Removing Grime.....

[Mark Landskov]

.....from the stock of my new hammer gun. What is the safest way to emulsify the 125 year accumulation of sweat, skin and gun oils, and other crud without damaging any remaining original finish? I would imagine that a soap of some sort would be the safest, especially when brushing out the checkering. Cheers!

[Norm Growden]

Mark:

Dr. Drew has compiled some information on the LCSCA site:

http://www.lcsmith.org/faq/cleangun2.html

[edgarspencer]

I like Murphys for lots of things, but not so much for stock cleaning. Of all the products listed on that link, I like Birchwood Casey's stock conditioner. I used the last of what I had cleaning a '73 Deluxe. That gun hung in a pipe smokers den for the best part of a hundred years and when I saw what was underneath all that tar, well, all I could say was 'wow'.
I started with 0000 saturated with it, and when I got close, switched to terry cloth.

[calvin humburg]

I've been told murphy's oil sope little water and cotton cloth and tooth brush. Playing with that new hammer gun eh!

[Mark Landskov]

I bought some Birchwood Casey 'Gunstock Conditioner' and it works quite well. I have not treated the entire stock yet, but I tried it on a few selected spots. There is actually some nice finish underneath all the crud!

[Daryl Corona]

Guns of that era usually had very nice wood. Good luck with your cleaning- just take your time.

[Jerry Harlow]

If the head of the stock is oil soaked (black with oil), heat from a hair dryer (or heat gun held far away) will cause the oil to come to the surface where it can be wiped off repeatedly. Don't get it too hot, but I was amazed at the amount that will migrate out of the wood. Of course the only way to get at all of it is with the stock off the receiver. And at that point it may be so much you will want to soak it out.

[Mark Landskov]

Indeed! I get the old hair dryers (driers?) when the wimminfolk get the inkling for the latest model! There was not a lot of oil in the head of the stock, which was a pleasant surprise. After some gentle cleaning of the wood, I discovered that there are quite a few square inches of bare wood, completely devoid of anything resembling a coat of finish.

[Mills Morrison]

It would be great if someone did a book or video on cleaning and restoring old guns. Does anyone know if such a book or video already exist?

[Bruce Day]

Murphy's Oil Soap and a toothbrush removes dirt, oil and grime and will not remove a solid finish. We have had people who were disappointed and claim that it removed too much. If it will come off with Murphy's it wasn't a good finish. There is a surprising amount of plain dirt and crud on these old guns.

Here is a 1910 GHE damascus 12 that had a stock that was crazed and murky. Murphy's Oil soap and some denatured alcohol was used to take off the stuff that came off then multiple thin coats of Tru Oil.