but what are some good links for cleaning / dissasembly guides for the SKS? And anything on Cosmolene removal? Thanks.

http://www.surplusrifle.com/articlesNew.asp

Disassembly is easy.  Getting it together is the tough part.  There is an SKS takedown tutorial with pictures on this site.  Wait, let me look

http://www.surplusrifle.com/sks/carbine/index.asp


You will find a disassembly tutorial on surplusrifle.com says to "tap lightly" to remove the firing pin retaining pin from the bolt.  This is the worst lie since Clinton's "I did not have sexual relations with that woman" speech back in the days.

Take a large hammer and a punch and whack on the circular pin on the side of the bolt (not the firing pin!)  The pin in question is circular on one end and wider and flat on the other.  Make sure you're following through on your swing, and make sure you have enough clearance under the bolt so the retaining pin has somewhere to go!  I managed to break a punch, bend a punch, and smash a cinder block to pieces in my attempts to get that sucker out.  Don't give up, it will come out of there.

The only other issue I can think of is getting the receiver/barrel out of the stock, and then back into it.  Make sure you have the safety on and press down HARD on the release button behind the trigger guard.  I used a philips screwdriver.  With the rifle still upside down,  put your right hand on the bottom of the receiver and your left hand on the top of the butt stock and pull towards you with your left hand.  The bayonet must be extended.  The receiver should come loose.

When putting it back in, the release button behind the trigger guard never wants to click into place.  I used a dowel, a hammer, and a towel over the flat spot behind the button, gave it a good whack, and it clicked home.

As for cosmoline removal, I reccommend about fifty q-tips, some toothpicks, a couple old toothbrushes, two large towels, a dozen cotton rags/t-shirts, a good friend, and a six pack of your favorite beer (I reccommend Blue Moon or Fat Tire).

 Get the biggest pot you can find, fill it with water, and put it on simmer.  It doesn't need to boil, but it should get up past 150 degrees.  Dump EVERYTHING into the water and let it soak for at least five minutes.  Remove a couple pieces at a time, scrub them down with toothbrushes, and put them back in for another five minutes.  The trick to removing cosmoline is to keep the water relatively clean (oil floats and too much on the surface will leave a film on any parts you pull out.  Skim it off with pantyhose) and to make sure the metal is still hot when you scrub it down.  The cosmo should come off the metal easy.  When the parts come out the second time, get any major spots remaining and start working it with the q-tips.  Dunk again.  After the third time, use toothpicks to get those hard-to-reach areas.  The receiver/bbl is the hardest part as it is too wonky to fit in most pots.  Be creative on that one.  Or just flip it around.

As for the stock, preheat the oven to "warm", no more than 160 degrees, and line the bottom rack with tinfoil shaped into a slight bowl so that cosmo can collect.  When heated, put the stock in business end first and upside down, so that cosmo cannot collect in the receiver area.  Make sure the business end is pointing at the tinfoil bowl.  

Let it cook for ten minutes, pull it out and wipe it down with a cottom rag.  The cosmo should "cry" its way to the surface of the wood.  Repeat as needed (3-4 times).  When it doesn't come out shiny, you're done.

Oil all metal parts lightly (magazine hinge, trigger group, etc) and be more liberal on the top of the receiver and bolt group.  

Let me know if you need anything else.  

Total time: An afternoon.

or stick the stock in the dish washer did that worked great wife was pissed tho. did that with the barrel/receiver too just make sure there is no soap of jet dry in it before hand. then use lots of remoil

Quoted: or stick the stock in the dish washer did that worked great wife was pissed tho. did that with the barrel/receiver too just make sure there is no soap of jet dry in it before hand. then use lots of remoil

+1 on this.  Go to this link.

Quoted: Quoted: or stick the stock in the dish washer did that worked great wife was pissed tho. did that with the barrel/receiver too just make sure there is no soap of jet dry in it before hand. then use lots of remoil +1 on this.  Go to this link.

Works great!!  I had a quick session with 400 grit sandpaper on my Yugos after the wash to smooth out the wood.   I used mineral spirits to accelerate the drying and to take off any left over traces of cosmo.      Wet sanding with mineral spirits works great.  My stocks turned out beautiful and smooth as silk.  The only regret I have is that I probably should have gone with something finer than 400 instead of using almost spent 400 grit to clean them up.   IMO, a real battle rifle should not be defeated by a dishwasher.

yea i discovered surplus rifle after the fact with my stuff lol. i did it because and old timer friend told me it did wonders.

   try ATF yes automatic tranny oil for cosmo removal. it works and is cheep. it,ll at least take off the big stuff easily. after that I never tried the dishwasher method, but i,m gonna!

Keep in mind, the key to removing cosmo is not harsh chemicals.  It his HEAT.  

Heat, heat, heat!  If you stick it on the blacktop in the Arizona summer sun, it will work just as well as anything else.

Heat and elbow grease.

Quoted: Keep in mind, the key to removing cosmo is not harsh chemicals.  It his HEAT.   Heat, heat, heat!  If you stick it on the blacktop in the Arizona summer sun, it will work just as well as anything else. Heat and elbow grease.

In the absence of heat though, harsh chemicals will work too.  I had a Mosin which seemed to be part of Mother Russia's cosmoline strategic reserve.  2 cans of the cheap "cancer in a can" brake cleaner took off most of the shit, but it pulls off all grease/oil on the rifle and it'll rust before your eyes if you don't get it covered.  

Operator is right though, cosmoline will go from hard to liquid when heated, and it'll sweat out of the wood in the heat like you won't believe.  Once you get it "clean" and go to shoot it, bring some rags the first few times and mop it down as it heats up.