1903 Mark I time capsule **PICS**

[browningautorifle]

Unless you indent to not use it, I'd clean all that stinky stuff off. Then apply a new finish to the stock. You'll soon get the lecture on which...besides, the threads are here on BLO, RLO, on and on...

[Fred G.]

I'd wipe it down with acetone and a cloth myself, then again with a dry clean rag. I know you like the look of the rifle with grease on it. You would've cleaned it by now if you really wanted to. Most guys responding on the various 1903 forums that you've posted your concerns over this rifle on have responded that they'd clean it. That ought to tell you something. However the rifle has been overhauled and rebuilt with all of the original Mark I parts replaced with later 1903 parts. It's a rebuild. The paperwork and shipping box is interesting, but neither it or the heavy grease and shredded newspaper on the rifle add a great deal to its overall collector value. Many 1903's will be commonly found to have grease on the actions and barrels under the stocks that's been there for decades. It's still a commonly encountered type of rifle in its current configuration. It's kinda nice that it was rebuilt by the military instead of a collector, but your rifle is still a non original type and therefore, in the collectors category as is covered within Norm Flayderman's Price Guide in the chapter on 1903's, it isn't a rifle that is viewed as in original and unaltered configuration, which is what the top prices shown in that Price Guide covers. Now come up with a rifle in virtually unused and un rebuilt condition, with or without grease, from 1904 through WWI and a decade or more after or some other rarely encountered type and you'll have something that will command top dollar to collectors.
Of course there will be individuals who might put a very high monetary value on such a rifle. They won't be advanced collectors of high end 1903's though. Others guys might not put a lot of value in it. What value your rifle has for one person can be different for another person. Your rifle's assessed collector value will be up to whoever is looking at it at any one time. You gave a certain amount of money for it. That will be your baseline of value. Anything above that will be assessed by you and by anyone else who'd be willing to put out any amount of money for it. That might be less and it might be more.
Congratulations on getting your rifle! It's an interesting piece with all of the stuff.

[jjjxlr8]

Is it possible to remove the cosmoline WITHOUT removing the original finish?

Obviously the easy method of chemical removal wouldn't work, but if I just use a little heat, and keep wiping down the stock with a towel, will that retain the original oil finish? I certainly won't strip the stock down to bare wood and re-finish. I'd keep it as is before I'd do that. I really like the reddish brown finish underneath the gunk and would love to see more of it.

[browningautorifle]

Well, before I knew better, I used boiling water. Just boil the kettle and take everything out to a deserted spot. The grease comes right off and leaves an oily finish. The spot it lands on the ground will be somewhat polluted though.

[Fred G.]

As for original finish, the stock and handguard of your rifle was treated with linseed oil. Period. All U.S. military longarms with stocks of black walnut were treated with linseed oil. Soldiers were supposed to occasionally rub raw linseed oil into the stock. Then any excess oil was simply wiped off with a cotton rag.
Again, take a cloth, soak it somewhat with acetone, then start wiping the grease off of the rifle. The acetone isn't harmful to you or the wood. Clean the metal off with it too. It cannot and will not harm the finish on the metal. No need to wear rubber gloves. The dirt and grease will come off of and out of the wood into the rag. Either squeeze the rag and disolved grease out of the rag or get another clean one to use until the rifle is clean. A toothbrush will also be of great assistance in getting the crap out of the rear sight etc.
The acetone will be evaporating and will leave the stock clean and dry.
Then hand rub linseed oil into the wood and wipe away the excess. If you want to take the rifle apart, go ahead and do so before you start wiping it all off. I sure would!

[Fred G.]

That rifle was overhauled by the military and prepared for long term storage so that it could be brought out of storage again one day, cleaned off and be in perfect working order upon being issued to someone. That's YOU. Clean it and use it.

[jjjxlr8]

Thanks for the info.

I really don't like the look of it with the grease. I think it's kind of neat that it was kept this way for so long, but I'd much prefer looking at it (and handling it!) without all the crap on it. I don't want it to look like a newly re-finished rifle, though, so I'm going to try to just use heat and see how that goes. I'm going to pick up a heat gun this weekend...

[Fred G.]

There is no way that cleaning the grease of the rifle off with acetone will make it look refinished. The rifle will simply be clean. Leaving grease and film on the stock will not improve the looks. heating up the wood will allow grease to seep in deeper into the stock. It isn't soaked into the wood very much and will draw outward completely with the use of acetone. I told you this because it will work. I've been properly cleaning collector firearms for 45 years. You do what you want.

[browningautorifle]

Obviously the easy method of chemical removal wouldn't work, but if I just use a little heat,

I'm going to pick up a heat gun this weekend

Where did you get these ideas? I just went through the thread again and no one suggested heat...acetone or varsol or boiling water will all work and have been used since snakes first layed eggs. Then touch up with BLO or RLO...but like Fred says, whatever!

[WarPig1976]

You dealing with grease not cosmoline. Make life easier, take the above advice...