Comsonline removal

[HARVEYtheDAMNED]

So I bought a mosin from ITP today. A great gun, stock and bore are in great shape. It was made in '42, don't know if it was used in WWII or not considering the shape of the rifle.

Anyways, the rifle is in great shape, but it's slathered in Cosmoline. Currently it's baking inside of a trashbag on my Dashboard right now, it's a good hot day to do this.

But what else can I do to get some of that Cosmoline off this puppy? I don't think getting it out of the stock should be a problem, but what about the metal parts? Should I just take it apart and scrub it? Is there a cleaner I should use?

Mosin experts please help.

 

[40calPUNISHER]

Soak in mineral spirits.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zFP5ZZQe6g[/ame]

 

[hrearden]

If you can get ahold of some Gunzilla, it works better for that than anything Ive ever seen. Thats what I used to use at the shop I worked at and the boss was ordering 50 at a time. Otherwise, I use a big tub with kerosene and a brush or a bunch of acetone. Not only that, Id scrub the bore with something that has ammonia like regular windex "or a knockoff" as these rifles were most likely not cleaned before they were put away.

 

[hrearden]

Mineral spirits works too. I only mention kerosene because its not as volatile as most and can be dispensed at some gas stations.

 

[malern28us]

Brake cleaner.

 

[40calPUNISHER]

If you can get ahold of some Gunzilla, it works better for that than anything Ive ever seen. Thats what I used to use at the shop I worked at and the boss was ordering 50 at a time. Otherwise, I use a big tub with kerosene and a brush or a bunch of acetone. Not only that, Id scrub the bore with something that has ammonia like regular windex "or a knockoff" as these rifles were most likely not cleaned before they were put away.

If you are referring to the use of corrosive ammo, ammonia and ammonia type products are not recommended. Water works best. Ammonia will eat away at your rifle.

 

[lmyer]

Mineral spirits won't damage the shellac finish on the stock if you happen to get it on there and it dissolves the cosmo just fine.

A 1942 Mosin was guaranteed to have been used in the war and then almost always refurbished from a pile of parts (reblued, fixed up, probably new stock) afterwards.

You really should disassemble to clean out cosmo (including bolt).

Don't lose the trigger pivot pin. It WILL fall out when you are not looking.

Note that the firing pin is pretty much flush with the back of the cocking piece. Put it back together to that depth and forget all the pin protrusion tools. It was checked during refurb.

Good luck,

 

[rugertoter]

So I bought a mosin from ITP today. A great gun, stock and bore are in emasculate shape. It was made in '42, don't know if it was used in WWII or not considering the shape of the rifle.

Anyways, the rifle is in great shape, but it's slathered in Cosmoline. Currently it's baking inside of a trashbag on my Dashboard right now, it's a good hot day to do this.

But what else can I do to get some of that Cosmoline off this puppy? I don't think getting it out of the stock should be a problem, but what about the metal parts? Should I just take it apart and scrub it? Is there a cleaner I should use?

Mosin experts please help.

Just like some earlier posters said, get a long container and soak all your parts in paint thinner. I have used laquer thinner before, but that stuff is pretty "hot".

 

[ArmedRPh]

I picked up a Draco that had a bunch of cosmoline on it a few months ago. I used Gunscrubber. Wicked stuff. You spray it on and you can see the gunk melt off. Like most of the recommended options above, do yourself a favor and wear some latex gloves (examination gloves). Not only do these products strip the oils and grease off the firearms, they do the same thing to your hands. If that doesn't suck enough, if there is lead or other little nasty compounds on the gun, these products help them cross your skin to get into YOUR system. As if inhaling lead wasn't bad enough...

Make sure you get the GunScrubber that is safe for synthetic parts (plastics) just in case you want to use it on something that isn't wood and metal.

 

[ag563]

I used glass cleaner on mine.

 

[686 Shooter]

Brake cleaner.

Yea, what he said... I used brake cleaner on the barrel and the stock and then refinished the stock with tung oil.

 

[HARVEYtheDAMNED]

Thanks for the help everyone. Gonna pick up a couple cans of Break cleaner on the way into work tonight, and then de-cosmify this thing when I get home.

 

[wolfman]

So I bought a mosin from ITP today. A great gun, stock and bore are in emasculate shape. It was made in '42, don't know if it was used in WWII or not considering the shape of the rifle.

Anyways, the rifle is in great shape, but it's slathered in Cosmoline. Currently it's baking inside of a trashbag on my Dashboard right now, it's a good hot day to do this.

But what else can I do to get some of that Cosmoline off this puppy? I don't think getting it out of the stock should be a problem, but what about the metal parts? Should I just take it apart and scrub it? Is there a cleaner I should use?

Mosin experts please help.

Whoooo dude ***,, you mean you bought a "neutered" mosin ???? I think you need to get rid of it quick, while your man card is still intact.



You can send it to me and i will dispose of it for ya.

 

[JettaKnight]

I posted this before...

Leave all the nasty chemicals on the shelf. All you need is near boiling water and dish detergent. Just use some old toothbrushes.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Thanks for the help everyone. Gonna pick up a couple cans of Break cleaner on the way into work tonight, and then de-cosmify this thing when I get home.

Make sure you get non-chlorinated brake cleaner, and DON'T get it on the wood unless you are planning on stripping the finish anyway. This stuff (I found out quite by accident) does an excellent job of stripping off the finish. I found that it worked more easily and dried more quickly than regular stripper. If you're not refinishing the stock, then just make sure and take it completely apart (it's only held together by a couple of screws after all! ) Just make sure you give everything a light coat of oil afterwards, because the brake cleaner really "dries out" the metal.

 

[karl77]

heat gun or hair drier is my preferred way to remove cosmoline. if you remove the stock, then break out the brake clean.

 

[littletommy]

I buy Brake Kleen in gallon jugs, it's cheaper than buying the spray cans. (I do the same thing with WD40) I just pour it into a spray bottle, and blast away at the disassembled parts. I do all my cosmo killing in my garage, where I have an air compressor to blow off everything after soaking in brake kleen. Probably wouldn't do things the same if I lived in an apartment or didn't have some external place to work.

 

[SnoopLoggyDog]

Another method that removes most of the cosmoline is pretty simple. Begin by detail stripping your firearm. Wrap the parts in paper towels and newspaper. Put the wrapped parts in a plastic tub, and place the tub in the attic. Leave it up there for a couple of hot summer days. When you remove the newspaper-paper towels, most of the cosmoline will be soaked into the paper. Finish with mineral spirits.

I've also put a cosmoline soaked stock in the dishwasher. Gets every bit of cosmoline out of the wood pores.

 

[HARVEYtheDAMNED]

Ok everyone here's the gameplan.

Take mosin apart, including disassembling the bolt. Give all metal pieces a good coat of brakleen, and give it a couple minutes to work. Then wipe them down. Using a toothbrush, apply brakleen and scrub hard to reach places. Reassemble bolt, making sure firing pin is in correctly using mosin multitool.

Then heat sections of stock using hairdryer on high setting. Wipe down the cosmoline and repeat until it stops bubbling up.

Sound good? Anything I should add?

Edit: also oil up metal parts when I'm done cleaning them.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Ok everyone here's the gameplan.

Take mosin apart, including disassembling the bolt. Give all metal pieces a good coat of brakleen, and give it a couple minutes to work. Then wipe them down. Using a toothbrush, apply brakleen and scrub hard to reach places. Reassemble bolt, making sure firing pin is in correctly using mosin multitool.

Then heat sections of stock using hairdryer on high setting. Wipe down the cosmoline and repeat until it stops bubbling up.

Sound good? Anything I should add?

Just add ammo! If you hurry, AIM Surplus has spam cans for $84.59 delivered right now ($69.95 + 14.64 shipping). It's a Memorial Day sale.

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