Soliciting Thoughts on Clean-up of 54XXX

[Dave Fuller]

I tip-toed into hammerworld this week and picked up 54XXX a 3 frame, 0 grade (?), twist, 10 guage. Its got some color left on it, locks up like a bank vault, action all works perfectly, all parts look original and in pretty good condition with some surface oxidation. The stock, although not cracked or broken anywhere, has been the victim of overly exuberant lubrication and is quite oil stained. I'm wondering what, if anything, folks would do to this piece. I'd like to clean up the wood, clean and grease the locks, and remove some dirt and rust without the gun losing its character. I would like to turkey hunt with it.

[Dave Fuller]

Barrels look good with very minor pitting (with one possibly troubling spot). I plan to have a smith look them over. The twist pattern looks good under the forearm but a bit brown and rusty elsewhere. Bores seem to be about .798 - .802, chokes .030 on both sides, chambers 2-7/8." I'd also welcome thoughts on what to do with the barrels and what to shoot it with if it checks out OK.

[Harry Collins]

Dave,

She looks real good to me. I would not do a thing to her. The checkering has not been worn off as most guns her age and overall just a wonderful example of a near 130 year old Parker. I have a lifter 10 with .802 bores and .030 constriction in each barrel as well. Mine is on a 2 frame so it is not as robust as yours. I shoot RST's or loads I have made from Sherman Bell's data. I shoot black powder every now and then just to frighten the woman folk.

A great find!

Harry

[Richard Flanders]

Looks pretty good to me Dave. I'd have the locks out to inspect/clean/lube them. Doesn't look like it's been apart a lot and the locks still fit into the receiver tightly. If the internals are in good shape you can just soak the lock assemblies clean, tighten up any loose screws and lube them up and put them back in. Is that oil staining on and behind the wrist? I'd pull the firing pins also as they seem to get really rusty if the gun hasn't been apart in 90 yrs, as seems to be the case with most of them. You'll like the fishtail lever so you can open the gun when the right hammer is back.

[Ed Blake]

Give it a good cleaning and check the head of the stock for oil saturation. The wood looks dark. If you are going to shoot it much you may want to get that oil out to avoid splitting the wood.

[Dave Fuller]

The oil concerns me, the head of the stock is marinated in oil. You can can see how its drained down the grip and even into the comb. I have had good luck on other guns using the acetone soak.

[Richard Flanders]

From the looks of it you'll be wanting to do that acetone soak.

[Dean Romig]

Generally speaking, the oil soaking will follow the grain. I may be mistaken but yours looks more like something spilled or splashed on there and simply ran downhill onto the comb. I do, however, agree with your assessment of the oil soaking in the head of the stock.

[Brad Bachelder]

The soaking and staining look like many years of good old 3.in1 oil, great for metal but death on wood. The oil soaking will be even heavier in the middle of the wood. Shooting will certianly split the soft wood.
Acetone will only penetrate the near surface oil but won't pull out the center oil which is the heaviest. We use a high temp.,high pressure acid based process. It removes 100% of the oil and black staining. The compressed wood returns to its original dimensions and hardness. It allows for perfect repairs and refinishing with no trace of the oil damage. Solvents and bleach are only a temp. fix, the oil will keep finding its way to the surface.
If you can locate a local antique refinisher, that uses a hot dip tank, they may be able to help you.
You need to lose the oil before atempting any type of refinishing.

[Ed Blake]

I have had success using oven cleaner. The lye in the spray really draws out the oil. Keep spraying on affected areas until the brown stuff stops running. A soft brush will help. Rinse off with [U]cold[U] water and allow to dry thoroughly.

[Austin W Hogan]

I have found heating and cooling cycles will drive oil out the end grain. Immersing the wrist in solvent will thin the oil, and help it diffuse out. I have immersed the wrist in a can of solvent and put the stock butt up in the sun. As the butt warms it drives the oil into the solvent. An infra red lamp might let you do this indoors. Change the solvent often to prevent return flow.
I once used a microwave oven to drive the oil out of a hammergun stock with no metal. It works well to get oil out of the first half inch of end grain, but it doesn't produce the temperature gradient necessary to drive out deep oil soaking.
Best, Austin

[Bill Murphy]

I once cooked a Heiser holster in a microwave to get the oil out.

[calvin humburg]

Dave I like her just as she is a bute. Harry, wake up the women foke, I likes that. Everybody now i'm worred abought my wood.

[Dave Fuller]

Well, here's what I did... Removed oil from stock (Brad Bachelder did actually), recut checkering, fixed hole from former sling swivel mount, cleaned up the locks, soaked all parts in Hoppe's and relubricated, reblacked butt and grip cap. Now waiting for turkey season.

[Dave Suponski]

Dave,Wow! She really looks good! Congratulations...:)I have probably said this before but that is one great gun rack also.

[Austin W Hogan]

Isn't it amazing how good they are when the dirt and grease are removed! Nice solid gun with the character of maturity.

Best, Austin

[Dave Fuller]

Thanks for the kind words, I'm very pleased with it. The old girl locks up tight, nothing is loose, wood is almost perfect. Even for a 0 Grade gun I kinda like the way she looks. I was concerned about doing too much but I think she still retains her mature character. Not exactly the Morgan Fairchild of guns, but not Phyllis Diller either.