You love it you hate, cosmoline can be found like thick snow after a fresh blizzard on many surplus rifles. I just had the "pleasure" (/sarcastic) experience of removing the gunk off my new Yugo SKS the other day. I had previously looked around online for sure fire ways to get the ear wax/syrupy stuff out of my gun, and ran across all kinds of methods to get the stuff out from using kerosene, paint thinner, and many other things to cut through the gunk. After searching and searching and getting more confused, I took bits and pieces from different methods and made my own little method using just the very basic stuff and not having to spend a dime!
Requirements:
Cosmo covered gun: Check
Screw driver or other point thing: Check
Toothbrush: Check
Dawn Dish Sop: Check
Boiling water: Check
Bucket: Check
Gun Oil: Check
Break Free: Check
Lint Free Rags: Check
(This is all done referrencing a Yugo SKS)
First, disassemble your rifle. After you have that done and all the pieces laid out, Get your boiling water and bucket,
and place the first gunk covered metal pieces in the bucket. (NOTE: you will only need the boiling water for the thickest coated
pieces, otherwise a little Break free on a rag will handle thin coats of cosmo just fine) Before you pour you boiling water
on the metal pieces, squirt a drop of dawn in the bucket and then proceed to pour the boiling water on your pieces and watch
the goop melt away! On some pieces (like the trigger assembly and different springs) you may need to get a sink and your tooth
brush and get down and deep in those areas. A litte bit of break free on the brush also works good. Next, take the barrel
and proceed to pour on the water. Hit it good with a rag and some break free after a thorough washing and you may also need
the brush to get into the receiver in some of the tight places. Then pour down the barrel and then run some patches with a bit
of break free down it. After all your metal stuff is done, wipe it down good and hit it with a good coat of gun oil like you
would do any other time cleaning it. For the stock (wood) take some left over water that should at this point be luke warm and
wet a rag. Take your dawn and lightly dribble it onto the stock (especially where the cosmo is the thickest and then proceed
to wipe it down. After that, be sure to completely wipe the stock down with a damp, then dry rag. Then lightly oil it. After
that your ready to put it all back together.
Pretty sure Im missing something, but that is basically what I did with my SKS. Worked pretty good. My rifle is shooting smooth
without and jams or hang ups! And doing it this way, you dont have to mess around with any kerosene or paint thinner or any other
weird solvents. Just everyday house hold items mostly!
What methods have you used to clean the cosmo off your rifles?
