Cleaning Civil War Rifle

[Randy1944]

I would like to ask for advice on cleaning a Springfield 1864 rifle.  I do not want to harm it and do not want to remove any patina.  What is best way to clean the grime and buildup on both the stock and the metal parts?  Thanks for advice and guidance.

[drago]

Maybe Murphy's oil soap?

[Gaeckle]

You could use dishwashing soap, or shampoo to remove grime with a cloth. Don't use anything that will destroy the original finish like laquer thinner, acetone or such. Apply a small amount of a finish like Wakon Bay.

[JTR]

Please don't even consider Murphy's oil soap as it'll rip the patina off that gun quicker than you can blink!

A little more info would be helpful, as far as cleaning. If it's a really nice all original rifle, you might want to consider doing nothing. If it's a beat up parts replaced shooter or wall hanger, doing whatever might be appropriate.

John

[GrampaJack]

It depends on what you are dealing with. You don't say what condition the gun is in. If the stock is in good condition and has uniform color you don't want to do much. If it is dark and you try to clean it you will probably end up with blotchy dark and light areas. If in good shape a gentle coat of wax is probably best. If it is really bad I have used boiled linseed oil cut 100% with mineral spirits with good luck. No abrasives, just a paper towel with the oil rubbed on and the excess wiped off. As to the metal parts the same thing applies. To clean very dirty metal I have used bronze wool and light oil with gentle rubbing with good results. Remember it is well over 100 years old and it's supposed to look it. Jack

[smokinbuck]

I have used both "orange stuff" and "D & L" hand cleaner. Put it on your hand and rub lightly. It will take off dirt and leave any finish or patina that is there.
Mark

[longrifle]

If the wood is in good condition go slow and gentle. Post some photo's of the gun so we might get a better idea about cleaning.

[Dphariss]

MAKE SURE ITS NOT LOADED
I would not use water. Most of the critical areas are not sealed originally SFAIK and there are surely at least some places where the wood finish is damaged or gone.
If the patina is that important then leave it alone so long as its not rusting. You CAN oil the bore and should unless its really rough, working till the patches come out clean or reasonably so. But stand the rifle muzzle down for a day afterwards to let excess oil exit the muzzle not run out the nipple into the stock.
Myself I would not worry about patina if it were shootable and I intended to use it. If its a wall hanger just preserve it.
If you MUST clean the exterior I would wipe it down with a soft rag with some boiled linseed oil on it, off the shelf hardware store stuff. Wipe on, let it set a minute or two then wipe off with a soft dry cloth to remove grime. Don't rub the stock with a grimy rag, its like rubbing compound so change rags and work gently.  Note that if the original wood finish is gone this WILL enter the wood and produce a finish so be aware of this. But it will not harm any original finish. Petroleum oils may well damage any original wood finish since they will soften traditional finishes in most cases.

Dan

[Dphariss]

I have used both "orange stuff" and "D & L" hand cleaner. Put it on your hand and rub lightly. It will take off dirt and leave any finish or patina that is there.
Mark

If you look these invariably have petroleum other solvents in them and are usually 80% water. I would not put them on an old wood finish since the active ingredients are solvents and could damage the finish.

Dan

[wet willy]

It can depend on what you want for the "finished" piece. Restore is to bring it to the "as found" condition, renovate means make it like it was new. Maybe only to just remove most of the dust/gunk/grime from the stock & metal parts, or something more. Do you care if whatever you do is reversible, so you can get back to the original condition, minus any duct/gunk/grime you removed?

Most museum restorers start on wood with the most benign and reversible process: water on a rag. Then soapy water on a rag, then a solvent like alcohol/water gently wiped, maybe then try acetone, then lacquer thinner, etc. And note that museums only want to stabilize the item, not make it useable for its intended purpose. It should be presentable for display in its "as found" condition.

Rust on metal presents another problem: rust and the resulting pits on the surface. You can't make the pits go away, but you can clean the surface rust by rubbing with a cloth with any of the several modern rust-dissolving solvents like Kroil , PB Blaster, EVAPO-RUST ... Then follow-up with a surface wax that can be removed, like Renaissance Wax, and will not react with either the wood or metal.

If your goal is to return the firearm to the original, factory-new appearance, you'll need abrasives and carefull work, but know that you are removing original metal to get out the pitting from the metal, and wood around gouges and nicks (there are a few tricks, most imperfect, to raise dents in wood), and not reversible.

[Mike R]

I agree with the "check to see if it is loaded first" comment.  Many old guns are still loadded.  I recently acquired an 1820s militia gun with a charged ball still in it [checked with ramrod, then viewed with a thin beam flashlight].  I have been so far unable to remove the charge--the ball is extremely hard and so far I have not been able to pull it. No telling how long it has been loaded [sometime in its history the gun was converted to percussion [civil war?].  I try to just stop any rust and lightly clean everything without changing any original finish that is left.  I have seen old guns untouched that seem to be rusting away--I do not understand that condition--surely stopping rust is preferable to destruction by rust even if a little original finish is sacrificed?

[JCKelly]

In some circles "cleaning" is a capital offense.

As an old geezer collector, I would prefer you not put anyone's linseed oil on the stock.
Please don't do it. When finished it will be obvious, forever, to a collector that it has been oiled, which in turn decreases the saleability.
Be kind to us ancient collectors.
Maybe just use a bristle brush & dust the thing, then hang it up?

I suspect a cloth dampened with a bit of white vinegar would be a good place to start.
If l you want something a little stronger maybe REAL turpentine, made from trees.

Agree w GrampaJack on the bronze wool + oil for the metal. Bronze will not scratch the iron, and may even leave orignal case-hardening in place. It worked for me on a grimy Trapdoor.

and

In some circles "cleaning" is a capital offense.

 

[Mark Elliott]

There are collectors who wouldn't want any of the dirt or oxidation removed.   I am not that extreme myself.    I like to remove the dirt and keep most of the oxidation and original finish.   It doesn't apply to a 1864 Springfield, but I will remove some of the oxidation on brass or silver so that you can at least tell what metal it is and see the engraving.  

I only use two things to clean and protect old or new guns; Ballistol and Renaissance Wax.    Both will clean and protect, but Ballistol is a more aggressive cleaner and will make tarnish/patina/oxidation disappear.    You have to be as careful with Ballistol around brass and silver as flame around gasoline.   Ballistol works just like Tarn X on the old TV commercials.   Still, it is an effective cleaner and is gentle on the underlying materials and finishes.  Ballistol is mostly medical grade parafin.    With antiques,  I apply it with cotton swabs to avoid accidentally over cleaning anything.  

I end all cleaning with a coat of Renaissance Wax.   If your object just has a light coat of grime,  then the Renaisance Wax will probably do all the cleaning you want.    

You can also clean with water/Dawn or denatured alcohol but both of these can be very dangerous in that they will strip wood finishes.   You certainly never use such things except on cotton swabs in a very controlled manner. Believe it or not, but in my experience, denatured alcohol is much gentler on oil than Dawn in water.    However, NEVER use alcohol on a spirit varnish unless it is your intention to remove the finish; which you should NEVER do to an antique.  

Remember that when it comes to antiques of any type,  the rule of thumb is to do as little as possible and as reversible as possible.   You can reverse more stuff than you think.    I have considerable experience non-destructively removing water-based wood glues such as hide glues and aliphatic resins,  epoxy, and cyanoacrylate.   I have untangled the most unholy messes you have ever seen perpetrated by less experienced "restorers".    Just don't make it harder on future restorers than necessary.   I have come to realize that there will always be someone who can do a better job than you, so make sure they can "fix" your work without too much trouble.    

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Well, saw another forum where a fellow cleaned up a civil war gun using Kramer's best Antique Improver and the photos were fantastic. Nice an d\clean but with patina remaining on wood and metal. A major component is turpentine

http://www.kramerize.com/Introduction.htm

I use it on cabinets and furniture and there is nothing like it.... I even use it on my .54 rifle once  a year.
I also use Renaissance Wax.