Greetings to the forum members.  This is my first post.  I have subscribed to The Single Shot Rifle Journal for many years and I am now taking time to work into shooting the single shot rifles I have acquired over time. 

I just "rescued" a modestly cased Armory Model 414 in .22lr from a dealer who was about to "part it out" on the internet. It was an old gentleman's pride and joy with a nice homemade custom wood case for the take down rifle and a Lyman 438 Field scope with better micro adjustable mount.  The tang sight is the Lyman 52a with windage adjustment in the top peep fixture. The original receiver sight is missing.  Through fair wear and tear the rifle is about 85-90% and bore is VG. It has the early plastic butt plate, serial #7134X.  Sling loops are missing from the mounts.  I look forward to a long relationship with this rifle.
My question is for a cleaner recommendation to wipe down the stock to remove any dirt and grime (its minimal) and what to apply to maintain the finish which is in good condition?  Any comments will be appreciated, thank you.

Sincerely,
Bill Gautsch

FWIW:  I reside in the La Crosse, Wisconsin area along the Mississippi River.  Any one near by?

Welcome to the forum.
Agree with Dave.  Murphy's Oil Soap with a soft bristle brush if needed (no steel wool). Buff out with a paste wax.  NO silicon wax or polish. Post some photos in the picture section.

I'm with Slumlord on this one.  Using oil on the wood will actually dissolve a thou or three of the existing oil or varnish, allowing embedded grime to be scrubbed away.  The remaining film of clean oil becomes the new finish.

And props to you for keeping a fine old arm away from being broken up!      

Gentlemen your guidance is much appreciated! 

I am not much of a computer wizard, however, I will post pictures of the rifle after clean-up.

Not all Stevens models have threaded barrels.  Some models are a smooth slide-in fit to the receiver and then held by set screw.  I believe I read somewhere a comment referencing the Model 414 to be a takedown system.  For this model the barrel is threaded into the receiver and very nearly stops top dead center with the forearm wood aligning to the receiver sides.  A large set screw in the receiver under the barrel does the final barrel / receiver alignment when tightened into a deep index hole in the barrel.

The barrel diameter is turned down to fit into the receiver a total of 1 9/16".  The first diameter is 0.740" for 5/8."  Then the second barrel diameter is 0.80" However, at the start of that diameter there is a section of threads for 3/8" at 20 TPI.  This is the system of the Model 414 "takedown" rifle, allowing it to fit nicely in the wood case 27" long, 8" wide and 3" high.  Intended or not it is a compact travel box.  The scope is dismounted and contained in the case.

Hope this information is helpful.

Thank you for your inquiry.


Bill

For what it's worth, I had a piece of wood that I'd finished as a test, with Minwax Antique Oil Finish, a couple of years ago.  I gave it a good rubdown with Flitz metal polish just to see what happened.  The result was a incredibly slick and shiny finish.  Probably too shiny for the rifle we're discussing but it was interesting.

JS

Thank you for the explanation of "take down". I had been under the (evidently) mistaken impression that the term was used to describe a firearm (most often a rifle) that might be more readily broken down into two sections for carrying/shipping/storing, etc.  in a short case. 
I guess I'm thinking of some of my old shotguns.

Hi John

Don't tell these people your LH or they will distrust you!!

Don G

The 414 is a 44 action which can be taken down as described. If they have not been taken down for a long time, or possibly never, they can be stubborn. I have found a heat gun and a rubber strap wrench to be helpful in those cases. I recommend a coat of anti seize compound on the threads if you take the barrel off. Makes it easier in the future and prevents wear on the threads.