Cosmoline Question?

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loves2plink

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Sorry guys but I'm somewhat new to firearms so here goes! Purchased a SKS tonight and it has a light coating of cosmoline on it! I had two guys tell me believe it or not that Windex does a pretty good job for cleaning this sh*t off! Anyone here tried or heard of this method? I've searched Youtube and found several other methods, just wondering if anybody has heard of using Windex? thanks for any help into this matter.
 
I recently got a 49 sks from west rifle... love it... It was lightly coated in cosmo grease or what ever kinda grease.
I just took it apart and blasted everything in hot water and used dish washing soap and a sponged brillo pad to clean it all.;)

Then gave the bore the cleaning it deserved after 50+ plus years in storage.

Too bad all my dishes smell like cosmo grease from my sks, lol...:50cal:
 
loves2plink said:
Sorry guys but I'm somewhat new to firearms so here goes! Purchased a SKS tonight and it has a light coating of cosmoline on it! I had two guys tell me believe it or not that Windex does a pretty good job for cleaning this sh*t off! Anyone here tried or heard of this method? I've searched Youtube and found several other methods, just wondering if anybody has heard of using Windex? thanks for any help into this matter.
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Since I've never tried Windex, I can't say positively "no", it won't work. Seems kind of unlikely, but since I've never tried it, I can't say for certain.

There is a very good FAQ further up the page in this (red rifles) forum; it probably describes every method of cosmoline removal known to mankind.

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=526418

Cosmoline is a petroleum based waxy substance; I believe it's usually applied by dipping the firearm in a bath of hot liquid cosmoline then letting it cool and set to the sticky mess we all know and love.

Being heavy, sticky, and waxy, it seems to take a fair amount of dissolving power to shift it. :bangHead:

Some people swear by using Varsol.

Others swear by odorless brake cleaner.

A third option is using a portable steam cleaner and/or boiling hot, soapy water to liquify the cosmoline and let it drain off.

Another suggestion put forward is taking the rilfe to the auto wand-wash and blasting it with boiling water and detergent at 2400 p.s.i.

People have put SKS's through the dishwasher, or in the oven at 200 degrees and let the cosmoline liquify and drip off. Bear in mind that putting a rilfe covered in smelly petroleum grease into your wife's dishwasher or oven does not improve domestic tranquility in most cases. :sniper:

If you're a bachelor, you might not consider this a problem.

A combination of methods is probably your best answer.

Do be sure to detail-clean all the cosmoline out of the bolt assembly, and most especially the firing pin (to prevent slam-fires).

Read the Cosmoline Removal FAQ and choose your poison,

Good luck.
 
Thanks for all the replies, i ended up using brake cleaner and then placed all the parts in hot water! Then dried everything off and applied a small coating of WD40 followed by a thorough wipe down. Thanks again!
 
Black plastic bag. 5 pounds of kitty litter. Disasemble the rifle. Leave in the sun on a hot day. grease will melt and be absorbed by the litter. Aslo good for getting excess BLO out of stocks.
 
Ganderite said:
Black plastic bag. 5 pounds of kitty litter. Disasemble the rifle. Leave in the sun on a hot day. grease will melt and be absorbed by the litter. Aslo good for getting excess BLO out of stocks.
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+1 to the black garbage bag and kitty litter (or just lots of paper towel or newspaper) for a couple of hours on a hot, hot day. Did a great job on my Mosin. And almost no work.

Steam was good for the metal but a bit too much for the varnish. Then detail clean with Varsol/hot water.
 
When I got my SKS I tried the brake cleaner method and found it didn't work worth a ####, so I set up the kettle and boiled water and that worked like a charm and very quickly.
 
Joe549 said:
When I got my SKS I tried the brake cleaner method and found it didn't work worth a s**t, so I set up the kettle and boiled water and that worked like a charm and very quickly.
Click to expand...

I've done one where I took it all apart and dipped all the pieces in boiling water, it worked well. I also tries Break Free Powder Blast, and that worked real well also.
 
Reminde me of the time we were told to clean a crate of M1 carbines. Opened the crate and it was a SOLID BLOCK of cosmoline. Took it behind the mess hall and used a steam hose.
 
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