Quick question about old rilfes

[lyon13]

So I got an enfield at a gun show and after cleaning and lubing the action I noticed that my hands had something yellowish brown all over them. My brother thinks that it is cosmiline, my landlord thinks it's the finish coming off the rifle, I think it is just some junk on the rifle. So what I am wondering is how to I clean the rifle without ruining the patina on the rifle?

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[WarPig1976]

Turpentine.

[Aragorn243]

Yellow brown on your hands after handling an old rifle. No idea what that is but doesn't sound good at all. Just kidding. Probably cosmoline and you aren't going to hurt it by wiping it off. Many enfields are practically soaked in it and if anything you'll want to get it out of the stock or you'll have yellow brown hands every time you shoot it. Take it apart wipe off as much as you possibly can and then heat it in the sun wiping it off periodically.

[browningautorifle]

I'd clean it off too. It isn't patina, it's filth... I've seen them come off the rack in a basement of a heavy smoker that covered them in nicotine. I have a husqvarna that looked like that.

[painter777]

covered them in nicotine

BAR, I hear that ! Pull a clock off the wall and see smoke stain around it.
Back in the day when we did work at the car assembly plants, there were break rooms we'd have to wash/spray down to remove the nicotine stained walls, ceilings... etc before we could re-spray paint them. We called it a 'Foam Down' spraying a concentrated mix of water and foaming agent. As long as the cleaner had Ammonia in it we were good to go. After spraying step back and watch a nasty river of yellow/brown flow in to the drain. No Ammonia mean't the stains would bleed thru.

Try Easy First:
Try a spot cleaning with Windex WITH AMMONIA IN IT. If it's nicotine your problem is solved. Make sure to dry off and oil the metal afterward.

[painter777]

More than likely the Residue is Tar.
Can you smell anything coming from the rifle that smells like smoke?
If sealed in a plastic bag for a few days... upon opening a good whiff may reveal this smell.

I've washed down and sealed in more Smoking Stains and Fire Grime than I care to remember. Crawling through attics spraying Oil based Alkyds to cover up the smell of fire/smoke was the worst, crawling out with your one piece 'Casper The Ghost' suit tar and feathered, except feathers it would covered with blown in insulation . Those Nightmares still continue!

I live in a small town known for its high end collectors and sellers of Antiques. Shops here that Restore and Refinish many different type of collectibles.... from old European Black Forest Wooden Clocks and their Cases to High End Grand Pianos and Les Paul Guitars.

#1- Often Tried First For Minimal Staining: White Vinegar mixed to: 1 part White Vinegar to 5 parts of Clean Warm Water. Apply in small area by briskly wiping with clean cloth. If good results are seen, but need to be more aggressive Mix to 1 Part White Vinegar to 3 Parts Clean Warm Water. Repeat wiping briskly, and completely wipe with dry cloth until fully dry.

#2- Best Choice is a mix of water and Ammonia (Ratios Vary). But MOST CONVENIENT and the most used method is using Spray Bottles of Windex With Ammonia.Spray on a small area and using a soft bristle brush buff off any nicotine and tar staining, wipe off using clean cloth.

Windex: There is a lot of Mis Information out there about this, here are some facts:
Some odors are caused not by the smoke itself, but by a nicotine residue. Nicotine is an acid, so to remove it you'll need an alkaline-based cleanser.

With Windex not only does it neutralize the acidic salts (Windex contains ammonia, an Alkaline compound) but since it is water based, it easy removes the salt. It also evaporates quickly. It takes very small amounts of Ammonia to neutralize the acids. In fact, it is the rinsing of the salts that's the most effective. Just make sure you buy the Windex with Ammonia already added. It will say so on the bottle.

To Start: I would wipe any oil off laying on top to better get to the Residue. Then test in a small area, wipe dry after each attempt. If desired affects are reached. You can repeat as needed, then Finish clean and oil.

Surely if this method has been used to remove the smell and staining of nicotine/tars from 6 figure collectibles, it's surely worth a shot in your case. If it fails ?? Clean the truck windshield.

VR,
Charlie-Painter777

[Sunray]

cosmoline is petroleum jelly just like Vaseline. Dried, it can be yellow. However, you're probable seeing rust coming off. Almost impossible to be sure sight unseen.
"...Windex WITH AMMONIA..." Does nothing plain tap water does not. It's the water content in Windex that does the job on corrosively primed ammo residue.

[Merle]

cosmoline is petroleum jelly just like Vaseline. Dried, it can be yellow. However, you're probable seeing rust coming off. Almost impossible to be sure sight unseen.
"...Windex WITH AMMONIA..." Does nothing plain tap water does not. It's the water content in Windex that does the job on corrosively primed ammo residue.

yeah, the "Windex with ammonia" myth just won't die - HOWEVER the small amount of ammonia does help with copper fouling, although not very much

[painter777]

Sunray and Merle,
If the staining that's coming off is from cosmoline.. I couldn't agree more. You'll get no argument from me.
But if the culprit is from years of build up from smoking, What would it hurt to try some Windex?
All we can do is offer up options to help solve a problem. IF his is staining from smoking.... Windex will clean the smoke staining. But that's a big IF with the little information at hand.
Sure not worth losing any sleep over. Until the 'OP' responds with some added input, at this point we're all guessing. For all I know it could be the die color pulling from the cleaning rags he's been using. Maybe we'll see if he chimes back in.

A Good Weekend To You...

VR,
Charlie-Painter777

[Snowman1510]

Sounds like cosmoline to me