sks removing cosmoline

[1marty]

Just bought an Yugo sks. This one is really loaded with cosmoline and the usual rubbing it with rags isn't going to work. I heard everything from boiling water to carburetor cleaner. Does anyone have any suggestions. I would like to do it quickly with little mess-if that's possible.

[TribReady]

Separate the metal and wood and treat differently.
Metal: Spray down with cheap brake cleaner. It will dissolve a lot. Then thoroughly wash with mineral spirits or lacquer thinner. I will typically give all the parts a super hot rinse in water next.  The metal should be really hot to the touch. It dries faster that way too.  Everything is evaporated off and ready for a good oiling.  I personally let the oil sit pretty heavy on the metal parts for a day or so, then wipe down and good to go.
There's a lot of techniques for the wood. It usually starts a little controversy.  I would not recommend dish washer or oven cleaner, there's just better ways, despite good results for some.  Check out the stock cleaning forum over on Parallax Bills website for tons of details.

[EVOC ONE]

I agree with TribReady, although I have never used brake cleaner.  I use mineral spirits and hot water.  As for the wood, again, as TribReady mentioned, some will suggest the dishwasher method and report good results.  I've received advice from a couple professional wood workers who cringe at the suggestion of cleaning wood with water.  They get very technical about the properties, molecules, etc, etc.

Parallax Bills and/or Surplus Rifle will provide all you need to know, including complete field stripping instructions.

 

[Mikey]

1marty:  this is all good advice.  You can also scroll down through this forum as there are a number of threads on removing cosmo from mil-surps. 

Just about any good rifle bore cleaner will work well on the metal - just dedicate yourself a toothbrush to the job and most bore cleaners will work well.  I always liked the smell of Hoppe's and it cleans off the cosmo, so that's what I use for the metal. 

The stocks are different.  I use a warm solution of Murphy's Oil Soap and a brush and this gets off all the visible cosmo.  But you will still have the cosmo that has seeped into the wood and for that I use a old towel that I can dispose of and some black plastic and the sunlight.  I simply lay the plastic down, lay the towel on top of it, lay the stock on the towel, pull the towel over the stock and pull the black plastic over the towel and let the setup sit in the sunlight for a day or so.  The sun heats the plastic and the stock to the point where the stock gets hot enough to weep out the cosmo - then you can wipe it off with most anything.  You can go through this  process a couple of times if you want but it works about the first time out.  HTH.  Mikey.

[tpic402]

I use heat over a several hour period (fridge with hot plate in it) sweat out (about 150 f) Cosmo and wipe down every 1/2 hr. or so    then when almost sweated out I rinse with brake clean. for action I disassemble and use Stoddard solvent(is like mineral spirits)     

[Kmrere42]

Hi,

This is probably a little late,  Make sure that the bolt is completely clean and all the cosmoline is completely out of the bolt.  I had one a number of years ago and it was the first rifle that I had that doubled on me. 




Paul

[1marty]

thanks for the advice-I wound up using carburetor cleaner and it cleaned it up rather well. Used break free on the bore. Cleaned the gas port. Took it to the range and had no jams.

[MR.GADGET]

I have found it easy to clean, cheep, and fast to take the guns down use a zip tie to hold the small parts in a group then take it to a car wash and place on the ground on cardboard, or piece of carpet. Then use the engine cleaner first the hot water soap and rinse off. Then I take it home and clean like a gun coming back from the range. The wood you can do the same thing but do not use the high pressure setting, then dry and place outside in the sun on a black trashbag to bake it out. I have cleaned many this way.

[sabretip]

Just bought an Yugo sks. This one is really loaded with cosmoline and the usual rubbing it with rags isn't going to work. I heard everything from boiling water to carburetor cleaner. Does anyone have any suggestions. I would like to do it quickly with little mess-if that's possible.

I found that gasoline and a match works best..........if that is a bit radical for you then try the carwash.

[ECV Slick]

thanks for the advice-I wound up using carburetor cleaner and it cleaned it up rather well. Used break free on the bore. Cleaned the gas port. Took it to the range and had no jams.

That's how I do it...  I buy the cheap "walmart brand" carb cleaner and bsically use about one can per rifle.