Restoring M1 carbine, Garand, No.4Mk2

[no4mk1t]

In some of the pictures it appears there is dried grease in the nooks and crannies that you may think is rust. Take an old toothbrush and some bore solvent and scrub these areas and you will find it brightens up the parkerizing quite a bit.

Information

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[fullm3taljacket]

BAR,

Good to know, thanks for the insight!

No4Mk1t,

The carbine is "freshly" greased by myself (just how it looks after almost 100 rounds though her). Good looking out, though and great tip for next time I take her apart and I'll probably do the same with the Garand sometime this week. It hasn't been cleaned yet, so it could use it.

[Bruce_in_Oz]

From my time in Arizona, rust, per se, is not a big issue, unless you are doing something really unusual.

The wood, on the other hand, has a hard life in that very low humidity.

The dryness seems to suck the moisture right out of everything, including the "operators". Fortunately, "refreshments" can be found everywhere, (except the really "deserty" bits). Take your own: "Hydrate or Die!"

Neighbouring Nevada is just as bad. A friend took a lovely little wooden jewel box as a gift over there and was disturbed to hear it making "popping" noises after a couple of days in Vegas. It was the exotic timber inlays separating from the walnut lid due to shrinkage caused by the VERY low humidity.

There's a good reason that the cafe district in Tempe, Arizona, (and other places) has a network of water atomizers above the outdoor tables.

[Peter Laidler]

Hey BAR........... Scotchbrite pads........ Who on earth suggested giving them out to the troops........ I've seen them being used to 'clean' everything that's ever been issued to them. Wrapped around pullthroughs to scrub barrels, scrub ANYTHING within 25 yards of ANY gas affected parts until it gleams silver and I'm sure that some of them have cleaned the lenses of their SUSAT sights and Binos with them or the tail of their sand encrusted shirt!

[Beerhunter]

Hey BAR........... Scotchbrite pads........ Who on earth suggested giving them out to the troops........ I've seen them being used to 'clean' everything that's ever been issued to them. Wrapped around pullthroughs to scrub barrels, scrub ANYTHING within 25 yards of ANY gas affected parts until it gleams silver and I'm sure that some of them have cleaned the lenses of their SUSAT sights and Binos with them or the tail of their sand encrusted shirt!

On the subject of gentle abrasives [sic], does anyone in the UK know where I can get some brass or copper wool. It appears to be commonly available in the US. We have some artefacts in the museum that need the rust removing without digging into the steel or plating. Alternatively a suggestion of one the modern materials but with the abrasive power of brass/copper wool, rather than steel wool.

[Seaspriter]

does anyone in the UK know where I can get some brass or copper wool. It appears to be commonly available in the US.

Actually, I use "bronze wool." It is readily available in boat stores (you must never use steel wool on a boat because the small shards will rust and turn wood black in a salt environment in a day.)

[browningautorifle]

Scotchbrite pads........ Who on earth suggested giving them out to the troops

A lazy man's out. You wouldn't even see them in use most of the time. We had time to clean and oil, but obviously the train of thought was "I didn't shoot it so it must be clean"...