Just bought an SVT-40. Started stripping it down. This is my first refurbished rifle and I'm not familiar with Cosmoline. The rifle has a generous amount of what looks like oil on it. Not waxy or gummy. Like regular oil. How far should I go in cleaning it? Wipe it down or totally remove any trace of it? Will it gum up after a while or is it like oil?
Cosmoline
- Thread starter boren
- Start date
Generally when I get a new rifle (especially milsurps like my SVT 40) I like to take them completely apart and clean them. Help you learn your rifle as well as get her clean then you know exactly what oil you have on it.
In your case though i wouldn't worry too much. Doenst sound like comoline at all. Just clean the barrel and gas system (dry before shooting) and just too put your mind at ease even it was cosmoline I highly doubt it would stop an svt from running, it tends to melt during firing.
In your case though i wouldn't worry too much. Doenst sound like comoline at all. Just clean the barrel and gas system (dry before shooting) and just too put your mind at ease even it was cosmoline I highly doubt it would stop an svt from running, it tends to melt during firing.
Phat Eagle
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Fraser Valley, BC
Now get out there and enjoy it! Be careful stripping the gas system... That multi-part gas rod can be a bugger!!!!
haretrigger
CGN Regular
- Location
- Lower Mainland, BC
I use boiling water from dumped from a cheap Canadian Tire kettle to remove cosmoline quickly from parts, then using tongs I pick up the parts and dry the parts as quickly as I can with old rags. Most of the time the heat is sufficient enough to evaporate the water from the parts without having to dry them by hand. Just to make sure I don't leave any moisture behind I give them a light coating of wd40 or fluid film, but gun oil like g96 would work as well.
I like to remove cosmoline or packing oils and replace with oils that don't smell, and are also more sufficient for having a useable gun if I intend on shooting it. Cosmoline isn't great to have in trigger groups, bolts, etc., because it can harden up and cause problems to start with safe operation.
I like to remove cosmoline or packing oils and replace with oils that don't smell, and are also more sufficient for having a useable gun if I intend on shooting it. Cosmoline isn't great to have in trigger groups, bolts, etc., because it can harden up and cause problems to start with safe operation.
I have a hot water heating system in my house. So I strip the gun down and put it on rags in the furnace room and close the door. All of the oil runs out of the gun and the wood. In a few days the stock and gun are almost oil free from the heat.
I clean it all off using rubbing alcohol, so that it's completely bare. Then I give all the parts a frog paste treatment, then frog lube afterwards.
I do this for all my firearms, all cosmolined up or not. Works great, never had any issues.
I do this for all my firearms, all cosmolined up or not. Works great, never had any issues.
ditto, giver a good detailed clean. Oil all them lil bits up. Slap in safe till ready for use. Never had a problem....
well once, basement flooded and I left and sks in the water.... Firing pin seized up and I tried to release it with a hammer.... Now a parts gun !
DJdeadlyDALEK
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Waterloo Region of Ontario
Good thing it was just an sks 
haretrigger
CGN Regular
- Location
- Lower Mainland, BC
Thats a good tip as well. Isopropanol will make the surfaces squeaky clean, even getting some of the stuff the boiling water missed. Make sure you keep your stock far and clear away from the alcohol though as it will wreck shellac and oil finished stocks fairly quickly.
Too add to the thread I've had great success with a borrowed steam cleaner (too cheap to buy one LOL) as well, but in my opinion it's not worth the extra cost when I can achieve the same results with a pot of boiling water and a dish soap bath followed by drying and oiling. They do work fairly well for lifting dents from a stock if your trying to refinish, with the exception of most laminates.
Used varsol to clean all the old oil off. Wiped new oil on the parts and put it back together. Took it out to the range yesterday and shot a few rounds. Wonder when it was shot last. Or where. Worked perfect. One miss eject out of 40. Rapid fire no problem. Sights were right on
