43 Maltby

[303carbine]

I picked up an all matching 1943 Maltby 303, it has no "England", 2.222 or 18 Tons stamping marks anywhere on it.
After taking the wood off, I found matching number on the barrel that is the same as the rest of the rifle.
It has a "0" bolthead, I was happy to find a shiny 2 groove after I cleaned all the cosmoline out.
I fired 150 grain handloads, 180 factory and some 225 grain gc cast out of it, the only difference is a bit of vertical stringing between shooting the light jacketed versus the heaviest cast.
Everything shot out of it can be used out hunting with a small sight hold difference, moose are big enough to not have to worry about it.
After about 60 rounds down the tube, took it home and gave it a good bath with hot water and soap pads, no sanding was done.!!
I have applied 4 coats of BLO so far, I am going to add until it stops soaking in.

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Richard Hare]

Hot water and soap pads??

The stock is better treated with raw linseed...

Photos would be nice if possible.

[303carbine]

Hot water and soap pads??

The stock is better treated with raw linseed...

Photos would be nice if possible.

There was so cosmoline and accumulated crud that linseed wouldn't take it all off. I didn't remove any stamps, I found a bunch after the grime and stuff was gone.
I am going to take pics when we get more sunshine.

[Richard Hare]

>303,

Sometimes raw linseed cut with turpentine will also clean wood, if you use it with #0000 steel wool. This product is about as soft as regular wool.
Look forward to the pictures!

We have had sun, but no Heat yet. Still freezing of an eve.

Richard.

[Seaspriter]

Sometimes raw linseed cut with turpentine will also clean wood, if you use it with #0000 steel wool. This product is about as soft as regular wool.

Try Richard's approach. If necessary, use rubbing alcohol and #0000 steel wool -- it does an excellent job dissolving old linseed oil. You can always escalate to ammonia or varnish remover if necessary. Stay away from sandpaper, unless you revel in removing the wood's beautiful patina and any faint stampings.

[303carbine]

Try Richard's approach. If necessary, use rubbing alcohol and #0000 steel wool -- it does an excellent job dissolving old linseed oil. You can always escalate to ammonia or varnish remover if necessary. Stay away from sandpaper, unless you revel in removing the wood's beautiful patina and any faint stampings.

The "soap pads" are 0000 steel wool with soap in them, they were the only things that cut through all the gunk and cosmoline.
While I was shooting, the oil was seeping out while the rifle was heating up, it was like trying to hold onto a fish with wet hands.

[Peter Laidler]

I have to say that until a few months ago I have never really been ferocious with wood but I put a few totally oil soaked Bren butts (see thread - 'Take two bren butts' on Bren forum) and just put them straight into a trichloretylene vapour bath. On the basis of nothing ventured, nothing gained. They came out after a short length of time totally clean, oil free and as they say in the Armourers shops, as dry as the padre's ......., er..........., testicles! Anyway.

As you'll see from the state of them, it was a ferocious way of doing things but after repairing the splits etc etc and patching, they came up really well. The wood glue took to the 'new' clean and dry wood and afterwards they boned down, sopped the linseed up and came up as good as anything you'd expect of a working gun. In fact I polished one with some linseed and wax polish and suprised myself.

Maybe someone with a really oil impregnated or varnished fore-end ought to try this tac. A totally alien concept to my apprenticed Armourers way of thinking but it worked for me as you can see by the results

[browningautorifle]

trichloretylene vapour bath.

As in suspended above the liquid? In an airtight space?

[Charlie]

You can get trichlor over there ? I have had good results soaking oily stocks in Acetone. Expensive at $16+ a gallon but gets the job done. Acetone evaporates very fast in open air so have to keep the soak tank covered up real good.

[tiriaq]

Peter - is this the sort of device you used?
Don't know if these exist any more in Canada, but years ago I used a vapour phase degreaser. Large tank with solvent. The solvent was heated, producing vapour. Above the solvent the vapour condensed. In this layer the objects to be degreased were suspended. The vapour condensed on them, flushing away grease and oil. This filth dripped down into the solvent. Because the solvent was being vaporized, the parts were always being flushed with clean vapour. Battered, oil soaked wood being processed through one of these devices came out looking like battered clean new wood.