foam stuck on luger
 

hello all

i've inherited a 6 in barrel luger from my dad 20 years ago. i was told its a naval version. its been in a foam case ever since he bought in in the early 90's. here is the problem. after all these years my buddy wanted to check it out so i took it out of storage. what i saw when i opened the case was the foam that lined the case has degraded and was stuck all over the luger. i was too afraid to clean it off as i didnt want to damage the finish. my question is how can i safely clean off the stuck foam off the gun without hurting it. my alternative is to take it to an expert if i have to. that could run into big bucks.

any advice would be appreciated

thank you

I think I would try a few drops of oil on a spot where there is not too much foam. If it takes it off with a little help (toothbrush) You are home free............

Could we see some pics of the foam case and pistol?

Probably Acetone would be the quickest to dissolve the foam, and it won't interact with or harm the blue. But also, as Hugh suggests, trying a small, inconspicuous area first is always a good idea. Quickly follow up with oil to remove haze/residue and preserve the surface.
Ron

I would not be surprised to see the bluing blemished from the foam and chemical reactions.

As said above, most oils would dissolve it, acetone would work best, then after cleaning it, use gun oil.

Clean well, but don't overdo it, less is better in this kind of 'cleaning'.

Ed

ill try and get a few pics up

thanks for all your suggestions. i was thinking of acetone at first but was afraid it may affect the finish

here are a few pictures of the luger and stuck foam

the foam has an oily feel to it

i would say its been in this case for 30 or more years. its been so long i dont even remember how to strip it. i did this for my dad when he first got it to clean and oil. to be honest, i dont even remember if we brought this to the range to test

It's an Interarms Mauser Parabellum from the early 1970s.
Nothing 'naval' about it, they were available in several barrel lenght, including 6 inch.

Most of it should wipe off with a bit of oil and a wipe.

thanks for the clarification. this was what was told to my dad and i didnt have a reason to doubt him. so since this is not from the 1940's , i dont have a problem then to trying to clean this since its really not worth much

thanks again

Not worth much?
They go from $1200 to $1500 on Gunbroker

oh? how much for a genuine luger from the 30's-40's?

Original German and Swiss Lugers can range from $800 (for a shooter) to the moon (thousands).

Take the grips off carefully before you start to clean things .Acetone might damage the wood finish.

Make sure to properly oil it after using acetone if you do that... It completely strips oils - and it typically a really aggressive plastic solvent.


You might need to try well oiled bronze or steel wool gently on an oiled surface when you get the bulk of the stuff off.

I've found that good old Hoppe's No9 solvent will take off most adhesives and plastics after an overnight soak. Totally benign to the finish.

Acetone surely works, but just to be safe first I would use WD40 an old toothbrush and a lot of patience, then a good coat of BALLISTOL.

A 1970s Mauser Parabellum is also a 'genuine' luger. Made by the same company as those that were made between 1930 and 1948. The quality and fit and finish are excellent.

thanks for the reply. as you probably figured out i know very little about lugers and their history. the info i gave about the gun was only a repeat of what was told to me. always willing to learn though. my interest in this gun is to restore its beauty ruin by 30 years of storage. never thought foam can degrade this way

i guess its a good idea to strip this luger before i start. are there any good how to's to do this anywhere. like i mentioned, ive only done this once about 30+ years ago. i was young and have all my brain cells then. i dont remember a thing

There are a number of videos that detail how to field strip a Luger. Just use Google to find them.

To learn more about your "Original" Mauser Luger, you may want to purchase a copy of "THE PARABELLUM IS BACK 1945 - 2000". A very well researched and written book that you'll enjoy reading. One of the authors is our very own Vlim who has replied to your questions.

Let us know how things turn out with this Luger. They are great handguns, and fun to take to the range.

sure. right now im waiting on my buddy to bring me some replacement foam. as soon as he gets this to me ill start. i dont have an alternate place to store it

ill take some new pics once its done

appreciate all the feedback from everyone