Lee Enfield cleaning

[Montgomery]

Hi

I want to removed dust and dirt accumulated over an Lee Enfield. Wich cleaner would be good without removed or fading the blueing? Varsol, mineral spirit, other one??

Thanks!

Information

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[mrclark303]

I use Brunox spray on the bore and metal work.

Spray down the bore and leave for 5 minutes, work with your bore and chamber brushes and Jag to leave a squeaky clean bore.


It's great stuff,cleans powder residue, brass and general grime with ease.

Use the same on the action body and bolt with a tooth brush.

Rub the woodwork with a microfiber cloth and the occasional coating of raw linseed oil.

Other excellent products are of course available!

[Sunray]

Varsol is a Canadian brand name for mineral spirits. If you use the word Varsol on a U.S. forum, our southern cousins won't know what you're talking about.
Varsol is good for what you want to do though. So is regular rifle bore cleaning solvent(tends to come in expensive, wee, tiny, small bottles though). As was the regular 10-W30 motor oil the CF gave us for cleaning all weapons.
You don't need a micro-anything cloth. As long as it's lint free, it'll do. Cotton flannelette is lint free and can be had by the yard/meter in any discount fabric shop. One yard/meter x 45" will give you hundreds of bore cleaning patches for less than $10. Ask the women for remnant flannelette.
An Enfield shouldn't be blued though. Mind you, a lot depends on which one you have.

[mrclark303]

Or, here in the UK you can buy a 25 mt roll of pre cut 4x2 for about £5, if you shop about....

Microfiber cloths, really cheap in discount shops for a pack and work extremely well for buffing up woodwork...

Everyone has their own cleaning rituals I guess.

My father in law still boils out his barrels with his Enfield funnel, while I won't let a drop of water anywhere near my barrels.

Modern purpose made products like Brunox simply clean and inhibit better, that's my opinion anyway.

[Gil Boyd]

I use MK 1 ELBOW GREASE NATO APPROVED and the pull throughs issued during the Zulu Wars works everytime. Only Joking..................good advice boys.
Sunray you are right about products meaning something else in the U.S.....don't ask for a "Rubber" down south its an eraser, and thats just one

[browningautorifle]

regular 10-W30 motor oil

Motor oil shouldn't be used on firearms as it'll turn to a solid form like a varnish when left on. Fine oil will to but it takes longer. The CF didn't issue motor oil for cleaning anyway, we issued a specific rifle oil made by Esso which was a oil like sewing machine, very fine... Some of the older more ignorant ones would use gasoline and motor oil mixed 50/50 for cleaning but that practice was moved away from in the mid '70s with the FNs. We issued specific products for weapon preservation. Matter of fact we even taught NOT to use motor oil.

Don't use motor oil...

[mrclark303]

You learn something every day Gil, I had no idea you were involved in the Zulu wars, did they let you use your pith helmet when parachuting mate, they don't like it up em you know Gil, they not like it up em!

---------- Post added at 01:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:53 PM ----------

Motor oil shouldn't be used on firearms as it'll turn to a solid form like a varnish when left on. Fine oil will to but it takes longer. The CF didn't issue motor oil for cleaning anyway, we issued a specific rifle oil made by Esso which was a oil like sewing machine, very fine... Some of the older more ignorant ones would use gasoline and motor oil mixed 50/50 for cleaning but that practice was moved away from in the mid '70s with the FNs. We issued specific products for weapon preservation. Matter of fact we even taught NOT to use motor oil.

Don't use motor oil...

After cleaning I flood the bore with Parker Hale corrosion inhibiting gun oil and let the excess drip away before going back in the safe...

Remembering to 4x2 the bore and chamber before the next outing obviously!

[Gil Boyd]

John,

"Gil, they not like it up em!"

Sounded like "long time short time" out of Apocalypse Now

[mrclark303]

John,

"Gil, they not like it up em!"

Sounded like "long time short time" out of Apocalypse Now

I see what you mean Gil, perhaps it's the Vietnamese Corporal Jones!