What grade?
 

For a hammer gun made in 1882, does the number 3 stamped in the watertable just above the sn 26XXX indicate grade?

That indicates the grade 3 but that number beneath the 3 is the order number, not the serial number. The serial number is stamped into the left side of the barrel lug.





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Dean, he asked about the watertable not the barrel flats. The #3 on the action flats (also called watertable) is the grade. Some hammer guns had the Order # on the barrel flats and had the serial number on the side of the barrel lug.

Pa SXS Thanks, you've described the markings on my gun to a tee. The engraving shown on photos of other grade 3's is very close to or identical to mine

OOPS :shock:

Right Chuck and I was looking at the year of manufacture and automatically slipped into 'barrel flats' order number mode...




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How 'bout a photo
 

/Users/leon/Desktop/20251124_170723 copy.jpg

Yes, that’s a Grade-3 or D T/A (top action)





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What to remove dried up oil?
 

Thanks. Got any recommendations for some solvent to use, probably with an old tooth brush, to take off that dried-oil, yellow-cast without doing damage to the wood? My guess it's mostly dried up WD-40. The wood is nice, if not specular. To me, it's original that counts.

It would be hard to do unless you remove the stock. It's not hard to do on a Parker hammer gun but requires extra attention when reassembling it.
I would recommend Hoppe's and a Big 45 Frontier pad to remove the crud. The Frontier pad looks horribly abrasive but I can assure you from years of use on some of my guns it will not harm the barrel finish, the case color, the engraving or anything else on the metal that you want to stay..

PS - Use the correct gunsmithing screwdrivers!



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Thanks

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.