09/10/2026
It's no secret that WWII fleet subs were floating arsenals of small arms in addition to their torpedoes and large-caliber deck guns. Cod and her sisters carried ri**es, Thompson machine guns and the M1911 .45-cal pistols among other weapons. To keep the pistols organized and ready for use aboard Navy ships, the Philadelphia Navy Yard produced thousands of wood and leather pistol racks that held three weapons in leather holsters screwed to a wood baseboard. We have two and after 80+ years they were in need of restoration.
That's where Cod crewman Andrew Watkins stepped up and brought his talent to the task. Andrew reported the hold-diwn straps that secure the guns to the holsters "were pretty brittle and dry." But after carefull cleaning the leather came back to life with application of neatsfoot oil and leather conditioner.
Andrew said cleaning the brass screws and pegs used to fasten the leather to the wood was a challenge. First the built-up corrosion needed to be scraped off. He used a dremel with a wire brush to remove the rest of the corrosion and grime of time. He then soaked the parts in a mixture of lemon juice and baking soda to get, in his words, "that brand new shine back."
The wooden boards were cleaned with some good old Murphy's oil soap and a scrub pad. He added that 80 years of dirt took "a bit of elbow grease" to loosen.
The plastic replica pistols were scrubbed and soaked in vinegar to get rid of the mold growing on them. When the mold returned, plan B involved giving them a bath for several hours in some rubbing alcohol before they received a fresh coat of spray paint. Andrew added he had fun working on the project. We're really grateful for his help in preserving these small but important artifacts! Check them out when you visit the magazine below crew's mess.
