How can I rejuvenate old leather goods?

cavetech

cavetech

Joined
Nov 25, 2005
Messages
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This has got to be the best forum for this question with all the sheath and leather workers we have.

My Yugo 24/47 Mauser came with an old leather sling and an old leather double stripper clip holder. I am guessing they are WWII vintage or not long after.

These leather goods are still perfectly salvageable and I would like to restore them to go with my Mauser. I think they will look good.

They need to be cleaned of something I am going to call mold or mildew and then shined up and preserved.

How do you guys suggest I undertake this project?
 
Ballistol.

It will break down the mold, loosen the dirt, grime, and old grease, and will condition the leather and restore its flexibility.
 
Dave Rishar said:
Ballistol.

It will break down the mold, loosen the dirt, grime, and old grease, and will condition the leather and restore its flexibility.
Click to expand...

Hi Dave:

I saw that recently and can't remember where. Does Wal-Mart sell it?
 
http://wisementrading.com/ballistol.htm

How's the cosmoline on that puppy?

Glad to hear you got a good one. Mine, the bore's a little rough. (On closer look, sharp lands but some pitting. Since lands impart accuracy, that's better than worn lands and shiny-smooth barrel)

Need to shoot some of those abrasive bullets out of it.

The commie leather goods I just ziploc. What's really handy is the 2-sided metal bottle that comes with the Mosins: one side Ballistol, one side ammonia & water.


Ad Astra
 
Hi, AA:

The cosmolene cpvered everything, but wasn't as bad as I expected.

I got into the Yugo real good tonight. I completely disassembled the bolt, lightly boiled the cosmo off it, scrubbed it with mineral spirits, removed mineral spirite with acetone, lubricated with gun oil and reassembled.

Removed barreled action from stock and wiped and brushed of cosmo and used mineral spirits. It's got WD-40 on it until the morning. Ran a patch through the bore. Haven't seen the inside of the bore yet.

The stock will be the biggest challenge since it is impregnated with cosmo. Heat and wiping will help there.

I expect to have it ready to go tomorrow and go shooting or perhaps the next day.

I was totally impressed with how nice this rifle looked even under the grease. The finish on all the metal looks new. The stock is super.

Bayonet is complete, but well used. Sheath has most blueing worn off. Neat accessories. Tomorrow I get Balistol. I haven't had time to look at the oiler but I did see two caps and wondered about that. Now I know.

If the bore is good, I've got a winner thanks to you guys. Heck, just $119.00.

The rifle is a very nice short length. Sight picture looks like it will be tougher than some rifles.

I'll take a few pictures of it tomorrow and post them.
 
Steve? Buy the spray bottle of Ballistol first and decide whether you like it or not. (I'd be surprised if you didn't, but still...) Stay away from the aerosol can. If you find that it lives up to how we've been hyping it, buy the 1 gallon can next and use that to refill your spray bottle.

And remember -- it's good on wood, good on metal, and good on leather. There are very few things that it isn't good on. I use it on other things as well: locks, my clippers, my electric razor, knives, firearms, work gloves, first aid on minor cuts, etc. It's like WD-40 but less conveniant and far more effective.

I've never seen Ballistol at a Wal-Mart. That's too bad. If only more people knew about this stuff...

AA: Judge not your barrel by its appearance. I've seen a few sewer pipes that shoot very (as in, better than most factory guns today) well. Milsurp guns were built in an age of corrosive primers and conscript armies. The designers knew all of this and knew what to do to minimize it. Clean it out real good, shoot it with quality ammunition, and let the target dictate how to proceed.

If the gun shoots well, who cares what the bore looks like? The target won't know the difference.

IMO, if the muzzle crown is good, the throat isn't trashed, and there are no seriously loose or tight spots in the bore -- and there's rifling left -- it will probably shoot as well as most people will hold.
 
You say you want to "rejuvenate" the leather? Duhhhhh. . . .

Oil-of-Olay_logo.jpg


Sarge
 
My favorite is Pecard Antique Leather dressing. It's thick and usually I'll "melt" it into the leather with a hair dryer. I even use it on my hands.:) (I know I'm opening myself up for abuse on that one.:) )
http://www.pecard.com/

Someone on the Ethnographic Forum recommended Leather Therapy for items that have been mildewed. It's got a chemical in it that inhibits mold and mildew.
http://www.leathertherapy.com/main.html
I've used it and I think I like it. It does have a smell for a while, but it goes away.

Steve
 
Good tips guys.

This morning I drove all over the city of Gainesville and no one has ever heard of Balistol. There is not one single "real" gun store around. Not even a good police supply store. I called so called gun store in outlying towns. Nothing.

Can anything be done with saddlesoap or other product?

I will order Balistol first chance I get.

Now to go finish up cleaning my 24/47 and then some pictures.
 
I cleaned up the ammo pouch it came with using a leather soap we had... let it dry thoroughly, then rubbed it down with the mighty "B".

That 60-yr.-old commie leather comes dark, smelly and with a Soviet fünk.

Steve, the 24/47 isn't as much a military collectible, to me, as a German k98 or German/Yugo 98/48 or M48(A). I'd care about proper era accessories for some, or most; but the 24/47 Mausers to me are for using.

I put a nylon sling on mine (and one day a scope), but a proper K98 one on my German/Yugo 98/48, reflecting this thinking...

and if you get through the nasty-a@@ cosmo on this one, a heavily-greased Yugo 59/66 SKS won't dismay you. This is truly a cosmo test on these.

Dave, many thanks for the hopeful advice. This was one of the few times I thought I'd gotten a poor rifle from AIM (my 24/47), but it took days of cleaning to get to where I could judge the bore and I won't have time to shoot it for weeks yet. 24/47's are supposed to be "excellents" and I was thinking WTF on this one... I'll hold out hope til I see it shoot.

Steve, Break-Free CLP is good stuff too, just more expensive. Can get anywhere though.

Mike
 
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