I recently went shooting with a friend of mine who's dad bought a new in box Norinco SKS, he only wiped off the cosmoline and then began shooting the rifle. That was close to 30 years ago. My friend had no idea how to break the gun down so I showed him. Cosmoline was oozing out of the gas system, the action, the stock and just about everywhere else. His dad had never disassembled the rifle for cleaning and probably put 5000 rounds through it. Gun never jammed and fired with caked on cosmoline for 20+ years and thousands of rounds through it. That is a testament to the SKS and its design.
RobertKaydoo Why would any idiot dip a modern M4/M16 in cosmoline? Firing ANY weapon that hasn't been properly cleaned is a good way to loose your face. KABOOM! The reason for the malfunctions of the EARLY model M16s were due to abuse and improper ammo. They were issued weak .223 ammo and bad design mag followers. Now the guns run 100% on the hotter 5.56 and anti-tilt mag followers. It was never the guns fault.
RobertKaydoo I believe if you caked an M4/16 with cosmo like an SKS usually is, I don't think it would function hardly at all IF at all. If caked enough, I don't think the bolt would close all the way. Way too tight of tolerances compared to the SKS. I've had probably around 10 or so SKS through the years and about 6 or 7 each of the M4/16 type (we'll just say AR's...) as well. A few RRA, a Colt and a few PSA rifles. Just my opinion.
@spencerk4077 RIGHT!! I bought one 3 years ago and I clean it 3 or 4 times to get all of it out. But the smell of rilfe does not smell like any other rifle I own
May have been posted before but... Odorless Mineral Spirits will dissolve the grease, no muss no fuss! Put the small parts in a plastic tub or metal tray and let them sit in the OMS for a few hours, just agitate them gently. Same for the barrel, get pvc pipe with cap and lower the barrel into the pipe using a string or copper wire around the end, then slowly fill it with OMS from the gallon can. OMS will not harm the wood on the gun.
@@archcunningham5579 Ballistol is for oiling after cosmoline is removed, not removing cosmoline itself. Mineral spirits and boiling water, agitating all the while, yes. But gun cleaner/lubricant? Nope.
When I worked at a VW dealer, all the cars that came from Germany were covered in cosmoline. We used kerosene to soften it than hot water. When I cleaned my mosin I tried all the cleaners but then when it came to the barrel, it was filled. I boiled some water and poured it onto it and down the bore. It came completely clean in no time. I then tried the boiling water on the already cleaned parts and the were now spotless.
What I do on small parts (usually everything except the barrel and action) is get an old cooking pot you don't use anymore and boil them for about 30 minutes. Cosmoline melts at around 110 degrees if I remember right. After that I take all the parts out and clean them off real good with a rag and q tips and wash out the pot then repeat the process if needed. Works great.
I notice that after the cosmoline is removed, the rifle is then reassembled. But there's No mention of it being oiled or lubricated. I'm assuming it should be..
4" PVC pipe, cap and seal both ends, cut a rectangle shape large enough to fit your barrel/action etc. inside, fill 1/3 with Kerosene, let sit for 30 min while shifting the pipe around to agitate everything here/there, if needed, use a tooth brush to get the nooks/crannies, wipe dry, lube, reassemble, shoot. Kerosene melts cosmoline instantly. Ive done many rifles in this way without issue. Do it in a well ventilated area, do not smoke while handling. Common sense is rule #1
@@gabeelkins9059 Well, I pretty much finished this project 3 months ago. And boy it wasn't so much of a problem removing cosmoline from it, as it was restoring the darn wood stock. I bleached it and tried TruOil, that came out dark, then natural wood stain and still. Stripped and Bleached it again, then hit it with Amber shellac and Boom, that did it. Looks Awesome. Wish I could post a photo
@@MusicMinisterJP7 Nice, sounds like it turned out pretty damn well. I decided to keep my stock pretty much untouched since it has some pretty cool trench art that I'd really hate to get rid of. All i ended up doing was cleaning it, removing the initial finish with a card scraper, going over it with some fine steel wool and slathered on a blend of flax-seed oil and soy wax. Not the prettiest but shoots like a dream after the trigger job and looks really interesting.
Bought a jug of mineral spirits from Walmart for 8 bucks.... poured it into a 5 gallon pail. Took my cosmoline soaked SVT 40 apart and dunked all the pieces into it. I let it a soak for about 20 minutes... without scrubbing or washing i pulled them out and they were clean as a whistle. BY FAR THE BEST WAY TO CLEAN COSMOLINE. and for the stock.. i used a heat gun to heat the stock... had it free of cosmoline thoughout the wood within 40 minutes.
Humm, so using a heat gun, just blow heat at wood, all over and the substance melts and flows off? I've heard of folks spraying Easy-Off oven cleaner, and then use a squeegee to scrape cosmoline off, then after dried, start sanding.
I just cleaned the cosmo off of my unissued M59/66A1, mineral spirits worked best but the whole house smelled like it afterwards. Acetone was less effective but didn't smell as much.Hardest part about it was punching out the pin to take the bolt apart, I broke one punch before finally knocking that sucker out!For the stock a heat gun and then a wipe down with a mineral-spirit soaked rag did the trick.
+SSHitMan Oh and the small parts I just threw in a ziplock freezer bag with mineral spirits, it dissolves the cosmo right off. Shake it up to get it out of the little nooks and crannies.
Have been collecting milsurp for the past 15 years and after the 1st Mosin Nagant and taking for ever to clean this way. I switched to steam just simple straight steam from a portable steamer. Picked it up for 40 bucks at Walmart have used them ever since. On my last unissued SKS from Classic took me 15 to 20 min from start to finish. Using low pressure attachment gets the cosmo out of the stock...can also use to steam out dents.
My first milsurp/centerfire rifle was a 1943 izvesk M91/30 when I was 14... and it was CAKED in cosmoline... it took me a long time to clean it up, but I enjoyed every second of it! Is it weird I love cleaning up mil-surps, and love the smelly, gooey, ickyness of cosmoline? Am I the only weird guy around? LOL
It melted the grease off the gun. But didn't release the oils from the stock. causing it to dry out. I plan to heat the oil in the stock forcing it to the surface were i can remove it. Then i am going to Linseed oil the stock to protect it. Also make sure you put some gun oil on the metal after you clean it to protect it from rust.
One thing I have learned is how difficult it can be to disassemble and reassemble the spring. I found that if you insert the cleaning rod in the hollow end of the assembly It will hold everything straight when compressing the spring to remove and reinstall the spring keeper. It works very nice.
In summary, disassemble the firearm without explaining a single step. When removing components slam them down as violenty as possible. I mean REALLY throw them, like they owe you money or slapped your momma or something. Then throw everything in your ultrasonic cleaner. Man, if this video wasn't so long, I'd swear it was a parody!
I found an ultrasonic cleaner at Harbor freight for $30... normally they're a few hundred so I might take a trip over there and see if it'll do the trick. Gotta love harbor freight haha
For the stocks I did, I bought a piece of galvanized home heating pipe and a register receptacle to put on the end. The receptacle fits a small ceramic heater perfectly. After an initial cleaning with hot water and purple power, I would wrap a few layers of toweling around the stock and put it in the tube. I would turn on the heater and check it ever 20 or 30 minutes and wipe off the sweated out cosmo and replace the paper towel if needed.
I love guns whit passion and love military guns but after watching all that work you have my respect ,im just getting a new cz rifle and God bless you guys
Hahaha, I saw this video and remembered when I cleaned all the cosmoline out of my Mosin Nagant. All I used was water, soap, a toothbrush, and some paper towels. lol
Back in 1990 when I got mine, I soaked all the parts, except the stock, in gasoline. That worked just fine, but after watching this, I like his method better.
You mention putting the stock in the sun. I had two yugo SKS rifles that I had to clean up. Wrap the stock in a layer of paper towels then put it in a black garbage bag. Put the garbage bag on the dash of your car/truck in the sun for a couple of hours....sucks the grease right out of the wood.
Hell, I want that tanking machine! I just did this on the same style rifle the old school way just the other day. $430 + $25 shipping for a barely used 59/66 A1 is a tad high methinks, but I lucked out and got the "tiger print" stock with nothing but 2 barely visible scratches. This thing makes my Type 56 (also in great condition) look like child's play. Love the SKS, and can't wait to see where the price is in 10 years or so. Thanks for the video bro!
I cleaned my mosin with boiling water and it worked awesome. Find a big bucket and dump boiling water down the barrel and on the small parts. I didnt use any chemicals and it worked pretty awesome. I also used the steam from boiling 5 gallons of water to warm my stock up and the cosmoline melted right on out of it...just a thought for those that dont want to use chemicals.
I bought the same rifle and all I did to remove the cosmo was break it down and hang the parts above my woodstove until it softened up and simply wiped it off with a rag. It worked pretty good.
Boilng hot water & Dawn diswashing liquid will remove cosmoline from the bolt, bolt carrier, trigger group, magazine, recoil spring and the op rod exrension & spring under the rear sight base. Just dump them in a large pot with a towel in the bottom and boil them in water with Dawn. The cosmoline will rise to the surface. You can then detail clean the parts. You can also run the barreled receiver in the dishwasher on the hottest setting to clean it. Dishwasher tabs & hot water will cut the cosmoline.
Eric, I used a standing radiant heater to bleed the coz from my stock. No fan just the tall heater and a roll of paper towels. Kept turning it. That stuff just weeped out!
Hi, I'm wondering if using warm water and a dish soap will work to remove the cosmolone off the gun and is it safe to use without causing the gun to rust? Thanks love your videos.
Thanks for the video. What I do to get cosmoline out of a stock is the following: in winter time I place the gun against the wall on the 1st floor of my house where the chimney passes. The wall is hot of the wood that is burned all day in the fire place on the ground floor. I never tried it with the central heating.
I find that for the initial pass I soak everything in a container fill of mineral spirits. Mineral spirits also is good for a first pass on the stock for getting really heavy cosmoline off without damaging the finish. I then move on to a heat gun and/or my Dirt Devil steam cleaner. For the metal stuff I have found that soaking in denatured alcohol works great to get the stuff off that the mineral spirits didnt get and then brake parts cleaner for the really stubborn stuff.
I just bought an SKS and removing the Cosmoline was simple. Brake clean and all the small parts in boiling water with dishwashing detergent. I just wiped the stock, bit of the Cosmoline on it won't hurt, it actually protects it.
i have been a transmission rebuilder for 40 years and have had my hands in brake cleaner and mineral spirits with no gloves and have had no problem.....yet....
My first cosmoline soaked SKS took me hours to clean. I let my dishwasher do most of the work on the second. You will swell the wood a bit, but that is OK if you plan on sanding up to 1000 grit with mineral spirits and refinishing. If I handed you both beautiful SKSs, you could not tell which one got the dishwasher treatment and which one was chemically and physically cleaned by hand.
You know WD-40, Kerosine and mineral spirits work quite well at removing cosmoline. Kerosine and mineral spirits work best, but I have plenty of WD-40 available and even though it takes a little longer, it dissolves cosmoline a bit and makes removal easier than without it. Paper towels are best for cosmoline removal after soaking parts in solvent, lets you see how much is left with each swipe. Heat gun to the stock works just like the sun, but faster.
@@archcunningham5579 Maybe, but I have access to 55 gal drums of WD-40, motor oil, gear oil, hydraulic fluid, bearing grease kerosene, mineral spirits and more... Balistol is not one of the more. :p
If you have a lot of cosmoline in the bolt and you don't have a return spring (Most sks's will not have one) you may encounter a slam fire. basically the gun goes automatic and you can't control it, you just have to hold on to it and keep it pointed down range till the magazine is out of ammo. Other than that you are going to generate more heat if there is cosmo on the gun and that can increase the wear on the bore and other parts.
Do you have a video putting it back together I bought one and im going to need to do it im mechanically inclined I just need to see how you put it back together. I live in a very very small town in Canada there's no place to take it and I want to do it myself
So is there a great issue if Cosmoline is not removed from the stock? I would think it could help protect the stock, but perhaps the residue keeps coming off on your hands and clothes? I have never had to deal with Cosmoline but am looking to purchase a SKS so this is a timely and informative video. Thanks!
Went to the gun stop recently and was looking at mosins. I picked up a pretty nice looking one and tried to open the bolt. It almost took all my force but the bolt popped back and as I looked inside I could see the entire rifle was absolutely caked with cosmoline. Since it wasn't a pre-war gun I decided against buying it.
what about a blow dryer or a steamer down the barrel i like the blow dryer dryer idea not to interested in the steamer i dont like water touching my barrel what do u think of heating the metal with the blow dryer then wiping the cosmoline down with a cloth once its hot and heating the stock a bit to melt that stuff away iwill do this for the first time in a week but the rifle im getting is alot more beatup
Quick question as to the put-it-in-the-hot-sun method. Since we only get an average of 72 hours of truly hot weather a year here in western Washington, are there any other ways that could remove the cosmoline in a similar fashion?
cosmoline is no problem just like cleaning your gun after a good shoot. but is it chrome lined barrel??? ive heard a lot of Yugoslav sks are not chrome lined. is this one.
i put the stock of the m48 yugo mauser in the bathtub with sunlight dish soap and staight hot 150 degree F from the hotwater tank and a scrub brush and it the cosmoline came our of the stock and the wood was easy to sand after a couple of days drying and then rub it with steel wool between coats of walnut minwax stain, and it looks good. didn't stink too bad because of the soap, now i used about 3/4 of a full bottle of the dish soap. don't be shy with the soap. ok just a tip to help. thanks
My preferred method (taught to me by a SEAL) involves a piece of 3" PVC with an end cap, a Blitz oil change pan (with the reservoir underneath), a gallon of mineral spirits, a parts cleaning brush, a large pot of boiling water, an old percolating camping coffee pot, and some WD 40 and then Break Free CLP. disassemble, drop barrell assy into PVC with mineral spirits and soak all parts in oil change pan, using the brush to clean the cosmolene off, use a gentle brush to clean the bore.
Haven't gone through the whole comments section so sorry if this is redundant...but., ironing the stock with a scott towel between the iron and the stock works really well.
Hello, I am a new gun owner and I just recently purchased an SKS rifle. I have no previous experience with guns, What will happen if i dont remove the cosmoline and fire the gun ? Will it blow up in my face ? Thanks for your time
What do you think of the Yugo's compared to some of the others like Norinco or the Russian's? I am going to buy another SKS and was wondering how the Yugo stacks up. Working in the shop I am sure you are exposed to the good,bad and ugly.
I used kerosene/gasoline on my sks. Ended up working pretty well, but I was never able to fully get the cosmoline out of the bayonette spring, since I couldn't figure out how to disassemble it. Every now and then I'll spray some ballistol in there, but I've never been able to fully remove it from the bayonette assembly.
Man I’m jealous. That is a really nice yugo you got there. I just bought a norinco at a gun show three days ago for 400 and it has rust spots on the magazine. Still runs like a tank tho.
it's gud that u don't care about that...personally I think ur videos are A#1 and can't be beat! and it doesn't really matter what the rest of the world thinks! Keep on keeping on!!!!!!!
I have a 1945 M44 stock that was in pretty bad shape and I didn't steam it or use any chemicals on it, simply just lightly sanded it until all the shellac was gone. There is clearly a lot of cosmoline in the wood. Would you use Zep on it at this stage with no stain on the gun, or will that affect the wood accepting the stain later on? Thanks!
+adammarshall80 Use a hair dryer/heat gun and an old shirt to leech some of it out before trying Zep. I'd be more worried about trapping cosmoline under multiple coats of stain and finish than it accepting stain in the first place...which could be easily sanded off again if the result doesn't turn out as desired. Also, if you choose the chemical route and Zep leaves any residue in the grain you can scrub it out with odder less mineral spirits and a soft bristle brush.
+adammarshall80 I just posted above. Not to stick my nose in here but I used a tall radiant heater and bleed all that stuff out and didn't use any chems. Just held it close to the glowing elements until it started to weep. It will all come out. Keep turning till it stops!
I ended up just using sandpaper and a hair dryer, then continued to sand to fine grit, then to steel wool. I stained and used 3 layers of Formby's low gloss finishing tung oil. It now looks and feels great, so glad I made this improvement on this carbine.
adammarshall80 I forgot about the steam iron. I used water and an iron with a soaked terrycloth towel to suck out all coz. Got all the dings up also. After that I sanded it to 1000 and started to apply pure tung oil cut 50/50 with mineral spirits. I rubbed it in by hand hung it up to dry. resanded that and kept doing it for 45 days and 30 coats of tung. last coat was so smooth I used my hands to rub it out. A ton of work but the results were amazing. Formby's is not pure tung. Read the label..
@klesmer the Yugo is an outstanding version of the SKS if you buy one in unissued or in rearsenaled/unissued condtion. There are many out there that are pretty poor, but if you find one in very good or excellent condition with a shiny bore it is a definite buy. Built like a tank, and very accurate. I can easily put 1" groups in paper at 100 yards with iron sights once they are adjusted correctly.
Watching many "Ultrasonic Gun Cleaning" on RUclips, haven't seen many mention about after the Ultrasonic Gun Cleaning bath(simple green method), should I rinse with water or just blow dry with air gun ?
I bought some of the Zep Heavy Duty Oven & Grill Cleaner. When I wiped my stock off it didn't come off white like yours, it took the finish off with it. Refinishing the stock was not in my plan.
Troy Smith he said power horse kinda like oven cleaner but without all the harsh chemicals you got heavy duty oven cleaner with all that crap thats why it probably striped the finish
The water is to clean off the mineral spirits, WD40 to displace any water left, coffee pot to steam the stock clean, and CLP to get the weapon ready for use. similar to Eric's method, just lower tech.
I make a tin foil reflector and hang the parts over it in the sun.Oven cleaner works well on the stock.Soak in easyoff oven cleaner then bury the stock in kitty litter for an hour or so.The kitty litter draws out and absorbs the oven cleaner and cosmoline.
What kind of chemicals do you use in the ultrasonic? We have industrial size ones at work for medical instruments I always wanted to try but not sure What cleaning solution is safe
To sweat the cosmoline out of the stock I wrap it in a black cloth and put it on my cars dashboard on a hot day. Heats up really well and sweats heaps of oils out of the timber grain.
Cosmoline melts at around 115 degrees or so, so I just heated up some water in a kettle and then poured it over the parts. Worked really well, but I like your method better. LOL!
Hey buddy what was the name of the grease you used around the 12 min mark? Also I've seen in a previous video of yours a copper based grease you used on glocks is there a good all purpose grease you'd recommend? Thanks
If u dont have an air compressor couldn't u leave the metal parts out in the sun (during the summer) evaporate the water? if u have the time to do this. same goes for the wood furniture. wrap it with some shop towels put it in a black plastic bag and set it out in the sun to remove cosmoline
I recommend EP Molly. I use it in my AR's, SKS's, all my bolt guns, even my 1911 and shotguns. Runs SUPER smooth, great stuff. CRC lithium can cause damage, EP Molly's the way to go.
Still watching your vids Eric. Don't know if you remember me or not. The SKS series is what started it for me. Wish I never sold my M59/66A1. It was positively the best firearm I've ever owned. Love the wood on this one, hopefully its new owner will respect it enough to keep it original like it was intended and maintain this beauty in its superb shape. Is it for sale? :) Hope all is still well for you, take good care brother, -Seth
Hey what are the chemical components of ZEP? I've never seen it in a store and may have to find a close alternative (don't worry i won't cook myself up a bomb).
Someone said you had to use Non-chlorinated brake fluid,. It doesn't look like you are,? Is with better & you are sure it wouldn't hurt the blued metal?
I recently went shooting with a friend of mine who's dad bought a new in box Norinco SKS, he only wiped off the cosmoline and then began shooting the rifle. That was close to 30 years ago. My friend had no idea how to break the gun down so I showed him. Cosmoline was oozing out of the gas system, the action, the stock and just about everywhere else. His dad had never disassembled the rifle for cleaning and probably put 5000 rounds through it. Gun never jammed and fired with caked on cosmoline for 20+ years and thousands of rounds through it. That is a testament to the SKS and its design.
an sks is the shizznit. but didn't he run a patch down the barrel .cosmoline cleans up if you are ready to run patches.
Do you mean to say an M-16 couldn't do that? ;)
RobertKaydoo Why would any idiot dip a modern M4/M16 in cosmoline? Firing ANY weapon that hasn't been properly cleaned is a good way to loose your face. KABOOM!
The reason for the malfunctions of the EARLY model M16s were due to abuse and improper ammo. They were issued weak .223 ammo and bad design mag followers. Now the guns run 100% on the hotter 5.56 and anti-tilt mag followers. It was never the guns fault.
Stylensky I guess you missed the sarcastic humor of my comment.
RobertKaydoo I believe if you caked an M4/16 with cosmo like an SKS usually is, I don't think it would function hardly at all IF at all. If caked enough, I don't think the bolt would close all the way. Way too tight of tolerances compared to the SKS. I've had probably around 10 or so SKS through the years and about 6 or 7 each of the M4/16 type (we'll just say AR's...) as well. A few RRA, a Colt and a few PSA rifles. Just my opinion.
As much as cosmoline sucks...thank god they used the stuff or it would be near impossible to get these guns without rust.
I think it’s fun little project removing the stuff. It makes ownership more satisfying
@spencerk4077 RIGHT!! I bought one 3 years ago and I clean it 3 or 4 times to get all of it out. But the smell of rilfe does not smell like any other rifle I own
@@spencerk4077 autism
May have been posted before but...
Odorless Mineral Spirits will dissolve the grease, no muss no fuss!
Put the small parts in a plastic tub or metal tray and let them sit in the OMS for a few hours, just agitate them gently.
Same for the barrel, get pvc pipe with cap and lower the barrel into the pipe using a string or copper wire around the end, then slowly fill it with OMS from the gallon can.
OMS will not harm the wood on the gun.
Balistol is a great product to use when removing cosmoline.
@@archcunningham5579 Ballistol is for oiling after cosmoline is removed, not removing cosmoline itself. Mineral spirits and boiling water, agitating all the while, yes. But gun cleaner/lubricant? Nope.
Old 2 stroke gas mix works too. The gasoline will remove the cosmoline and the 2 stroke oil leaves an slight oil finish.
@@jeffpittel6926 as somebody who works on small engines and tinkers with milsurps, I approve this idea and will give it a try
When I worked at a VW dealer, all the cars that came from Germany were covered in cosmoline. We used kerosene to soften it than hot water. When I cleaned my mosin I tried all the cleaners but then when it came to the barrel, it was filled. I boiled some water and poured it onto it and down the bore. It came completely clean in no time. I then tried the boiling water on the already cleaned parts and the were now spotless.
What I do on small parts (usually everything except the barrel and action) is get an old cooking pot you don't use anymore and boil them for about 30 minutes. Cosmoline melts at around 110 degrees if I remember right. After that I take all the parts out and clean them off real good with a rag and q tips and wash out the pot then repeat the process if needed. Works great.
I notice that after the cosmoline is removed, the rifle is then reassembled. But there's No mention of it being oiled or lubricated. I'm assuming it should be..
4" PVC pipe, cap and seal both ends, cut a rectangle shape large enough to fit your barrel/action etc. inside, fill 1/3 with Kerosene, let sit for 30 min while shifting the pipe around to agitate everything here/there, if needed, use a tooth brush to get the nooks/crannies, wipe dry, lube, reassemble, shoot.
Kerosene melts cosmoline instantly. Ive done many rifles in this way without issue. Do it in a well ventilated area, do not smoke while handling. Common sense is rule #1
That's for removing cosmoline from the metals, how about removing it from the wood stock. Kerosene also?
@@MusicMinisterJP7 Murphy's oil soap is great for that.
@@gabeelkins9059 Well, I pretty much finished this project 3 months ago. And boy it wasn't so much of a problem removing cosmoline from it, as it was restoring the darn wood stock. I bleached it and tried TruOil, that came out dark, then natural wood stain and still. Stripped and Bleached it again, then hit it with Amber shellac and Boom, that did it. Looks Awesome. Wish I could post a photo
@@MusicMinisterJP7 Nice, sounds like it turned out pretty damn well. I decided to keep my stock pretty much untouched since it has some pretty cool trench art that I'd really hate to get rid of. All i ended up doing was cleaning it, removing the initial finish with a card scraper, going over it with some fine steel wool and slathered on a blend of flax-seed oil and soy wax. Not the prettiest but shoots like a dream after the trigger job and looks really interesting.
Bought a jug of mineral spirits from Walmart for 8 bucks.... poured it into a 5 gallon pail. Took my cosmoline soaked SVT 40 apart and dunked all the pieces into it. I let it a soak for about 20 minutes... without scrubbing or washing i pulled them out and they were clean as a whistle. BY FAR THE BEST WAY TO CLEAN COSMOLINE. and for the stock.. i used a heat gun to heat the stock... had it free of cosmoline thoughout the wood within 40 minutes.
Humm, so using a heat gun, just blow heat at wood, all over and the substance melts and flows off? I've heard of folks spraying Easy-Off oven cleaner, and then use a squeegee to scrape cosmoline off, then after dried, start sanding.
I just cleaned the cosmo off of my unissued M59/66A1, mineral spirits worked best but the whole house smelled like it afterwards. Acetone was less effective but didn't smell as much.Hardest part about it was punching out the pin to take the bolt apart, I broke one punch before finally knocking that sucker out!For the stock a heat gun and then a wipe down with a mineral-spirit soaked rag did the trick.
+SSHitMan Oh and the small parts I just threw in a ziplock freezer bag with mineral spirits, it dissolves the cosmo right off. Shake it up to get it out of the little nooks and crannies.
yeah I used mineral spirits on my K98 also. Took about three days on and off working it with rags to finally pull it all out
All that solvent use will come back and bite you one day, try a mask and gloves
Have been collecting milsurp for the past 15 years and after the 1st Mosin Nagant and taking for ever to clean this way. I switched to steam just simple straight steam from a portable steamer. Picked it up for 40 bucks at Walmart have used them ever since. On my last unissued SKS from Classic took me 15 to 20 min from start to finish. Using low pressure attachment gets the cosmo out of the stock...can also use to steam out dents.
My first milsurp/centerfire rifle was a 1943 izvesk M91/30 when I was 14... and it was CAKED in cosmoline... it took me a long time to clean it up, but I enjoyed every second of it! Is it weird I love cleaning up mil-surps, and love the smelly, gooey, ickyness of cosmoline? Am I the only weird guy around? LOL
Cosmoline smells awesome. I just don't like how it's sticky.
yes you are of the select few. fuck i hate sticky stuff
Brake cleaner is dam hard on people you should were gloves.
I used mineral spirits on mine. i soaked the barrel/action in a tube.
Won't it eat through the gloves?
The brake clean will but not the mineral spirits.
Ohh I see. Yeah your probably right just mineral spirits and some elbow grease
It melted the grease off the gun. But didn't release the oils from the stock. causing it to dry out.
I plan to heat the oil in the stock forcing it to the surface were i can remove it. Then i am going to Linseed oil the stock to protect it.
Also make sure you put some gun oil on the metal after you clean it to protect it from rust.
Any tips on finding an yugo SKS?
I love the smell of cosmoline
2Stonefly Especially in the morning.
Smells like... Victory.
One thing I have learned is how difficult it can be to disassemble and reassemble the spring. I found that if you insert the cleaning rod in the hollow end of the assembly It will hold everything straight when compressing the spring to remove and reinstall the spring keeper. It works very nice.
Thank you for this! Just bout a 1941 and a 1945 svt 40 with an sks and the sks has do much cosmoline on it. Easily more than the two svts combined.
In summary, disassemble the firearm without explaining a single step. When removing components slam them down as violenty as possible. I mean REALLY throw them, like they owe you money or slapped your momma or something. Then throw everything in your ultrasonic cleaner. Man, if this video wasn't so long, I'd swear it was a parody!
Too funny..
Too funny
lmao
This should be THE definitive guide on how to remove cosmoline from a Milsurp weapon ..... great job!
I found an ultrasonic cleaner at Harbor freight for $30... normally they're a few hundred so I might take a trip over there and see if it'll do the trick. Gotta love harbor freight haha
For the stocks I did, I bought a piece of galvanized home heating pipe and a register receptacle to put on the end. The receptacle fits a small ceramic heater perfectly. After an initial cleaning with hot water and purple power, I would wrap a few layers of toweling around the stock and put it in the tube. I would turn on the heater and check it ever 20 or 30 minutes and wipe off the sweated out cosmo and replace the paper towel if needed.
I love guns whit passion and love military guns but after watching all that work you have my respect ,im just getting a new cz rifle and God bless you guys
Hahaha, I saw this video and remembered when I cleaned all the cosmoline out of my Mosin Nagant. All I used was water, soap, a toothbrush, and some paper towels. lol
Thanks man. I got a little container of mineral spirits and it works great. It's just gets pricey when going up in liters.
Back in 1990 when I got mine, I soaked all the parts, except the stock, in gasoline. That worked just fine, but after watching this, I like his method better.
You mention putting the stock in the sun. I had two yugo SKS rifles that I had to clean up. Wrap the stock in a layer of paper towels then put it in a black garbage bag. Put the garbage bag on the dash of your car/truck in the sun for a couple of hours....sucks the grease right out of the wood.
exactly in 100 degree weather
Sounds like an idea..
aahhh, getting all the cosmoline off a your newly acquired pre-owned firearm, a labor of love lol
Not just stored in regular caves, but freakin' caves! Thanks for the video!
so once you have removed all the cosmoline. How do you protect it from corrosion just sitting in your gun cabinet
Coat it in Balistol oil or Breakfree oil.
Hell, I want that tanking machine! I just did this on the same style rifle the old school way just the other day. $430 + $25 shipping for a barely used 59/66 A1 is a tad high methinks, but I lucked out and got the "tiger print" stock with nothing but 2 barely visible scratches. This thing makes my Type 56 (also in great condition) look like child's play. Love the SKS, and can't wait to see where the price is in 10 years or so. Thanks for the video bro!
I cleaned my mosin with boiling water and it worked awesome. Find a big bucket and dump boiling water down the barrel and on the small parts. I didnt use any chemicals and it worked pretty awesome. I also used the steam from boiling 5 gallons of water to warm my stock up and the cosmoline melted right on out of it...just a thought for those that dont want to use chemicals.
ballistol and surplus, the perfect combo.
Just spray it with Breakfree. It cuts that stuff like butter and isn't hazardous. Once you do that you can easily wipe it off with a paper towel.
Is that the name, Breakfree..? Is that a common cleaning product? Would Home Depot have it?
That hissing isn't annoying
thats a snake bro
@@EricToTheScionti snake jazz
if I go the break cleaner route do I need to wash off the cleaner or just wipe it??
I bought the same rifle and all I did to remove the cosmo was break it down and hang the parts above my woodstove until it softened up and simply wiped it off with a rag. It worked pretty good.
Boilng hot water & Dawn diswashing liquid will remove cosmoline from the bolt, bolt carrier, trigger group, magazine, recoil spring and the op rod exrension & spring under the rear sight base. Just dump them in a large pot with a towel in the bottom and boil them in water with Dawn. The cosmoline will rise to the surface. You can then detail clean the parts. You can also run the barreled receiver in the dishwasher on the hottest setting to clean it. Dishwasher tabs & hot water will cut the cosmoline.
Eric, I used a standing radiant heater to bleed the coz from my stock. No fan just the tall heater and a roll of paper towels. Kept turning it. That stuff just weeped out!
Hi,
I'm wondering if using warm water and a dish soap will work to remove the cosmolone off the gun and is it safe to use without causing the gun to rust?
Thanks love your videos.
Mineral spirits and an old paint brush has always worked well for me.
Thanks for the video. What I do to get cosmoline out of a stock is the following: in winter time I place the gun against the wall on the 1st floor of my house where the chimney passes. The wall is hot of the wood that is burned all day in the fire place on the ground floor. I never tried it with the central heating.
I find that for the initial pass I soak everything in a container fill of mineral spirits. Mineral spirits also is good for a first pass on the stock for getting really heavy cosmoline off without damaging the finish. I then move on to a heat gun and/or my Dirt Devil steam cleaner. For the metal stuff I have found that soaking in denatured alcohol works great to get the stuff off that the mineral spirits didnt get and then brake parts cleaner for the really stubborn stuff.
I just bought an SKS and removing the Cosmoline was simple. Brake clean and all the small parts in boiling water with dishwashing detergent. I just wiped the stock, bit of the Cosmoline on it won't hurt, it actually protects it.
i have been a transmission rebuilder for 40 years and have had my hands in brake cleaner and mineral spirits with no gloves and have had no problem.....yet....
+dixie cat im a diesel mechanic, dunno what everyone is on about
It's weird to see old people on youtube
dixie cat It destroys your skin. It'll also make for a bad day if you forget it's on your hands, then rub your eyes.
My brother is mechanic. He lost a finger to skin cancer from Varsol.
Paint stripper will heal any cut immediately. Hurts like a bitch though.
My first cosmoline soaked SKS took me hours to clean. I let my dishwasher do most of the work on the second. You will swell the wood a bit, but that is OK if you plan on sanding up to 1000 grit with mineral spirits and refinishing. If I handed you both beautiful SKSs, you could not tell which one got the dishwasher treatment and which one was chemically and physically cleaned by hand.
You know WD-40, Kerosine and mineral spirits work quite well at removing cosmoline.
Kerosine and mineral spirits work best, but I have plenty of WD-40 available and even though it takes a little longer, it dissolves cosmoline a bit and makes removal easier than without it.
Paper towels are best for cosmoline removal after soaking parts in solvent, lets you see how much is left with each swipe.
Heat gun to the stock works just like the sun, but faster.
Balistol would be much better to use than WD 40.
@@archcunningham5579 Maybe, but I have access to 55 gal drums of WD-40, motor oil, gear oil, hydraulic fluid, bearing grease kerosene, mineral spirits and more... Balistol is not one of the more. :p
If you have a lot of cosmoline in the bolt and you don't have a return spring (Most sks's will not have one) you may encounter a slam fire. basically the gun goes automatic and you can't control it, you just have to hold on to it and keep it pointed down range till the magazine is out of ammo. Other than that you are going to generate more heat if there is cosmo on the gun and that can increase the wear on the bore and other parts.
Do you have a video putting it back together I bought one and im going to need to do it im mechanically inclined I just need to see how you put it back together. I live in a very very small town in Canada there's no place to take it and I want to do it myself
Can you use a hair blower on low to aid in the cosmoline removel
So is there a great issue if Cosmoline is not removed from the stock? I would think it could help protect the stock, but perhaps the residue keeps coming off on your hands and clothes? I have never had to deal with Cosmoline but am looking to purchase a SKS so this is a timely and informative video. Thanks!
how about if i clean it with brake cleaner and than put it in household oven.
and is it ok for me to leave cosmoline on the furniture.
If i put a cosmolined stock in the oven at 125-150 Farenheit u think it would do the same thing that giving it sun would do?
Have you ever used an automotive parts cleaning machine? We have a hot wash one at work that had my sks cosmoline free in about 5 minutes!
Went to the gun stop recently and was looking at mosins. I picked up a pretty nice looking one and tried to open the bolt. It almost took all my force but the bolt popped back and as I looked inside I could see the entire rifle was absolutely caked with cosmoline. Since it wasn't a pre-war gun I decided against buying it.
what about a blow dryer or a steamer down the barrel i like the blow dryer dryer idea not to interested in the steamer i dont like water touching my barrel what do u think of heating the metal with the blow dryer then wiping the cosmoline down with a cloth once its hot and heating the stock a bit to melt that stuff away iwill do this for the first time in a week but the rifle im getting is alot more beatup
Quick question as to the put-it-in-the-hot-sun method. Since we only get an average of 72 hours of truly hot weather a year here in western Washington, are there any other ways that could remove the cosmoline in a similar fashion?
how long should you wait for the oven cleaner on the stock for
cosmoline is no problem just like cleaning your gun after a good shoot. but is it chrome lined barrel??? ive heard a lot of Yugoslav sks are not chrome lined. is this one.
I heard that you can boil the parts to get the cosmoline out, does this actually work or can it damage the parts?
i put the stock of the m48 yugo mauser in the bathtub with sunlight dish soap and staight hot 150 degree F from the hotwater tank and a scrub brush and it the cosmoline came our of the stock and the wood was easy to sand after a couple of days drying and then rub it with steel wool between coats of walnut minwax stain, and it looks good. didn't stink too bad because of the soap, now i used about 3/4 of a full bottle of the dish soap. don't be shy with the soap. ok just a tip to help. thanks
Yup, that also works. You can also get a pot, fill it with water and boil it. Put it over the pot and the steam will take it right out.
Simple Green gives a different result then regular dish washing soap?
My preferred method (taught to me by a SEAL) involves a piece of 3" PVC with an end cap, a Blitz oil change pan (with the reservoir underneath), a gallon of mineral spirits, a parts cleaning brush, a large pot of boiling water, an old percolating camping coffee pot, and some WD 40 and then Break Free CLP.
disassemble, drop barrell assy into PVC with mineral spirits and soak all parts in oil change pan, using the brush to clean the cosmolene off, use a gentle brush to clean the bore.
Haven't gone through the whole comments section so sorry if this is redundant...but., ironing the stock with a scott towel between the iron and the stock works really well.
could a hair dryer work to on the stock and parts to melt it off? just a thought
Hello, I am a new gun owner and I just recently purchased an SKS rifle. I have no previous experience with guns, What will happen if i dont remove the cosmoline and fire the gun ? Will it blow up in my face ? Thanks for your time
wouldn't a heat gun or hair dyer be more efficient for getting the cosmoline out of the stock?
I used simple green on my 91/30 and it worked like a charm. I'm pretty sure he used Simple Green in the ultrasonic cleaner for this SKS too.
What do you think of the Yugo's compared to some of the others like Norinco or the Russian's? I am going to buy another SKS and was wondering how the Yugo stacks up. Working in the shop I am sure you are exposed to the good,bad and ugly.
Why does everything get tossed around instead of being placed on the work bench ? Not criticizing, just wondering ?
I used kerosene/gasoline on my sks. Ended up working pretty well, but I was never able to fully get the cosmoline out of the bayonette spring, since I couldn't figure out how to disassemble it. Every now and then I'll spray some ballistol in there, but I've never been able to fully remove it from the bayonette assembly.
JUST USE CHARCOAL LIGHTER FLIUD CUTS IT RIGHT OFF ..I CLEANED MANY SKSES AND RUSSIAN NAGANTS ,DOESNT DAMAGE ANY FINISH AND VERY COST EFFICIENT..
FINALLY! I remember your first cosmoline removal video. It was the first one of yours that I watched.
How was the cosmoline applied when these guns were made. Just curious. I would guess sprayed on???
They where dipped in it
Man I’m jealous. That is a really nice yugo you got there. I just bought a norinco at a gun show three days ago for 400 and it has rust spots on the magazine. Still runs like a tank tho.
it's gud that u don't care about that...personally I think ur videos are A#1 and can't be beat! and it doesn't really matter what the rest of the world thinks! Keep on keeping on!!!!!!!
the brake cleaner works great because new brake parts like the rotors are coated in a greasew similar to cosmo
I have a 1945 M44 stock that was in pretty bad shape and I didn't steam it or use any chemicals on it, simply just lightly sanded it until all the shellac was gone. There is clearly a lot of cosmoline in the wood. Would you use Zep on it at this stage with no stain on the gun, or will that affect the wood accepting the stain later on? Thanks!
+adammarshall80 Use a hair dryer/heat gun and an old shirt to leech some of it out before trying Zep. I'd be more worried about trapping cosmoline under multiple coats of stain and finish than it accepting stain in the first place...which could be easily sanded off again if the result doesn't turn out as desired. Also, if you choose the chemical route and Zep leaves any residue in the grain you can scrub it out with odder less mineral spirits and a soft bristle brush.
+adammarshall80 I just posted above. Not to stick my nose in here but I used a tall radiant heater and bleed all that stuff out and didn't use any chems. Just held it close to the glowing elements until it started to weep. It will all come out. Keep turning till it stops!
I ended up just using sandpaper and a hair dryer, then continued to sand to fine grit, then to steel wool. I stained and used 3 layers of Formby's low gloss finishing tung oil. It now looks and feels great, so glad I made this improvement on this carbine.
adammarshall80 I forgot about the steam iron. I used water and an iron with a soaked terrycloth towel to suck out all coz. Got all the dings up also. After that I sanded it to 1000 and started to apply pure tung oil cut 50/50 with mineral spirits. I rubbed it in by hand hung it up to dry. resanded that and kept doing it for 45 days and 30 coats of tung. last coat was so smooth I used my hands to rub it out. A ton of work but the results were amazing. Formby's is not pure tung. Read the label..
@klesmer the Yugo is an outstanding version of the SKS if you buy one in unissued or in rearsenaled/unissued condtion. There are many out there that are pretty poor, but if you find one in very good or excellent condition with a shiny bore it is a definite buy. Built like a tank, and very accurate. I can easily put 1" groups in paper at 100 yards with iron sights once they are adjusted correctly.
Watching many "Ultrasonic Gun Cleaning" on RUclips, haven't seen many mention about after the Ultrasonic Gun Cleaning bath(simple green method), should I rinse with water or just blow dry with air gun ?
I bought some of the Zep Heavy Duty Oven & Grill Cleaner. When I wiped my stock off it didn't come off white like yours, it took the finish off with it. Refinishing the stock was not in my plan.
Troy Smith he said power horse kinda like oven cleaner but without all the harsh chemicals you got heavy duty oven cleaner with all that crap thats why it probably striped the finish
The water is to clean off the mineral spirits, WD40 to displace any water left, coffee pot to steam the stock clean, and CLP to get the weapon ready for use.
similar to Eric's method, just lower tech.
I've never been able to figure out as to why or what the reason is to remove the cosmoline im new to guns and mines a m44 poland mosin nagant
how do i take the gas tube out of the wood? do yoi just rotate it out or do i need to push the pin out?
I make a tin foil reflector and hang the parts over it in the sun.Oven cleaner works well on the stock.Soak in easyoff oven cleaner then bury the stock in kitty litter for an hour or so.The kitty litter draws out and absorbs the oven cleaner and cosmoline.
do you think doing a tapco mag bolt drop mod would hurt the value of a Norinco paratrooper?
Is this the same process to remove metal guard by daubertcromwell? I saw a barrel sealed in a bag coated in metal guard.
Will a hair dryer work for the stock
Why do you just throw everything around?
What kind of chemicals do you use in the ultrasonic? We have industrial size ones at work for medical instruments I always wanted to try but not sure What cleaning solution is safe
Eric, what do you think about the mag conversions? Which is the more reliable mags?
To sweat the cosmoline out of the stock I wrap it in a black cloth and put it on my cars dashboard on a hot day. Heats up really well and sweats heaps of oils out of the timber grain.
Do your reccomend greasing the parts or is just the frog lube I have been using good enough? Never owned a semi auto before
Cosmoline melts at around 115 degrees or so, so I just heated up some water in a kettle and then poured it over the parts. Worked really well, but I like your method better. LOL!
Hey buddy what was the name of the grease you used around the 12 min mark? Also I've seen in a previous video of yours a copper based grease you used on glocks is there a good all purpose grease you'd recommend?
Thanks
If u dont have an air compressor couldn't u leave the metal parts out in the sun (during the summer) evaporate the water?
if u have the time to do this.
same goes for the wood furniture. wrap it with some shop towels put it in a black plastic bag and set it out in the sun to remove cosmoline
I recommend EP Molly. I use it in my AR's, SKS's, all my bolt guns, even my 1911 and shotguns. Runs SUPER smooth, great stuff. CRC lithium can cause damage, EP Molly's the way to go.
hey just bought one of these is it bad to shoot it with the cosmoline on?
Still watching your vids Eric. Don't know if you remember me or not. The SKS series is what started it for me. Wish I never sold my M59/66A1. It was positively the best firearm I've ever owned. Love the wood on this one, hopefully its new owner will respect it enough to keep it original like it was intended and maintain this beauty in its superb shape. Is it for sale? :)
Hope all is still well for you, take good care brother,
-Seth
What is that contraption at the end, that you shoot into?
Is this the shop where Ray did the the Saiga 12 gunsmithing series?
Hey what are the chemical components of ZEP? I've never seen it in a store and may have to find a close alternative (don't worry i won't cook myself up a bomb).
Someone said you had to use Non-chlorinated brake fluid,. It doesn't look like you are,? Is with better & you are sure it wouldn't hurt the blued metal?