[Macbeth666]

I have a winchester 12ga that the previous owner had painted olive drab for hunting. The paint is wearing off and the wood underneath is nice. What kind of a solvent could I use that won't hurt the finish on the wood or the metal

[axxe55]

i would try mineral spiirits solvent and some very, very fine steel wool. do a small area at a time and go slow. if it has checkering, a small course nylon scrub brush sould help in the removal from the checkering. use some soft cotton cloths, dampened with mineral spirits to wipe it down. when all is removed, then polish it out with some paste wax and steel wool and buff it out with some soft cloths. the metal surfaces, i would use the mineral solvents or a brake cleaner and soft cloths and maybe small nylon brush to remove the paint.

[lonyaeger]

You can soak the metal parts in acetone and the paint will just slide right off after a while. I wouldn't get any on the wood, though. You can just strip the rifle to just soak the metal parts.

[danf_fl]

Don't use that paint remover stuff that you have to wash off with water.

Using water will create a situation that will require sanding and recheckering of the stock.

[hiwall]

Most anything that removes paint will remove the stock finish.

[Macbeth666]

Originally Posted by hiwall

Most anything that removes paint will remove the stock finish.

Ya that's what I figured