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I will start by saying I know it is not good to sand milsurp stocks and blur stamped numbers or round edges. What I am confused by is the "don't remove patina". Was it not true, that the "If it don't move, clean it" rule usually applied in military life? I know that if stuff was being surplused out, it had usually sat neglected in storage for a while first, but wouldn't the rifles that were in active service units be maintained, including cleaning up the wood? Yes, I know that front line troops had other priorities, but in general, when you pick up a used milsurp that looks like it langushed for the last 20 years in the coal bin, doesn't removing the crud actually restore it more closely to what it looked like in service? When I bought my 43 Long Branch, its wood was really dark and cruddy. I was told to take off the wood and put it in the dishwasher. I was too chicken to do that, but I did wait until my wife was in bed, and then go at it in the kitchen sink with hot water and fine steel wool. Let it dry, found the spots I missed, repeat about 3 times. I didn't remove any numbers, now I could actually see them and found to my surprise that under all that crud the wood was beech, (rifle had been FTR'd Fahzerky 52). After a few rubbed coats of Tung Oil it looks pretty good. Now I am sure someone is going to tell me this was next thing to the heresy that people were burned at the stake for in the days of the Spanish Inquisiton, but in my opinion, I wouldn't have one of my guns looking as abused as that one was when I got it.
FLAME AWAY
Personally I don't find anything wrong with giving stocks a good cleaning. Personally I'm not a fan of the hot water route as it sometimes will ruin the markings on the stock but other than that I don't think you "changed" the stock in any way. The rifle looks nice!
I'm sure some soldiers would remove a bit of crud once in a while during boring days when nothing was happening on the front, so I bet cleaning a Lee Enfield can have some accurate historical aspect!
Comes down to the rifle. With very little water it can be ok to use a rag to just clean it up, but I've also seen some stocks irreperably buggered up by using too much water on them. Then you have an ugly and damaged stock on your hands. I've read that mineral spirits are a good way to very lightly work on stocks - it isn't particularly agressive and allows for more removal of dirt and crud rather than stripping a finish clear off. My personal experience has only been with bubba'd stocks, where it's already pretty clear that they've been molested in a far worse manner than I would ever consider.
Looks like you did a nice job, except the sling is on backwards!
The tabs go on the inside, smooth side of the rivits next to the wood. and the lower loop should be one hands breadths wide. Adjustments made at the upper end of the sling.
Since the stock is referred to as "furniture" anything you use on a table or a chair, should be ok to use on a stock.
Thanks John! BTW, when I picked it up in the store I couldn't see through the barrel to check the rifling. It was so full of cosmoline it took about 3 patches to clean the worst out. It was a 5 groove barrel. I don't think it had been used since FTR. Shoots great. There was also another full wood Long Branch 2 groove and a #1Mk3 full wood. I got mine for $75, could have had all three for $225. Why didn't I! That was about 7 Yrs. ago.
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You've made it all......FUZZY......looking! BURN HIM!
