Gentlemen and Lady or two...

I recently purchased one of them Yugo SKS in excellent condition, but it goes without saying that its covered in cosmoline. Its gooey like honey in some places and a little harder in others. Anyway, in the past I've used liquid carburator and a plastic tub to soak the parts in, followed by the time tested sun-dry method...especially for the furniture.

BUT...In my current apartment, I don't have the luxury of doing it that way. I can't leave any parts outside because I just got a new landlord and I want to slowly work her in. (get your minds out of the gutter, I'm talking about working her in to the idea of having a redneck with guns upstairs) and I also can't use the tub method due to space and ventilation contraints.

So, I'd like to hear some other methods you guys use to clean cosmo and see if any of them might be good for me under current circumstances...I'd hate to have to take the rifle to Balzac's place to clean it there because I'm afraid he might try to run off with it while I'm not looking...

Semper Fi...

try using a space heater and wiping them down every half hour

I think you can put the parts in boiling water, or something like that? Obviously it won't work for the stock, and you'll have to re-oil the thing everywhere right afterwards...

To degrease my Albanian, I used a lot of carb cleaner, a metric fuckton of paper towels, and a lot of elbowgrease...

Yeah Evil Ed...I was leaning towards your method, but it sounds like work...I'm getting lazy in my old-age...

Or, if you're feeling nuts, you can put some very large drip-pans in your oven, and put all the metal parts in there on a higher rack. Crank up the heat, and listen to the cosmo melt.

But, I have no idea how flammable cosmo is, so this might not be a hot idea. Pardon the pun.

Lanolin-based waterless hand cleaner applied with old toothbrushes and rags work fine, just don't use an abrasive cleaner.

I've heard the oven thing mentioned on surplusrifles before.  Head over there, there's a pretty long thread there somewhere just about cleaning cosmo

Do it the easy way, take it to the car wash.  Use the engine cleaner stuff.

I'm serious.

I've had good luck with simple green, water and lots of rags. John

Quoted: ..a metric fuckton...

LOL. Must be that New 'New Math'.


6" drainage pipe, capped, with mineral spirits - capped, tumbled, soaked, decant into the tub for final.

Quoted: I've had good luck with simple green, water and lots of rags. John

+1.

Simple Green did a great job on mine. I took the stock to work and hung it on a wire in front of the boiler in the powerhouse for a couple of days. It cooked all the cosmo out of the wood.

Quoted: Do it the easy way, take it to the car wash.  Use the engine cleaner stuff. I'm serious.

Ditto...

Field strip and bring to carwash. Use carb cleaner and blast away. Douche with WD40 for ride home.

Detail clean and lube when home.

+1 for Simple Green.  Right up there with duct tape and bailing wire in the usefullness category.

Heat several pots of water to a boil

Strip all of the metal parts out of the stock.

Clear the bore with a patch and wipe off any major goo with paper towels.

Put all of the larger parts in the kitchen sink.

Pour the boiling through the parts, the action and the bore.

Repeat until the cosmoline has melted away.

Wipe down the parts (they should mostly dry on their own-take care not to burn yourself)

Liberally oil everything up, and reassemble.

You will still get a fair amount of cosmoline leaching its way out on your first few range sessions. This is just nature's way of reminding you that you bought a surplus weapon.

Thanks for all the great advice guys...

Semper Fi

Mineral spirits.

Quoted: Heat several pots of water to a boil Strip all of the metal parts out of the stock. Clear the bore with a patch and wipe off any major goo with paper towels. Put all of the larger parts in the kitchen sink. Pour the boiling through the parts, the action and the bore. Repeat until the cosmoline has melted away. Wipe down the parts (they should mostly dry on their own-take care not to burn yourself) Liberally oil everything up, and reassemble. You will still get a fair amount of cosmoline leaching its way out on your first few range sessions. This is just nature's way of reminding you that you bought a surplus weapon.

+1

Quoted: Heat several pots of water to a boil Strip all of the metal parts out of the stock. Clear the bore with a patch and wipe off any major goo with paper towels. Put all of the larger parts in the kitchen sink. Pour the boiling through the parts, the action and the bore. Repeat until the cosmoline has melted away. Wipe down the parts (they should mostly dry on their own-take care not to burn yourself) Liberally oil everything up, and reassemble. You will still get a fair amount of cosmoline leaching its way out on your first few range sessions. This is just nature's way of reminding you that you bought a surplus weapon.

Thats EXACTLY how I do it.