Military surplus firearms are typically very easy to fully disassemble with minimal tools, making it a pretty painless job. It is used for undercoating and preventing the damages in a car caused by driving on roads. Place parts covered in Cosmoline into the bath. I've done all my cosmo cleanups with mineral spirits, junk toothbrushes, and a heat gun. He is a firm believer in the freedom of exercising constitutional rights, and that includes the right of every law-abiding citizen to own and carry a gun. Cosmoline doesn't penetrate the wood like most stock finishes unless its areas where its flaking. Mineral spirits are known as a major solvent for removing cosmoline, and you can apply it with a rag. I use fluid film on all my cars, but fluid film won't hold up under a car for more than six months without re-applying it. Not really. Its very important that you get as much of the Cosmoline out of the gun as possible if only to eliminate the risk of having to disassemble the gun to find a hidden chunk of the rust-preventive gunking it up. connect4education register; don't be a felix cdcr video; westfield knox redevelopment 2020 Reference a disassembly manual and take every piece and part out of it. AK-47 Tips/Tricks, Links, Content and Buyer Guides. And that brings us to where we are today. METHOD #1: Wipe with Cloth, Rag or Paper Towel, METHOD #2: Soak Parts in Cosmoline Remover. If you want to check this out in a video, take a look! Nothing else like it. story somewhere on the interwebs (possible urban legend) about some guys during the Battle of the Bulge in WWII who were assigned to strip cosmoline off M2 .50 cal. I have used before on other parts kits with paper towels or old cotton rags. I paid $4 for a spray bottle. Now how come some drug dealer/crook can buy one of this things and whamo bamo it works right out of the box?? If you use these links, it helps me continue to put out free content for viewers. Heat gun is a total saver. The protective layer was thick, tough and not easy to remove. But there is a kind of cosmoline that is used for vehicles. The standard minimal coating of a light grease or oil seen now days is easily wiped off with a clean rag or paper towel. Just like everyone said, mineral spirits for metal (you can use hot water and simple green too), and bag/heat gun for the stock. Free-floating firing pins, like the one found in AR-15s and the SKS, need to freely float. Breaks down (dissolves) all forms of Cosmoline in seconds with very little effort. Cosmoline Removal Wd40 ; Conclusion ; What Removes Cosmoline? Want the best cosmoline removal methods for cleaning up your milsurp gun? In our case, the two Type-56s we received directly were definitely in the latter category of goo-boundedness, with lots of solvent-resistant hardened grease nuggets tucked away throughout the entire firearm. You will need to use fresh diesel as it gets to thick and sticky with all the cosmoline. Luckily, cosmoline melts at anywhere between 115-125 degrees Fahrenheit. 3. I cleaned a heavily soiled 37 bSw last week, I use Krud Kutter. You only have power over people so long as you do not take everything away from them. "orange clean" or "simple green" on the wood works good. Then reassemble and enjoy boom. Here are the best content compiled and compiled by the mobitool.net team, along with other related topics such as:: will acetone remove cosmoline, cosmoline removal hot water, cosmoline removal wd40, cosmoline in barrel, cosmoline gun grease, sks cosmoline removal, will ballistol remove cosmoline, removing cosmoline with heat gun. Ive tried dozens of methods over the years until I stumbled upon a suggestion to use Goo Gone. Cosmoline is not a new invention and was originally used as a pharmaceutical product in the late 1800s. But when you have robbed a man of everything, he is no longer in your power he is free again. You can accomplish this by wiping your handgun, placing it in a black trash bag, and leaving it out under the hot sun. You may find that some firearms have been brushed . The lubricating fluid in most lubricating greases is petroleum-derived minerals. Title: Original Cosmoline The cosmoline literally runs off with the water. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Required fields are marked *. For the metal, I used a hot water/Simple Green mixture, supplemented by automotive brake cleaner. Be sure to use a decent gun oil on any moving parts when you reassemble. Try to disassemble your rifle first, then clean its parts by section. This worked good for me since I did it in the winter. You can also apply chemicals such as acetone and kerosene. All content Copyright 1998-2018 Rifleshooter.com, FTC disclosure: some links on this site are monetized, Sig Sauer MCX Virtus PCP Air Rifle Review- Initial Impressions, Project Guns- Gunsmithing articles and posts, Ruger Precision Rifle Suppressed Load Development: Hornady 147 ELD-Match and H4350 with THUNDER CHICKEN, Wilson Combats Tactical Rail Interface, Modular (T.R.I.M.) Place parts covered in Cosmoline into the bath. The protective layer was thick, tough and not easy to remove. Bolt assembly and small parts steam on top off kettle with rack and follow same process for clean and lube for reassemble .had to deal with this stuff with stored engine cylinder heads and guns a lot steam and compressed air. A coat of Goo Gone, a brief soak in period and follow up with paper towels cleaned the material down to the bare metal. StingRay parts washers use a non-flammable alkaline cleaning detergent such as Power Kleen V or Power Kleen IIIL. Mix denatured alcohol and boiled linseed oil 50/50 and scrub a stock with it using 0000 steel wool. Born and raised in Austin TX, Alfred has been shooting guns since he was 18. Use an air gun to blow the cleaning fluid off after you finish, then apply lube as needed. WD-40 does indeed have 50% mineral spirits, but they are refined and purified for specific characteristics needed to meet todays performance, regulatory and safety requirements. Like this kind of content? Blow the gun parts off using an air compressor until dry. When the grease came to the surface or began to run off, I hit the parts with Brake Kleen then put them back out in the sun again. The old surface grease and grime can be removed with a good cleaning. Thank you for the support! You probably took it home and couldnt focus on anything until you tore it apart and cleaned that goo off to see what was underneath it. . In general, their toxicity to humans is minimal, although there are exceptions. 3 100w light bulbs mounted in light boxes inside -- bakes the stuff out wonderfully. The metal gets put through hot boing water and simple green. All Rights Reserved. Lastly, there are many other ways to remove cosmoline, but these are methods that I have used with excellent results. Once youre satisfied, you can move on to the actual cleaning. just cosmoline removed easy. Repeat this until the patches come out relatively clean. After his military service, he attended the Colorado School of Trades(CST) in Lakewood, CO for gunsmithing. Never miss a post! For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Immediately spray everything down with WD-40 to displace any remaining water. Note: Most of the links in this article earn me a small commission at no cost to you. Halogen lamps do the trick or me. Bolt components I usually boil, just to make sure I get all of it out. I bake all the stocks in a long homemade oven I made. It won't get it sparkling clean but the heat and pressure will remove a large amount. Your Complete Guide to All Things Cosmoline, All the Questions You Need to Ask to Pick the Right Rust Preventative, How to Properly Remove Cosmoline from Military Surplus Firearms, How to Make Your Outdoor Furniture Last Longer. Originally developed in the late 1800s and marketed as a home disinfectant and veterinary anti-swelling agent, presumably by the same turn of the century physicians inclined to prescribe you cocaine for a staph infection or whatever. Cosmoline continues to be made today and is still a great option for long-term rust prevention. How to clean cosmoline off your Mosin Nagant 91/30, SKS or any other surplus gun using Mineral Spirits and hot water. Once you have removed as much of the Cosmoline as you can, it's time to move on to the next step. There are other considerations that you think about if tackling this task. This restriction only affects the following Southern California counties: Orange, Riverside, Los Angeles and San Bernardino. Ehhhh, was my first try with Cosmo. 4. Depending on how much hardened build-up youve got, itll probably take you a few cans of brake cleaner to get everything loosened up. Collectors of C&R (Curio & Relic) firearms often find old firearms that were built around WWI or WWII and then put in storage. All prices are in USD. If you are like me, you were hooked the first time you picked up a cosmoline-covered surplus rifle or handgun. Now what's the best way to clean the residual WD40 off so I won't have primers getting compromised? We personally found Q-tips to be useful if a bit tedious. While really bad cosmoline build-up might require a few steps further than a field stripping for whatever rifle youre working on. Fact: Over the past few decades, the name Stoddard Solvent was synonymous with all mineral spirits. These guns were usually just dipped in a big vat of Cosmoline and then put into storage. Cosmoline Removal. If you want to spay, you could put it in a garden type sprayer. These crates were packed full of rifles and cosmoline. We believe our Cosmoline Remover is the most effective solution offered anywhere. 5-Gallon Pail ($265.00) << Special Price, Best Value! Next, wash the firearm with soap and hot water. Ive even seen Mosin Nagants that the lock time could be measured in whole seconds due to this. Hand-Picked Daily GUN DEALS, and Exclusive Coupons Codes >>>. Kroil can be found here at Brownells.com. Cosmoline is petroleum-based rust and corrosion-inhibiting grease. I took mine in a hot shower, shoots like a dream. . Treat surface with your favorite lube or set up for hot blueing. Before I go full bore on this, has anyone used this? The gooy, gross, petroleum preservative that is seemingly locked within every porous surface and crevice possible. I bought a bunch of those Yugo SKS rifles when cases of them started showing up at the gun shows. I've read that I should use mineral oil or WD40. However, this one was never opened, making it extremely rare. Air compressor. Here is my latest brainstorm for cleaning up a Yugo M59/66. This is most likely how you will encounter it on a surplus firearm or bayonet. Ken 1942 GPW A lot of people swear by mineral spirits as a primary solvent to remove Cosmoline, and you can either apply it with a rag or submerge/dip your gun into it. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Those materials are classified as combustible rather than flammable. A couple of hours later, I then wiped off most of the rest of the cosmoline, and then did a little scrubbing, spraying, wiping repeat until 99% of it was gone. We made a trash can cosmo melter. If youve got some super-secret method that you swear by, go ahead and yell about it in the comment section below. You would tie an old shoelace to a receiver, a gear, a bolt assembly, whateverdrop it in a pre-prepared tank of boiling water, watch the clock, and remove. Apply some to a rag and patch and wipe down the cosmoline-soaked parts. You have to apply the necessary gun oil, lubrication, and stain (for wooden stocks) to preserve the piece you worked so hard on cleaning up. Took days of cleaning for all the original proofs and markings to become visible. Competitive pistol and high power rifle shooter (200-600 yards). Back in the day, ethyl or "high test" gasoline was good stuff. * SCAQMD -This product is not to be used in California's South Coast Air Quality Management District because it does not comply with Rule 1144. Once youve uh unslimed your wood, return to your sonic cleaner components and use brake cleaner as needed to grab any chunks that might be left with your Q-tips. With that out of the way, spray a shitton of brake cleaner into the barrel and gas ports as well, then use a bore cleaning brush to ram all of that nasty ass gunk out. I only use this method on metal parts and will do this prior to using the Kroil method below to remove the last bits and pieces. http://www.surplusrifle.com/sks/index.asp, http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k36/cajuncj/M91%2030%20Finn/IMG_0849.jpg, Quote from: RangerAR on December 24, 2006, 08:37:16 PM, Quote from: singleshotcajun on January 05, 2007, 05:31:34 PM, Quote from: yber26 on January 21, 2007, 08:39:55 PM. The heat will bleed the cosmo out. A sealed PVC tube or large container are both good for soaking guns in mineral spirits, depending on the size of the firearm and container. At this stage, you may benefit more from dissembling the entire gun or parts of it, like the bolt assembly of a rifle, and letting it soak in mineral spirits. How would a different solvent such as naphtha fare against the cosmoline? Thanks! If the metal is removed from the stock, it shouldn't make much of a difference. It may take a few dips or baths to get the majority of Cosmoline off. Acetone, mineral spirits, or kerosene (but avoid the latter when possible, or when your firearm has been painted or blued). WD 40 and mineral naptha (ligher fluid) are the cosmoline cutters of choice to the home shop machinist. Everyone else has your straight on the steel part. Get Our Top Shooting Drills and Zeroing Targets ($47 value - but FREE for a limited time). Soak the bolt and small parts in mineral spirits. WD-40 is a mediocre lubricant and an OK rust preventative. That is why it is called CitriStrip. Goo Gone is a cirtus gel product that is marketed for the removal of adhesive residue on consumer projects. Wipe off the sections or metal parts of the gun that you disassembled using shop rags. Collector, reloader, amateur gunsmith and CHL holder. If planning to shoot your surplus firearms, leaving cosmoline in the bore can ruin your firearm or, worse yet, cause injury to the shooter. Boil and reoil the smaller metal parts. So if you need to store your firearms long-term and protect them from moisture and corrosion, multiple options are available. Always handy to have around for frozen pipes, freezer defrost, melting ice on front steps (or from gutter downspouts) after an ice storm, etc. Brake cleaner does a good job but is very harsh on the skin and can eat some plastics and brake cleaner will remove painted on finishes on some firearms so test first. Primarily when found in the bore and fire control area. The military does buy shotguns so I can believe it is cosmoline. The wood I used Citristrip, it worked really well. You are using an out of date browser. Cosmoline is a Vaseline-type preservative that was used to preserve firearms. AtLunde Studio, our primary goal is to provide a dedicated resource for all gun enthusiasts from all walks of life. Amazon.com: Cosmoline Remover 1-48 of 129 results for "cosmoline remover" RESULTS Price and other details may vary based on product size and color. This involves two steps: You can do this by wrapping your firearm in towels and placing it in a black trash bag and leaving it sit out in the sun, or using another heat sourcesuch as a heat gun or older ovento return the Cosmoline to its liquid state. Login with username, password and session length, Metal-hot water, WD 40, diesel, brake cleaner, or simple green. It melts at 113-125 so hot soapy water or steam cleaning works. So just wiping it off the surface is all that is required. Cosmoline is a pain to remove though I found a heat lamp to work well to remove most of it without much effort. Yes, cosmoline is toxic because it is a petroleum-based grease. Cosmoline is our stuff, product of a first world economy, the commies used grease, cheap grease, much easier to remove. All good tips, and this is how I clean the metal parts for the most part. Cosmoline is usually very good under a car going up against salt, water, heavy splashing/traffic spots, but sitting water I guess is just too much to ask. Those of you with any amount of experience dealing with milsurp guns have probably also encountered the enigma of cosmoline. Kroil is known as The Oil That Creeps and has made quite a name for itself in the firearms industry. Ive always had the best luck with mineral spirits. Pick any other cleaning option! They cost around $20 if you want something cheap. Pour the boiling water into the grease, then repeat the process until your water runs clear and you can handle each part without feeling oily. Yes, I used it back in the day when I did not know better. Note that if you are going to paint the part, use the brake parts cleaner which evaporates nearly completely and instantly (and skip the WD-40) and then paint immediately to prevent rust from starting. Once youve got your barrel and receiver assembly cleaned up, you can check on your sweaty wood bois and see where theyre at. WD-40 does a good job of removing Cosmoline and is an excellent cleaner especially on plastics. Hmm, so it's like packing grease. WD40 is a good cleaner for surfaces that you have good access to wipe down, but when it comes to cleaning small parts such as springs, sears, hammers, and other hard to reach places, I find that mineral spirits does a better job. Will brake cleaner remove cosmoline? Because it was so darn cold (sub-zero temperatures) they decided to speed the process with heat. All petroleum-based products are chemical mixtures that are highly complex. two weeks ago I used wd-40 to clean off cosmoline off a SAR-80 parts kit, I used it on the plastic stock and metal it worked real well and does not harm the bluing or crackle paint on the receiver stubs. I used WD40 to cut the cosmoline on some Yugo Mags. Your email address will not be published. Place the parts on some cardboard and the cleanup is minimal. Its worth noting that we didnt go SUPER deep with our cleanup job on the two in-house Type 56s as theyre already pretty thoroughly trashed. Cosmoline Removal I'm sure this has been discussed off an on before.but lets start a definitive thread with some tips and tricks! If you have some cosmoline removal in your future, you may want to pick up a bottle of this stuff. Brake cleaner and acetone will dissolve nearly anything but often they evaporate before you can get the gunk off and you are back where you started. Really, you'd have to soak ammo in WD40 to have a chance of it seeping in and killing the primer. Like CitriStrip because you won't lose any proof marks in the wood. The Fastest, Easiest & Safest Way to Remove Cosmoline (Easy Cosmoline Removal in Seconds)Removing Cosmoline has given people grief since 1939. Nearly as ubiquitous as duct tape, WD-40 claims to protect against rust and corrosion. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Here are the stuff you'll need: Mineral spirits or acetone and kerosene Water and soap Shop rags A toothbrush or a smaller paintbrush. The cosmoline should start to melt and run off the parts onto the ground cloth. This method works well on metal parts, but extreme care must be taken as Kerosene is very flammable. Good or bad idea? It shines like John Boehners nose now. This give us a headstart on polishing those bad boys up or if left long enough, cleans them totally with almost no extra work on your end. Cosmoline does an excellent job of preventing corrosion and preserving metal parts. If the firearm is left to accumulate for too long, it may clog, resulting in a firing failure or the need for repairs. Use an air gun to blow the cleaning fluid off after you finish, then apply lube as needed. Lightly go over the parts with the heat gun. Cosmoline is a petroleum based brown wax. OMS, odorless mineral spirits for me, too. WD40 is designed to evaporate of surfaces. 2023, Schafco Packaging Company. I found some PD680 from a chemical company, but it must be neutured or something because it doesn't smell the same and doesn't work anywhere near what the older stuff did back in the '90's. You can also use another heat source to melt the cosmoline to its liquid condition, such as a heat gun or an oven. Using your nylon brush scrub off any grease or cosmoline that is on the part. Refinish the wood with boiled linseed oil or Dansk oil. We finally discovered the quickest way to remove the cosmoline was to fill up a teapot with water, bring to boil, then slowly pour the boiling water onto the SKS. but I'm definitely open to suggestions as well. We would rest the muzzle in a 5 gallon bucket to catch the cosmoline filled water. Each car would come with a small bottle of "Cosmoline Remover" that you`d basically add to water and soak the car with. Drench them in it, let them sit, then rinse them out. Cosmoline is used to protect the gun against rusting; however, many military surplus rifles were previously submerged in the greasy substance, making its eventual removal seemingly problematic. Fortunately, this mess is pretty easy to clean up. Here are the stuff youll need: Avoid using gasoline and harsh chemical solvents as your cleaner because that can strip paint and other coatings from the guns surface. No other commonly available solvent works as well but it aint magic. Now I know why I don't buy mil surplus stuff. If you mean the stock, wrap it in a black plastic garbage bag, put it on the dash of a car in the sun for several hours. A couple of hours in the hot seat predictably allowed a ton of cosmoline that had been locked inside of the wood fibers the opportunity to seep out to the surface. We believe our Cosmoline Remover is the most effective solution offered anywhere. 55-Gallon Drum ($1,685.00) <> Ships in 1-2 business days. Even if your item only has a light coating of older Cosmoline, you might have questions as to how best to remove old coatings. . As it drives out moisture, it does little to oil a surface but sits on top of the surface to protect it. For future cosmo removal, try mineral spirits. It will melt off. Used a brass brush to help clear the heel lettering. When I began removing the cosmoline from my new Precision Matthews PM-1440GT lathe, it was a little daunting. This rifle had not been disassembled in MANY moons and had dried cosmoline in all the tight areas. Sign up for our newsletter and stay up to date, Blowback Operated Guns: Way More Than You Need To Know, CZ-457 Accuracy: The Most Affordable Way to Accurize Your CZ, How to Clean and Lube an Over/Under Shotgun, The Complete History of the Lyman Alaskan Scope, Gun Bluing Basics: All of the Methods Gunsmiths Use. It will melt off the Cosmoline then wipe and oil everything down. I also use murphy's oil soap to help remove the oily Cosmoline from the wood. These two things together will help dislodge and remove the remaining traces of Cosmoline, along with a fair amount of elbow grease. For the stocks, I generally do the dish washer routine (of course, I wait for my wife to be gone for the day first!lol). I used a heat gun for metal and wood. Let me show you how I safely remove cosmoline. I do this on bare stocks after stripping them. For the unfamiliar, cosmoline is sort of the genericized term for a family of petroleum-based greases with remarkably high viscosity with inherent rust and corrosion protective properties, a signature waxy brown visage, and unmistakable industrial smell. Trip83 . Soak a cloth in the degreaser and rub it onto the firearm until the cosmoline is dissolved. By that, you can also grab the tiny residues that were left in the firearm. In between cleanings use mineral spirits to wipe the surface. Depending on the gun youre working on, this may or may not be a concern. The spray and handy tube make it easy to get into grooves and slots, as well as bolt holes. The car was washed and dried, then taken back to the detail shop where the paint was buffed out, and a protective coating placed on all of the brightwork. It worked great. Those who have dealt with firearms for a long time most certainly have experienced the dilemmas of cosmoline. (not optimized for mobile browsing), Copyright 2023 COSMOLINE DIRECT, LLC. Although most greases will burn, cosmolines are rarely considered a fire threat. That means it will come off with kerosene or mineral spirit, and could even just wipe away with rubbing alcohol. Gets 95% of everything off and takes less time. By . When applied to a surface, the compound solidifies as it . Wipe it off with a combination of shop rags for the surface grease, as well as goof-off to grab any of the sticky residues that are going to be left behind. For tight areas, I used some Q-tips. Pressure steam and air dry large parts and wipe down with good oil 3 in 1 is good run hoppes#9 thru the bore after steaming and compressed air drying. Common internet gun wisdom is that youre going to want non-chlorinated brake cleaner, as a byproduct of chlorinated brake cleaner heating up is phosgene gas. Mineral spirits on metal. You can now use, and regularly clean. This post is brought to you in collaboration with Old Steel Historical Firearms, located in Littleton, Colorado. However, it might not be necessary if you have no intentions of shooting it.