I wouldn't touch that stock, based on the picture you posted. It's beautiful just the way it is after 140 years. As they say, you can only get original once. If you must clean it, I would recommend brushing out the checkering with a toothbrush and a little Ballistol and wiping down the rest of the stock with Ballistol. I have tried Murphy's Oil Soap for deeper cleaning and don't like it. Too aggessive. Notwithstanding the above, if you want to strip it, 70% rubbing alcohol and a Frontier 45 pad or a 3x steel wool pad will take the old finish off without harming the wood if you dont press too hard. Then you have your choice of refinish. I prefer french polish(shellac and BLO, discussed on this forum many times), a lot prefer Timberluxe, others have their own favorites. Good luck on a lovely gun. JMHO

thanks, Actually, I'm only interested in cleaning up the metal. Agree fully that a stock can never be un-refinished.