1884 Dark Brown Residue

[raymo7521]

Hello all,
Purchased an 1884 at show. Noticed it has a dark brown hardened residue, like a baked on cosmoline. Underneath there is a mix of patina and bluing. I am trying to get something that will safely remove the cosmoline, but not harm the original finish. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

[Fred]

Acetone and a rag will do the job and not harm the metal finish. Dismount the barrel from the stock first though.

[Major Tom]

Boiling water will do the feat. It will get the crap out of every crevice, dries almost instantly so no worry about rust. I have used this method for years.

[bruce]

Agree. Begin w/ boiling water as it is very effective for removing the gunk/goo that accumulates on old guns. Acetone has for me been excellent when dealing w/ small parts, assemblies, etc. Just oil/grease everything afterward as one would commonly do. Have used this method on a number of rifles. Always works. HTH. Sincerely. bruce.

[raymo7521]

Boiling water will do the feat. It will get the crap out of every crevice, dries almost instantly so no worry about rust. I have used this method for years.

Thank you for the informative responses.

[steved66]

A copper dish cleaning pad dipped in Kroil did the trick for me on my M1873. It was covered with the same baked on crud as described by the original poster. I picked one up at the supermarket. Lightly scour the barrel and parts; if you press too hard you can scratch the blue and patina. You can try to loosen the crud first by scrubbing it first with a rag dipped in Kroil or other penetrant, then follow with the copper pad. Try first on a barrel band or trigger guard before working on the more noticeable areas like the barrel, to see if you are getting the results you want without damaging the finish below the crud.

[Sunray]

Something that will safely remove the cosmoline, but not harm the original finish is called mineral spirits. Boiling water does it with heat. DO NOT ALLOW ANY RESULTING SLUDGE TO BE PUT DOWN ANY DRAIN. It's toxic.