Inherited an M1 Crabine and am getting to know it

**INLAND44** · 01-21-2012 01:08 PM

Don't use 'Gunscrubber' or brake cleaner when cleaning it, and it really needs cleaning bad. Use a milder solvent-oil like 'Clenzoil' or 'Kroil'. You will need an old toothbrush in areas like the sight and inside the receiver - be careful with the sight and try to maintain the paint in the markings. The harsh spray cleaners will strip a lot of patina out of the Parkerizing. You want it clean but not stripped. I say the carbine is an unmolested rebuild. I base this on the appearance of the finish and it's aging, as well as the presence of the adjustable rear sight that was installed during the rebuild. This sight still has paint in the markings, so it obviously has not been refinished. In this case as with many others, they did the refinish and then installed the new sight. There's another indication of depot installation of the sight - it is presumably sighted-in with the aperture centered and the sight base shifted to align.
Soak the bolt in 'Kroil' for a few days. You'll need a bolt assembly tool, but you can get by with soaking/rinsing out the bolt in the meantime. If you have access to a parts washer and Varsol, you could make quick work of the whole job. I say this because cleaning inside the trigger housing is hard without harsh sprays or disassembly, but would be great with a small brush and a parts washer.
This is an excellent-looking carbine that I imagine would sell for around $800