in very good shape...excellent in fact. However there was a copper mine in it also. I have other stuff for copper removal, but used Hoppes #9 instead. It took a couple weeks of running it down the bore with a soaked patch twice a day until there was no more green. Lordy will this ole Russian rifle shoot though using the 147 gr military sardine can ammo.

Taking a break from the decoppering, I removed the heavy varnish from the stock with Formby's Furniture Refinisher. This stuff will take off varnish and stuff like that but won't act like a stripper and remove everything from the wood.

Under the varnish I found a pristine original oil finished stock. It still buffed up to a nice sheen with some 0000 steel wood. Very few bumps and strong rebuild cartouche (San Antonio Arsenal) and the Inspector's cartouche. It has the correct aged finish. A couple of coats of Tom's 1/3 wax and I am good to go.

When I get this thing back a together it will be one cherry 1917. I ought to find the guy that layered on the varnish and shake his hand. It protected the wood and original finish very well.

I have work on many mil-surp stock and have never seen one this good under the crud. This rifle will come out to be over 95% metal and wood when all is done.

Let the wipe-out sit 12hrs+. keep the barrel level and roll it 180* after a few hours. maybe give it another refresh shot every 3-4 hrs.

I have a 6.5 Arisaka that has a rough bore. When it's clean it shoots nicely, but a few years back it got so badly fouled that it wouldn't stay on a gallon jug at 100 yards. After wearing out a couple of brushes and my arm with little improvement, I tried this trick and it worked:

Dismount the barreled action from the stock, remove the bolt, and plug the chamber with a cork or wood plug. Stand the barreled action, receiver down, in a bucket and stick a small metal funnel in the muzzle. Heat about a half cup of Kroil on a hot plate, not quite boiling but pretty hot, and pour it into the bore. Let it stand for about 30 minutes, and then pour it out. Scrub the bore with a bronze brush, and you will get out lots of little strips and chunks of copper.

Apparently, when the hot Kroil hits it, the copper heats and expands faster than the barrel steel, and that makes it turn loose so the Kroil can get under it and lift it off. Then the brush pulls it out.

Kroil is combustible, so it probably wouldn't be a good idea to do this indoors or use any kind of open flame to heat it up.