M1 Carbine - Would You Buy This??

[Anton67]

Will oven cleaner hurt the park finish?

[browningautorifle]

Don't use oven cleaner on your firearms.

[Sentryduty]

Don't use oven cleaner on your firearms.

Ah, now that takes me back to battle school. One fellow in my section did that, it stripped the upper receiver group of his C7A1 back to white aluminium in a few very noticeable places. The thing looked like a Dalmatian, the panic that resulted!

I crafted the genius barracks fix, a "Magnum 44" black marker, every morning, just before inspection he would colour in the splotches carefully blending into the other non-ruined parts of the finish.

We were successful with this until the final weeks of course, when one Sergeant noticed his work, the fellow said it has been like that since issue and he was just trying to make it more presentable for inspections. The entire section nodded in agreement to support the lie, the Sergeant accepted this, told him not to bother any longer as the weapons techs would fix it, and told him good effort for making his kit look good.

To close, oven cleaner is a bad product for firearms finishes, including anodizing.

[Seaspriter]

To close, oven cleaner is a bad product for firearms finishes, including anodizing.

Don't use oven cleaner on your firearms.

You both are correct. I should have qualified my comment. I wouldn't use oven cleaner on aluminum or an aluminum alloy, nor on a Parkerized finish (but it just doesn't look like Anton's gun has any Parkerizing on the areas that are yellow. I still think someone put some varnish or baked oil on metal that had been put to a wire wheel.)
I will confess, I have used oven cleaner on the worst of all baked grease or oil situations when nothing else would work and I didn't want to go to a bead blast. When I used oven cleaner, it was applied with a tooth brush or fine steel wool a small area at a time and quickly rinsed off. Any area that might suffer discolouring was masked off. In the situation I had to use it, it worked. It's a last resort -- certainly not something that is my first, second, or third choice -- it's a desperation choice when all else fails.

[deldriver]

I think you made it look better than I thought you could. I'd consider that a keeper for my collection, but it's your carbine and you'll have to make a decision.

Overall, it looks like most other Winchester carbines look after they have been handled.

[Patrick Chadwick]

I still think someone put some varnish or baked oil on metal that had been put to a wire wheel.

I think you are being a trifle too pessimistic. OK; I tend to be optimistic about these things, but the Winchester stamp looks so crisp that I do not think there has been any wire-brushing, bead-blasting or whatever. In such case, the first to go would be the fine curves of the "Winchester" stamp and the small print of the trade mark" beneath it. And they both seem to be excellent. So maybe it is just fossilized grease.

And the fine state of the stamps leads me to think that the striations on the receiver/sight block are original ripple lines left by wartime "Cut out the beauty treatment" machining. Underneath the yellow, those components may be a lot more original than you feared, or hoped.

So, quite definitely, no kind of abrasive - otherwise YOU might be the one who spoilt the original surface. I would keep on with the acetone, but you can go faster with a brass or bronze wire brush* - use an old bore brush - which will also get the last of the yellow stuff out of the lettering.

More pics of the other parts, please - or have I overlooked something - I only see 3 photos?


*The brushes used for suede leather are ideal.

[USGI]

you can go faster with a brass or bronze wire brush

My experience with using a bronze brush, was that it left some "brass color" on parkerizing which was not there before - use caution. I believe you could remove that with Sweet's Bore Cleaner or household ammonia. - Bob

[Anton67]

I started a new thread and posted pics but here you go.

[Anton67]

a few more photos

[Anton67]

Acetone has gone as far as it can.
Yes it does look better but my concern is that I bought it as a collectible and since the finish looks to be gone and the gold will not come off of the front site, it will not have the value that I had hoped.
I would welcome any thoughts or opinions.
The seller agreed to take it back if I decide I do not want the rifle so I have not lost anything.

Oh and BTW, the bore is gorgeous and the bolt is in excellent condition.
Maybe I should just try to find another Winchester carbine in that serial number range and use the parts to make it correct. ; )