M1 Carbine cleanup project

[leswad]

Do you refinish Garand's to original? I just picked up one and need to back to greatness.

 

[Faulkner]

You can do a Garand the same way as I did this carbine. I've cleaned up a couple that I received from the CMP this way. The main difference is you have to be careful with the rear handguard as it can be somewhat fragile when it's off the gun.

 

[Srigs]

Great job on your "new" M1 Carbine.

 

[Faulkner]

Since the original posts in 2009, here's a few pictures of a Garand I recently cleaned up and refinished the stock. I didn't take any 'before' pictures, but it was pretty rough.

 

[jack the toad]

I didn't take any 'before' pictures, but it was pretty rough.

Looks good now. Mind sharing your method?
I have both carbine and garand that needs some TLC.

 

[monet61]

What a wonderful quality job on that carbine. Mine is currently on route to Mr. Shufflin of Shuffs' Parkerizing.
I can hardly wait to see it after he is done with it. Based on advise I received, and the photos I've seen, he does excellent work.

 

[Faulkner]

Looks good now. Mind sharing your method?
I have both carbine and garand that needs some TLC.

I use the "Heavy Duty Easy Off" oven cleaner method to strip USGI stocks. Using this method to clean oil finished gunstocks is controversial in some circles, but I've used it on well over a hundred USGI stocks in the past 15 years or so with great success. I think the controversy of using this method comes from those who have tried to utilize this method improperly and damaged or ruined their project stock.

Here is a picture of a stack of surplus M1 carbines that the sheriff's department I work for purchased back in 2001. I reworked every one of these carbines including stripping and refinishing the stocks.

 

[Springfield Bob]

I took the stocks from both of our M-1 Garand's (mine & wife's)to a furniture stripping company and had him strip the stocks to bare wood.
I then stained my stock dark & my wife's a lighter color. Then I used lindseed oil as I recall. They look great!
Bob

 

[loknload]

Nice,,,very nice!
I have 3 project rifles to restore and a M1 Carbine is one of them.

 

[NMPinNYC]

I wish I could send you one to clean up like that. Nicely done!

 

[brucev]

Very cool. Beautiful job on a wonderful rifle!

 

[LouisianaJoe]

I have cleaned up several WWII vintage Garands, Carbines, Enfields, and Mosin-Nagants. I use restore-a-finish made by Howard's available at Lowes and Home Depot. It was designed to restore cabinets and I first used it on the kitchen cabinets before we sold our house. It will disolve all of the crud without changing the patina of the wood. Sometimes that is all that I have to do. Sometimes I will hand rub a couple coats of tung oil on the stock and then I will apply a couple coats of wax. Howard's also makes Feed-and-wax a mixture of carnuba and bees wax.

Here is a website Howard Restor-A-Finish I have used the walnut with success.

Here is an Enfield that I cleaned up.

Mosin-Nagant:

 

[whitecoyote]

Excellent job.