Slayer....ever tried Purple Power? You can get it at most hardware/Wal-Mart stores....that and a little mineral spirits will kick the cosmoline monsters ass.

mike/beerslayer-

like cures like- cosmo is boiling hot when the rifle is dipped in it to preserve it, much like sheep dip (ironic, as cosmo is a lanolin/something else mixture), so boil up LOTS of water, and, after you have put on some thick rubber gloves and have lots of cotton rags and paper towels ready by your sink, pour it on the disassembled wood and metal parts of said Lee-Enfield, until the wood starts leaching and dissolving yucky cosmo. Wipe it all away, if it isn't already going down the drain.

When the wood starts turning grey, you know the cosmo is coming out of the wood- be patient, though, since cosmo replaces the wood's natural oils, and it takes quite a while- be prepared for repeated sessions- to get it all out. Even so, you will need lots of scrubbings with a plastic dishbrush, then lots of applications of steel wool and boiled linseed oil to get the stock wood looking good again. You will be surprised how good the wood is underneath there, though, but be VERY patient- this will be a great winter project.

(NB: some people like putting stock wood in the automatic dishwasher. Just make sure you take it out before it goes on the drying cycle, as the heat- higher and drier than my method- might crack some wood.)

The metal: the boiling water will take care of most of the cosmo AND grease AND soot from corrosive Mk VII ammo, at least in the breech and action, but the chamber and bore are another matter. Lots of CLP and a good brass bore/chamber brush work for me when cleaning the bore and chamber, but you will find that there will still be lots more black stuff that somehow rise to the surface of the inside of the bore after a while- lots of fun, but eventually the bore does get better. Pay particular attention to cleaning the chamber, so that the cases don't stick when you fire them.

I wouldn't even worry about the copper in the rifling, as it doesn't affect the shooting of an L-E or any other milsurp bolter one bit. Again, lots of rags, but don't forget Q-tips and pipe cleaners- a bit like cleaning an AR already! Check out your extractor spring inside the bolt head, and make sure it isn't too corroded, BTW.

Pitting doesn't affect shooting much either- these guns were made to be used and abused under damp European and Empire conditions by people who had little previous training or experience with firearms. (As Herman Wouk said in "The Caine Mutiny" about the US Navy: "Designed by geniuses to be run by idiots." :^D )

Take good care of your Mk IV No. 2, and it will take great care of you. BTW you are probably the first person ever in its service life to give two s*its about the rifle beyond keeping it clean-looking and functional.

Sounds like a good idea- who makes it, BTW? I'll have to give that a try with my next L-E, too.



VERY lightly- don't erase all the little inspector stamps and history in that wood.



You might find, as I do, that, for a few months or so, the cosmo could leach back out when the wood is heated, such as when firing or when left in the sun for a long time. Keep a spare rag handy at the range.



True, true... just call us the "Janitors of the Gun" :^D... My kids are amazed at all the gunk that comes out of the barrels of these things: "Where does it all come from, daddy?"
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"They tell me your father was also a military man."
              - --General Ulysses S. Grant to the 2nd Duke of Wellington

I bought some Sten Mags from TAPCO recently, and you could've greased a Semi-Truck with all the cosmoline that came out of those things!  The insides were full of it, made a hell of a mess during cleaning.  When I got done, I needed de-greasing.

95th is absolutely correct. My dad was in the ROK forces in the 60s. He was issued brand new spanking M1 Garands from WWII in boot camp packed in cosmoline.  They disasembled the weapon and cooked them in boiling water. The wood and metal obviously have different cooking times!  He said it worked great.  Also took some dings out of the wood.  You need to sand and re-oil the stock.  CLP and elbow grease for the metal parts.