Removing varnish finish on my LE No4 Mk1 Longbranch rifle

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There is a varnish finish on my LE No4 Mk1 Longbranch rifle that looks like it applied to both the wood and metal:



What would be the best way to remove this varnish from the wood? The varnish on the metal has been flaking off for the past 32 years so it easy to remove, its the wood furniture I would like to remove it from but not sure how to do so without affecting the word too much.
 
That's in pretty nice shape. I have a few rifles with the same "varnish finish"....It looks like it's original.
Not to sure you really want to remove it....unless you don't care of the collectors value.
My vote... Check the bore, leave the wood and outside metal alone....
 
HuskyDude said:
That's in pretty nice shape. I have a few rifles with the same "varnish finish"....It looks like it's original.
Not to sure you really want to remove it....unless you don't care of the collectors value.
My vote... Check the bore, leave the wood and outside metal alone....
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Ok, I just was not sure if it was original or not. I will leave it as is. I want to soak the wood in the raw linseed oil/turpentine mix and though that the varnish would impede this.
 
I don’t think the varnish is original but would wait for more of an expert to chime in. As far as I know metal was suncorite finished and wood was oil finished
 
MattE93 said:
I don’t think the varnish is original but would wait for more of an expert to chime in. As far as I know metal was suncorite finished and wood was oil finished
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I believe the Suncorite was a British thing and Long Branch LE did not wear it, I could be all wrong and await those with deeper knowledge for insight on LB-LE wartime finishes.
 
The varnish is not original. Removing the varnish from the metal will not harm the metal. the barrelled action has to be removed from the stock and then it can be cleaned off with lacquer thinner ( you buy from Home Depot or other hardware stores of your choice). Once stripped oil the metal and let stand a few days prior to reassembling. The wood is another story. It can be removed with a commercial stripper and cleaned up with 0000 steel wool and thinner. The apply your linseed oil finish in very light repetitive coats. Not the easiest job and you may want to farm out to somebody who does this work. If correctly done it increase the value of the rifle. Ron PS Long Branch Enfields were not finished in suncorite or other paints - this was a Brit/India thing.
 
The rifle has a Mk. I sight. Is the sight C/I\ marked?
Hope that whoever varnished the stock didn't do any sanding first. The varnish can be chemically removed, and if done very carefully gets the stock back to square one, ready for linseed oil.
If a LB rifle has Suncorite on the metal, it went through a rebuild in the British style.
 
Are you sure this is varnish? If you put too much linseed oil on a gun it can have the similar affect to both the metal if exposed and the wood.

Try soaking a rag in turpentine and slather it on the surfaces and see if it comes off. Wrap the gun in the turpentine soaked rag as well.
 
tiriaq said:
The rifle has a Mk. I sight. Is the sight C/I\ marked?
Hope that whoever varnished the stock didn't do any sanding first. The varnish can be chemically removed, and if done very carefully gets the stock back to square one, ready for linseed oil.
If a LB rifle has Suncorite on the metal, it went through a rebuild in the British style.
Click to expand...

I just looked at the sight. It has the following markings: SM over a 41, SM, a tiny circle, and a couple of /|\, no C.

The stock looks to be unsanded. All of the stamping on it is intact and fully readable. Funny thing I now see that the forestock is stamped with a serial number just below the front metal. The first four characters match the serial number of the receivcer, but the rest is unmatching. And the funny thing is the buttxtock is stamped with three numbers that match three numbers in the receiver serial number.

The finish on the metal looks does not look like paint.
 
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MRCLARK said:
Are you sure this is varnish? If you put too much linseed oil on a gun it can have the similar affect to both the metal if exposed and the wood.

Try soaking a rag in turpentine and slather it on the surfaces and see if it comes off. Wrap the gun in the turpentine soaked rag as well.
Click to expand...

Ok, I'll give this a try first before anything else. If its too much linseed oil that preferable to varnish.
 
MRCLARK said:
Are you sure this is varnish? If you put too much linseed oil on a gun it can have the similar affect to both the metal if exposed and the wood.

Try soaking a rag in turpentine and slather it on the surfaces and see if it comes off. Wrap the gun in the turpentine soaked rag as well.
Click to expand...

Yup, that's my assessment of the rifles' finish.

Someone smeared Linseed oil all over it and let it dry. It may even be Linspeed, which is a combination of varnish and linseed oil.

Follow MRCLARK's advice. IMHO it's good in your case.
 
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