I'm an idiot. Don't use Methyl Hydrate as a solvent.

keep_clear said:
Remington Action Cleaner does an amazing job of cleaning cosmo from all the nooks and crannies, and then G96 gun treatment.
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That's what I used last time. One can did two Mosin Nagants with a little left over. I thought the Birchwood Casey Gun Degreaser worked a bit better, but I haven't been able to find any locally for some time. G96 all the way.
 
desporterizer said:
I clean shellac off my soviet arms with methyl hydrate & it does nothing to bluing. Does it smell like alcohol or acid?
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Methyl Hydrate "were talking mineral spirits??" I use the stuff to clean grease off all the time, I have never noticed it killing the bluing, either factory OR cold blue??

I mix the stuff with raw linseed oil to use on my stocks and burn it to run my model steam engine, the stuff isnt that macho.
 
I cleaned my SKS metal parts with brake cleaner, the cosmo came right off. My small compressor got in all the tight spots and the trigger group. Spray with remoil or g96 after and wipe/swab off. For the wood, I left it in the hot summer sun on a large black garbage bag and kept coming back to wipe it off with an old rag. Pretty soon it all came off. Shooting it later made even more bleed out from the wood around the barrel.
Common sense will help you with this, I think some people overthink it and get hung up on all the techniques found on the internet. KISS
 
Rubbing down with a rag then heating with a hair drier and rubbing down with a rag (also used cleaning patches and q-tips). Put some CLP on afterwards and your ready to go. Done this with five rifles and no problem.
 
Musketfire said:
Methyl Hydrate "were talking mineral spirits??" I use the stuff to clean grease off all the time, I have never noticed it killing the bluing, either factory OR cold blue??

I mix the stuff with raw linseed oil to use on my stocks and burn it to run my model steam engine, the stuff isnt that macho.
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Methyl Hydrate is alcohol (wood grain) don't dare drink this stuff it will kill you dead. I had no idea alcohol would strip the bluing (which, yes it does protect metal from rusting very well thank you kindly, that's why guns are blued/browned to begin with.) so although the OP may be feeling like a knucklehead for listening to his buddy (who deserves a kick to the ball$ IMHO), I thank him for posting and letting the rest of us know.
 
My buddy says his never get damaged from it... and suggests that it was cheap refurb paint. But then,. there was no original blueing under the cheap refurb paint either.. because the MH i used (which was a brand name product from a new bottle) ate everything off to bare.

Super strange.

I'll be spot testing everything on all my other guns from now on.... in hidden areas.
 
this MH does NOTHING to the finish on my Chinese SKS (old 1960 make, not new norinco). however ANYWHERE on this russian refurb, it kills the finish. Did some qtip tests.
spot tests on my refurb SVTs from lever arms show that it does not hurt the barrel finish or mags, but the bolt cover it dissolves instantly.

so what are my best choices here, force strip the ####ty paint off these pieces and re-apply a better product?
 
If you stripped the finish with methyl hydrate it wasn't blued to begin with, probably Russian refurb paint. Any strong alcohol will strip it off. Haven't tried vodka yet but I bet it'd do it in a pinch.

Vinegar will strip most forms of actual bluing IIRC.
 
Way back in the 70s, when issued our C1s for summer training, we were instructed to take a long hot shower along with our rifles. They dried pretty quickly afterward (think Chilliwack in July). We then stripped and lightly oiled them and were ready for inspection.
 
ADHDCanuck said:
this MH does NOTHING to the finish on my Chinese SKS (old 1960 make, not new norinco). however ANYWHERE on this russian refurb, it kills the finish. Did some qtip tests.
spot tests on my refurb SVTs from lever arms show that it does not hurt the barrel finish or mags, but the bolt cover it dissolves instantly.

so what are my best choices here, force strip the ####ty paint off these pieces and re-apply a better product?
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Just get a bluing kit and have at it, nothing to lose and it will look awesome...
 
kennymo said:
That's what I used last time. One can did two Mosin Nagants with a little left over. I thought the Birchwood Casey Gun Degreaser worked a bit better, but I haven't been able to find any locally for some time. G96 all the way.
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+1 Just used the Birchwood Casey Gun Degreaser last night on my 55/56 Tula I bought yesterday. It was the cleanest SKS I have seen come out of a crate. I had it degreased in 15 minutes! And no it wasn't cleaned prior to me buying it, I was there when the crate was first opened. I scored an unrefurbed SKS yahoo! Only slight wear on the stock, good bore and of course all matching #s. Going to shoot it on Sunday.
 
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