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12-02-2019 02:43 AM
# ADS
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Originally Posted by
Scout Sniper
I can honestly say I'm surprised to see more in favour of clean and maintain than to preserve the dirt.
On the flip I have seen No4 rifles with a super high gloss varnish finish. You ruined it!
My pet hate on a milsurp .... Quite often the varnished look is purely down to incorrect use boiled linseed oil, eventually giving the wood a hard Glos finish...
To be fair, I think this mainly comes from post war target shooters who had absolutely zero interest in these rifles from a collectors perspective...
They were simply inexpensive (and plentiful) rifles for target shooting and hunting at a time when Joe avarage didn't have disposable income.
So they got the same treatment as the shotgun, boiled linseed warmed up and palmed on...
I would say that many of the rifles that sit in our collections today, might well have not survived if it hadn't been for the post war target shooters and hunters giving these rifles a purpose.
It's very satisfying removing all that crap though, that's for sure!
---------- Post added at 11:36 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:30 AM ----------
Lovely collection Ron, a credit to you.
.303, helping Englishmen express their feelings since 1889
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Thanks for the comments, folks, will leave this running before responding. Good insight coming through.
The only observation I can make is, no matter how hard one tries to hit middle ground, some one will still interpret an extreme, as if that's the point of the discussion...
Trying to save Service history, one rifle at a time...
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Whether it is an old firearm, motorcycle or automobile; some collector's just don't get that maintenance is required at regular intervals; even if your not actually using it.
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Very true Shaun, if anything it's worse with vehicles, they literally die if there not used regularly.
.303, helping Englishmen express their feelings since 1889
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"...why is it that..." No NCO giving 'em that look. Mind you, a milsurp can come from a place where nobody cared. The Sudanese AR-10's that came through the shop long ago, still had desert in them.
"...items like bayonets..." Those have gone up in value at a much higher rate than their rifles have.
"...collector, who never fired it..." There are lots of 'pure' collectors who do not shoot anything they own.
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I'm on board with CAREFUL and EDUCATED disassembly, cleaning, inspection, repair as needed and service to spec. Unfortunately, I'm on the receiving end of many rifles; especially Lees, where these rules weren't followed and more damage was done disassembling and assembling them incorrectly, mostly to the forends so I get dismayed a bit by folks who just dive in but are clueless as to what they're doing. Buying books and researching properly beforehand is a necessity in my opinion. I could write a book full of horror stories about guns i've had to put right here after the well meaning owners took the process a bit too far with limited or no knowledge of what they were doing. Just my two cents after 20+ years of it.
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By means of a sample of evidence of my frustration and failure to comprehend the attitude of some when it comes to cleaning, inspecting, repairing, lubricating and preserving, the attached photo is the residual dirt and slime left from filtering about 1.5 litres of kerosene. The kero was used to soak and clean four Lee Enfield sized rifle bolts. The match is for scale.
This filth was inside the working parts of rifles. Probably indicative of the level of work they actually did.
I'm still struggling to comprehend how any barely rational individual can believe (with such vehemence, usually) that this deleterious material can improve or enhance the mechanical safety and serviceability of any machine component.
Perhaps, with some very astute observations above, we are coming closer to understanding the limitations of the perpetrators of this mechanical maintenance crime?
Trying to save Service history, one rifle at a time...
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To me maintenance doesn't mean constantly cleaning a firearm. Realistically cleaning is only really needed when accuracy or function is affected. Believe it or not carbon doesn't harm a firearm, some of the best condition firearms I have made nice again are old .22s that were used a ton over years and never cleaned. Once the carbon was wiped off and the bore cleaned, poof they looked pretty good (I wouldn't say excellent, the finish was long gone thanks to those years of use).
More damage tends to be caused by over cleaning than under cleaning. Broken parts, stripped screws, overtightening, damaged crowns, etc. I accidentally broke the firing pin retainer on a Swiss 06/29 Luger by taking it apart when I didn't have to (which was a pretty expensive mistake).
Not to say that this means to not oil or to put away the firearm wet or anything, simply that most people clean a firearm significantly more than they need to.
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