We all know "that guy" who shoots and then never cleans his firearms because "modern propellant isn't corrosive" or some such other excuse. I have a very good friend who is like that but simply admits that he doesn't have the time and always winds up in a flurry of cleaning just before any event or course he winds up taking. That said, none of his guns have ever been as dirty as the Glenfield Model 60 I grabbed from the pawn shop a little while back.
For starters, the bolt was to the rear and would not push forward. This isn't a newer Model 60 with the bolt release button near the trigger guard. This is a 1974 model (with squirrel stock) without such fancy amenities. Given the condition it was in, I nabbed it for a song and took it home. Now that I got into cleaning it, just.... wow....
The fire control group is CAKED in residue and unburnt powder. The shell lifter is chrome plated and should shine, it's black as midnight. The receiver and bolt were even worse. the extractor recesses were so packed with grime that there was no way the bolt would have gone into battery even if it was able to move forward. The grime and powder came out in chunks, like clay, when I finally got it loosened up. I figure this thing was never properly cleaned and had the old "shoot some WD-40 in it and call it a day" method used on it. I spent several hours over three days breaking this thing down into individual components and getting it all cleaned up. I even had to remove the sights, magazine tube, and safety to get all the grime and garbage out of it.
Now that it's cleaned up and put back together, I'm sure it'll run fine, but this had to be the dirtiest firearm I've ever come across, and as a C&R holder, I've come across plenty of dirty ones.
How about y'all? What's the worst you've ever seen?
Pictures:
The bolt was all caked up, and you can see the grey sheen to the cleaner I was using at the bottom of the receiver, I had already done a solid cleanout and this was the 2nd run.
Caked up powder and WD-40
More of the same sludge. It was like modeling clay.
Super grimy fire control group
The shell lifter (right side) should be shiny chrome. It was, once I cleaned off all the residue.
For starters, the bolt was to the rear and would not push forward. This isn't a newer Model 60 with the bolt release button near the trigger guard. This is a 1974 model (with squirrel stock) without such fancy amenities. Given the condition it was in, I nabbed it for a song and took it home. Now that I got into cleaning it, just.... wow....
The fire control group is CAKED in residue and unburnt powder. The shell lifter is chrome plated and should shine, it's black as midnight. The receiver and bolt were even worse. the extractor recesses were so packed with grime that there was no way the bolt would have gone into battery even if it was able to move forward. The grime and powder came out in chunks, like clay, when I finally got it loosened up. I figure this thing was never properly cleaned and had the old "shoot some WD-40 in it and call it a day" method used on it. I spent several hours over three days breaking this thing down into individual components and getting it all cleaned up. I even had to remove the sights, magazine tube, and safety to get all the grime and garbage out of it.
Now that it's cleaned up and put back together, I'm sure it'll run fine, but this had to be the dirtiest firearm I've ever come across, and as a C&R holder, I've come across plenty of dirty ones.
How about y'all? What's the worst you've ever seen?
Pictures:
The bolt was all caked up, and you can see the grey sheen to the cleaner I was using at the bottom of the receiver, I had already done a solid cleanout and this was the 2nd run.
Caked up powder and WD-40
More of the same sludge. It was like modeling clay.
Super grimy fire control group
The shell lifter (right side) should be shiny chrome. It was, once I cleaned off all the residue.
