.
I know it's odd to refinish and not go with the origional finish but I wanted to keep the vintage look to it. I'll post pics when I can ( I can't find the charger for my camera).
I'm in the middle of oil-finishing a Mosin I traded for. Following the standard process: start by lightly rubbing the wood with 0000 steel wool, then wipe down with a clean dry rag. Then pour a little (emphasis on little) tung oil on the wood and rub it in with your bare hands until it feels a little sticky. When you start getting friction, stop. Wipe down with a rag, and set aside for a day. Repeat this every day for a couple of weeks. When you're done, you will have a smooth, hard finish that is easy to maintain, but to get it there plan on putting in an hour a day polishing with the palms of your hands. You can't do it with a polishing rag.
Although many here will CRINGE, when I get a stock that's heavily oiled and loaded with cosmoline, I strip the stock of metal parts and toss it in the dishwasher.. <<SNIP>>
It'll lift bumps, but it won't lift names and initials pressed into wood with a screwdriver..
But, it does a nice job on something that wasn't treated quite so badly..
I wish mine had markings like this... especially a name like Dushko... I could pretend it was owned by a great grandfather of Eliza Dushku...
I wish mine had markings like this... especially a name like Dushko... I could pretend it was owned by a great grandfather of Eliza Dushku...
That Yugo was an odd one.. I bought it on Gunbroker for around $85... The stock is what you see.. I'll just say it's got personality... But the metal was in perfect shape, loaded with cosmoline, and perfect bluing..
Now, it's a nice shape Yugo SKS with personality..
That Yugo was an odd one.. I bought it on Gunbroker for around $85... The stock is what you see.. I'll just say it's got personality... But the metal was in perfect shape, loaded with cosmoline, and perfect bluing..
Now, it's a nice shape Yugo SKS with personality..
were you looking specifically for something with "personality" or was it a great deal that you just couldn't pass up? Asking because... curious what's the best keywords to search for to attempt to find marked up rifles through a site like gunbroker.com... though I want to get my C&R before I buy anything else...
I was just looking for a deal. I got it at that price when all others were going for $130-140. The guy showed photos of the gun and stock, and said the rifle itself as in excellent condition, but just happened to be in a beat up stock..
The stock condition kept the overall price low, but he was truthful in his ad on condition.
When the Yugo's were out in full bloom, a local dealer bought a pallet of them.. They were in various condition, and many were "personalized" by a previous user. At the time, he was selling them for $45-$55-$65, depending on how much crud was on them and the tightness of the gas tube/handgaurd. Bore condition was anybody's guess, since they had been using corrosive ammo and were now full of cosmoline..
I got a couple at that time that were pretty good, and one that was so-so.. But it's funny that you mention stock condition as most guys were avoiding the ones that had been personalized, or picked them because they were going to put the rifle in a poly stock..
As far as searching for a gun that has been personalized on Gunbroker or AuctionArms, I think you're better off hitting up forums with guys like us who collect MilSurp stuff and see if someone has a stock or gun laying around they'd sell???
wood cleaning question 
But the metal was in perfect shape, loaded with cosmoline, and perfect bluing..
