[03a3nut]

This message is for Rick B,

Rick once peolpe start to recieve their 03A3 rifles from the C.M.P, how does one go about cleaning the stock without destroying the finish. As stated ont the website, they are absolutely coated in cosmoline.
Thank you,

[m14nut]

Acetone will strip EVERYTHING off and OUT of the wood. Does'nt raise the grain.
PRO: good place to start if you want the wood refinished.
CON: There goes any original finish.

I stripped my garand with this method, lightly sanded so as not to disturb the cartouche, 4-o steel wooled boiled linseed oiled to seal... Comes out pretty close to the Armory finish... also shows off the grain!

[Oxford]

m14nut: Yes, I'll have to agree with 03A3nut on the use of acetone. It's similar to lacquer which I use.

One thing to be cautious of, though, is the fumes that are given off. Make sure you've got lots of ventilation and leave the rags outside of the building when you're through. These fumes give some people serious headaches, if not worse problems.

Had a friend of mine who told me that he'd cleaned the surface cosmoline off of a 1917 Springfield rifle walnut stock with methods listed above. Then he heated the stock slightly in some kind of a large oven to drive out more of the grease. He said this worked for him. I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not. However, I saw his rifle stock and it looked like new.

Oxford