Cleaning rust on SKS -- corrosive ammo

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First off, I'm new here so please forgive me if I've posted this in the wrong place or duplicated a thread. I tried searching, but couldn't find the information I'm after.

Ok, full disclosure, I was a pad parent to my SKS. I took it out this summer -- yeah, four to five months ago -- shot a few hundred rounds of corrosive ammo through it and then shoved it in the safe and left it. I knew I should've cleaned, but by the time I remembered, it had been a month or so and then it was...well, what's the difference between 4 weeks and 6, etc....

Now, I've confessed my sins and would like a little advice. When I pulled the rifle out today, it is pretty covered in surface rust. A quick survey shows rust around the muzzle, in the action, on the bolt face, etc. The action moves, but isn't happy about it and I can see down the barrel, though it clearly needs a good cleaning. It is a Russian, made in 53 or 54, so no chrome lined barrel I assume. I plan to strip it down, take the brass brush and some cleaner -- I've used mineral spirits in the past -- and go to work, but I want to make sure I'm not missing anything that will make the rifle unsafe to fire. For instance, does the trigger group need to come apart or is a soak and good scrubbing likely to get the job done. Each time I've cleaned it in the past, I've taken the bolt apart down to the firing pin to avoid it sticking and causing a slam fire.

I know these rifles are tough as hell, but I'd like avoid potential pitfalls. So any advice/techniques you'd like to share, I'm all ears. Thanks.
 
You will get lots of advise but for now , strip it down and scrub all the rust off gently but thoroughly, the barrel should be chrome lined for that year so should clean up ok, the problem will be in the gas tube/assembly take it apart and gently clean all the rust, there may be a bunch and for the rod be careful but use bore cleaner and if there is a lot f rust steel wool but try not to take any good metal off!
Other guys will have more in depth ideas! Iam willing to bet you will be shooting it in short time, and cleaning it the same day!!!
 
Honestly, since it has been so long, I would disassemble it, put the parts in some hot water wish dishsoap/windex/degreaser for a bit, and brush with a toothbrush kinda thing to get it all cleaned up good, neutralise anything and remove old oil/grease/potential cosmo that might be sticking around.

Once dry, spray the parts with g96, wipe off excess with rag or paper towel until there is no more carbon coming off on the rag, apply a light coat of G96 over it again.

Yours should be chrome lined, which reduces the severity for sure, but those gas systems werent. Make sure that is well cleaned, and dare I say, be liberal with the G96 in the system, you wont hurt it, and more oil = more protection in that area.

I sometimes am time constraint and will take 2-3 days delay in cleaning my sks after shooting corrosive, but since I coat everything well with G96, not a spot of rust has shown up, even several days after shooting corrosive.

I have also found that treating my milsurps with FrogLube really has reduced the severity of corrosive ammo after several days, also storing them in Brownings VCI socks has helped quite a bit too.

As with all things YMMV
 
The lazzyest trick i have used to get rid of rust that takes awhile and works is... Soak in vinegar for 2-3 days, pull out, scrub with brush. rinse. Cover in baking soda, scrub, rinse and repeat the vinager soak if needed. Worked on my mosin :)

Break cleaner and brush works to for me. I got rust off my SVT trigger assembly this way in 5 min.
 
CanadianBaconPancakes said:
The lazzyest trick i have used to get rid of rust that takes awhile and works is... Soak in vinegar for 2-3 days, pull out, scrub with brush. rinse. Cover in baking soda, scrub, rinse and repeat the vinager soak if needed. Worked on my mosin :)

Break cleaner and brush works to for me. I got rust off my SVT trigger assembly this way in 5 min.
Click to expand...

Did it not take the bluing/golding/plumbing off your trigger assy?
 
Here is a newbie question: Has anyone ever used CLR Cleaner to remove this type of rust, and would it be safe to do so?
 
CLR is a mild acid, I wouldn't use it on any of my guns. Varsol and a good scrubbing with some brushes should get rid of most of the rust without too much trouble.
 
So, in summary: Give it a soak. Scrub it until it shines. Then shoot the hell out of it.

Sound about right? Overall, sounds like I should be able to get the beast tip to with some elbow grease and a couple of hours.

Glad to hear I didn't hoop the thing due to my sloth.

Thanks.
 
Nah, any red rifles, even SVT's can take quite a rusting before there done. I wouldn't worry about it too much. Show it some love and your in business again.
 
CaribooBC said:
Here is a newbie question: Has anyone ever used CLR Cleaner to remove this type of rust, and would it be safe to do so?
Click to expand...

Magellann said:
CLR is a mild acid, I wouldn't use it on any of my guns. Varsol and a good scrubbing with some brushes should get rid of most of the rust without too much trouble.
Click to expand...

CLR Wll remove blueing even if vinegar doesn't. You can almsot think of blueing a a type of controlled "rust" which almost pre rusts the metal in a good way so that real rust isn't as likely to start, so any chemicals which will remove rust, will also remove blueing.

Like the other guys said, scrub everything down, give it some oil. Pay special attention to the gas port/tube/piston as i find it's the easiest place to miss when cleaning, and the first place that will cause issues with the rifle functioning.
I would also clean it, then check it in a week, and 3 or 4 weeks to see if any rust spots got missed and start to come back.
 
One thing I found very effective to clean corrosive ammo is remington action cleaner. I sprayed my part after the shooting at the range, came back home gave it a scrub and all the dark was gone quicker than it ever did. I had a look 2 weeks after, no rust at all. Its like brake cleaner but a bit softer so it doesnt desintegrate your bluing unless you abuse it.
 
No need to wish for dish soap, Windex or a degreaser. Those do nothing for the salts or rust. Flush it with plain hot tap water, clean as per normal and have a look for rust. If your safe and where it lives is dry, chances are you won't have a problem. However, surface rust is removed with 0000 steel wool and light oil. A fine brass wire wheel in a bench grinder(eye protection is mandatory) is faster. As mentioned, the gas system is your biggest problem. You need to get at the inside too. Cleaning rod with fine steel wool and oil on a jag should do.
Plain white vinegar will strip bluing(strips whatever Ruger uses on GP's too) to bare metal in under 24 hours. If your parts are not stripped, they aren't blued.
 
Not sure if this will clean all the rust off, but on the topic of corrosive ammo I made this video to show how to clean the salts off before it starts rusting.

[youtube]1b3VyKeGH8Y[/youtube]
 
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