Cosmoline = SATAN

[Spiggy]

not to burst your buble, but you know that the 1943 M-44's were trials rifles, and WERE fired in combat during that testing period right?

doesn't mean much since the ones we get here stateside are Ukrainian depot refurbished.

It's tough to find a rifle without the box/slash mark "[/]"

[SDgarrick]

Keep cleaning agents away from the stock, altogether. I accidentally touched some foaming bore cleanser to it, and watched it eat right through the shellac in moments.

On the bright side, it gave me an excuse to refinish it and I really like the way it turned out.

[JDay]

I wiped all I could off my SKS when I got it then took a hair dryer to it to bleed out the rest. Anything left should come out on its own after a few range trips. Don't forget to detail strip it to get everything out of the internals.

[Hopi]

Updates?

[Mark One]

The original shellac finish should act as a barrier to keep cosmo out of the wood. Use mineral spirits or paint thinner to wipe down the stock. Don't use denatured alcohol on the stock, because it will strip the shellac.

Do not use paint thinner on your stock... Or Mineral Spirits for that matter...

[paul0660]

Regular gas. Outside.

[jpkotor]

i easy-off'ed a cosmoline soaked stock a few times and that cleaned the hell out of it. as for the metal parts, a lot of things work. diesel, gasoline, hairdriers, steam-cleanings, boiling. i liek boiling because it lifts the cosmo off and the water is so hot when you pull it out most of it evaporates off. wd-40, oil and you're good to go.

cosmoline is your friend. but its like that friend thats always late and one time back in the day slept with an ex of yours.

[B Strong]

Cleaning cosmoline is the price we pay for having fantastic condition 50+ year old firearms.

Once you learn the ropes - and the posts here are spot on - it won't be an issue.

[Gator Monroe]

Exactly.
Once you remove ALL the cosmo, you will know every part of that rifle cold.
Also, cosmo is the only reason why that rifle is in the condition it's in today!
It's really a love/hate relationship.

If I had a son, I wouda named him Cosmo !

[proudamerican831]

deleted

[eighteenninetytwo]

I would use the 'in the sun' sun method for the stock. for the rest of the rifle, just clean off the internals and parts you need to shoot it, then leave it on teh rest eg parts between metal and wood, then you never have to worry about rust/corrosion ever again.