Clean up my SMLE mk3*?

[Guest]

Hello all. I’ve lurked here for a while and have read some excellent posts regards the SMLE, and now I would like to ask for some advice please.

i have just bought a deact 1917 Enfield mk3*, with mostly matching serial numbers but a few knocks and marks. The woodwork is understandably very dark and probably in need of a clean. I’ve bought some Murphys Oil, but before I start, is it actually recommended to clean the woodwork? I know that antique dealers say never to clean old silver as it can devalue the item, but is this the same for an SMLE? Thanks in advance, Jubba

[ShtLE303]

I'd leave it be, were it mine. 

[Andy A]

Very nice, I have 3 deac 2 of which are hung up for display and a MK111* live firer currently locked up out of sight and all i did with the deacs was to clean the metalwork and working parts with gun oil and the wood was cleaned and wiped with boiled linseed oil. One I display with a bayonet attached and it is a 1920 made by BSA  for the King of Siam's personal bodyguard.

Just give it a good clean up and keep looking at it.

 

Andy.

 

Edited 19 June , 2019 by Andy A

[Joolz]

One thing I always do with an antique gun, is kill all the active rust. This is usually found in those areas where there is wood-to-metal contact, such as the butt socket, around the action and under the barrel. Certainly, the guns I intend to fire, I take apart as far as I can take them, and check everything. It's good to get to know how every bit of your gun works/goes together. You really need to know what you are doing here, be very patient, and use the right tools, or you end up damaging screw heads etc. (on that subject, if I come across any screws that have been butchered by people using the wrong tools, I renew or replace them). Once the metalwork is cleaned and stabilised (NOT scoured and refinished!), then I take a good look at the woodwork. A good (but gentle) steam cleaning will freshen this up and lift a great deal of the minor dings and bruises, without taking away any of its colour and deep patina. Any cracks are stabilised (hairline ones with a cyanoacrylate glue, or two-part stock repair/bedding filler for wider ones unless it is overly visible). For very bad cracks or damage you need to decide whether to go the whole hog and do an armourer's repair and insert new wood - I keep old stocks for this purpose - perfectly period correct if done properly, but not for the fainthearted or inexperienced. Then Tung Oil to seal and protect the wood (not linseed as this yellows over time). And, of course, replace any missing pieces that should be there (piling swivels etc.). Never, ever take sandpaper to any part of it. Non-scouring scotchbrite pads, soft brass wire brushes, fine picks for rust scabs, etc. and proceed carefully.

[RGJDEE]

When I aquired mine, as mentioned previously I oiled the metal (sparingly), boiled linseed oil to woodwork (The wood was quite dry and absorbed several applications) . Brasso and a gentle rub to the Butt plate.

[Joolz]

Here's one I 'spruced up' at the end of last year. I had to replace the fore topwood (someone had put a beech one on, and the rest of the woodwork was walnut, it just looked wrong). Got a pretty much spot-on colour match. The rear topwood had a hairline crack, which needed stabilising with cyanoacrylate, and it was barely hanging on as the steel clip had rusted to hell, so I replaced that, brass riveted on as per original. This is a working gun, and I've put hundreds through it, so things like that need sorting. I also replaced the sight with a windage adjustable one (the original one was not numbered to the gun, anyway) to make it a bit more usable on the range. Tidied up some of the tattier screws, derusted the inside of the butt socket which was still active, added the piling swivel. Wood was steamed then oiled, and it's lost none of it's patina, it's just a bit 'fresher' and a lot of the bruises have disappeared. The only other major change was a new bolt head that has improved the action and headspacing.

[4thGordons]

As noted above - Linseed Oil for the woodwork and gun/machine oil for the metal components - not much else needed on your example.

I would not do much else. If the woodwork is really dirty you could wipe it over a few times but it doesn't look too bad to me and doesn't look oil soaked, just darkened with age etc. You could give the butt plate a polish if you so desired but I wouldn't! and leave the unit marking disc alone. Couple of coats of BLO (its easier to use than raw linseed oil) rubbed on, left to absorb and then excess polished off. If you leave it too long and it gets shiny a polish with a bit of sack (burlap) takes the shine off. (Note be careful with rags that have been used with linseed - they need to be carefully handled as they can spontaneously combust)

 

You are not likely to really devalue this example unless you do something really drastic (ie totally stripping and sanding the wood- don't!)  so what you do is really a matter of your taste. It's a 100 years old, while you probably don't want to be a rusting relic - you are not going to be able to turn it into an as-issued (straight from the production line) anyway so I would seek to preserve rather than "restore" it.

100 year old rifles can vary considerably in appearance and that's fine as far as I am concerned!

 

Chris

 

[Guest]

Hello all, thanks so much for the advice, which I’ll definitely take. I’ve wanted one for years and finally got the ‘green light’ from she who must be obeyed, so I don’t want to wreck it! Thanks also for the eye-candy, some lovely examples. 

Thanks again, much appreciated.

[MikeyH]

When I bought my 1916 Enfield SMLE deact. some six years ago the wooden furniture was heavily oil soaked.

It was a lovely summer and the rifle sat in the back garden on a plastic sheet, whist the sun

brought out the oil.  It took  two or three of days of patient wiping to see it off. There was some surface

rust, used very fine wire wool on on this.  Have still not got round to the linseed oiling treatment.

 

Mike.

Edited 20 June , 2019 by MikeyH

[Dave G]

Some nice rifles shown. I love these rifles, especially the early Mk III examples with magazine cut off and volley sights. I have a London Small Arms produced example manufactured in 1914 that I'm particularly fond of. I'd include photos but I am particularly hopeless at taking pictures of rifles and swords.

 

Dave

[asanewt]

No experience with powder burners but restore/revive air guns. For ugly rust spotting an "old" penny or early 2p with no iron make very useful scrapers which don't harm the original/existing finish. Tip from long gone gunsmith.

Nowadays I use square edges of brass sheet off cuts which can be profiled for curves etc Also have a brass square edge door handle. Both easier for dodgy old fingers

Vigorous rubbing with oil soaked kitchen foil can give good results too.

[Joolz]

Good, classic gunsmithing tips there. Another one I was taught, one you've de-rusted, in those hidden places under the woodwork which don't see the light of day very often and where rust can return, is to give the metal a good coat of black graphite/stove polish/'black lead'/Zebrite as a barrier to prevent restarting the oxidisation process. Particularly apt for a wallhanger which isn't going to be handled/cleaned often unlike a working gun.

[reese williams]

An empty rifle cartridge case with the mouth of the case hammered flat also makes a good rust pusher. It will leave some brass streaks on the steel which are easily polished of with a gentle wipe of 0000 steel wool.