Removing cosmo under the wood?

[Irons78]

Just picked up a beaut Israeli K98. The outside is clean but I popped the handguard and the inletting and innards are jammed solid with cosmoline. There is zero movement between metal and wood, the grease seems to have created its own bedding of the action and barrel. Should I take the rifle apart and clean this away or just leave it? I figure the rifle has been in its current state for decades and don't want to disrupt anything that has settled in place, etc.

 

[yomomma]

Shoot it...if it aint broke, dont fix it.

 

[Mike Webb]

Personally I would clean it up. Cosmoline will soak into wood(or the oil in it will) and weaken it particularly around the tang and recoil lug. Soft wood there will cause trouble. My 2 cents.

 

[gaff]

if you intend to shoot it, remove it. the IDF mausers are notorious for having cosmoline driping out of the wood when they heat up.

 

[Irons78]

if you intend to shoot it, remove it. the IDF mausers are notorious for having cosmoline driping out of the wood when they heat up.

Thanks that's what I was thinking. Hopefully everything stays tight otherwise have to start the accurizing/shimming process.

 

[Ganderite]

Clean it out.

It will heat up, smell and drip as soon as it get hot from shooting.

 

[VanIsleCam]

Hey OP - it's weather dependent but I have wrapped an SKS stock in a towel then into a garbage bag then onto the dash of my truck in 30 degree weather.

Add rolls of newspaper pressed into the stock for extra absorption purposes. Works great.

 

[Irons78]

I think that's the plan! This thing is jammed, and I'm talking Cosmo bedded! The stock is nice, appears to be similar wood as the swede mausers. Definitely a rifle with a few stories!

Clean it out.

It will heat up, smell and drip as soon as it get hot from shooting.

 

[Magellann]

I've done the same thing. A hot car is an excellent choice for sweating out the cosmoline.

 

[gaff]

varsol paint thiner

 

[sidester]

Hair dryer?

 

[Magellann]

You would be there for days if you used a hair dryer, even baking it in a hot car can take a couple of weeks or more.

 

[Ganderite]

Bake the stock in a hot car window in a black garbage bag with kitty litter.

Scoop the initial gobs out with paper towels.

 

[collector67]

I brought my Israeli Mauser with me while camping in Lillooet a few years back. I left it leaning against a tree all day in 35 degree heat, and the cosmo formed a pool in the dirt underneath. She was nice and dry after that.