Cosmoline removal - what to use?

[Amsdorf]

Thanks, brother, for the information. Makes me feel better about my genuine WWII era M1 I bought that some poor guy had spent hours removing the cosmo from.

Cheers.

I just watched the "Pacific" which shows the poor Marine bastards using 1903s against the Japs becaus they did not have M1, unless they stole them from the Army. Poor bastards. Thank God for machine guns.

[Allred]

Thanks, all. I'll get to work as soon as my shoulder heals (another unrelated story, altogether ). I'll post results when I get it done.

[RobSmith]

Last time a de-cosmoed a rifle I used a couple of spray cans of brake cleaner and some rags, worked fine.

[Sarge1998]

Just received my CMP Garand! What is best for cleaning & removing cosmoline?

Thanks,

Just saw your thread, is what you have an HRA Greek return? If so, what mine was covered in was not cosmoline but grease, you can use the same methods provided, it's just cosmoline is tougher, IMO.

[gulliver62]

I use mineral spirits (on the metal) and tooth brushes or chipping brushes.
For the wood, I use the let it roast in the sun technique and then use alcohol and toothbrushes.

As for the Mosin barrel....I have one that I think my grandchildren (whenever I have any) will still be trying to get the crud out of.

[oldpapps]

Many years a go I was able to buy a re-imported USGI M1 that had been sent to and stored in England. It was a slime of cosmoline...
I passed it off to my dad to deal with, that made him happy. As I was working all of the time, I was not around to help in the clean up.
He had a wood stove on his patio and built a good fire, set a 20 gal barrel on it full of water. As the water was coming up to a boil, he broke the M1 down, bagged up the smaller parts and dumped it all in the water. He told me that he had dipped several quarts of cosmoline (and water I think) out of the barrel. The stock was a very light birch color after being boiled. It looked quite good after being finished (steel wool and Linn seed oil over and over and over).
He later sold it or traded it. But that one way to get out cosmoline.

OSOK

[enbloc8]

Years ago somebody told me about the boiling technique as well. He said that he was headed overseas for occupation duty in Germany, they all had brand-new M1s issued to them and there were drums of boiling water set up on the deck of their troopship to use.

Personally, I've used carburetor cleaner on the metal, and Simple Green and hot water on the wood.

[Kirk]

How much boiling water does it take to get rid of the blasted stuff? I just poured three huge pots of boiling water through my Mosin barel, and ... a day later ... cosmo is still coming off when I wipe the chamber with a cleaning patch.

Egads.

A fouled bore may be more than cosmoline. Try some Ed's Red, available at Brownell's or make your own - see http://www.precisionweapons.com/CartGenie/EDs_Red.pdf

Ed's Red is a superior solvent & cleaner that will remove fouling and oil/grease/cosmoline from a bore no matter how petrified.

[cjcmosin]

i heard that boiling water and simple green works good. get a turky pan and fill it a little more than halfway w/ the watter add a good large splash of simple green and scrub with some sort of toot brush or toilet scrubber or something.
the gun has to be dismantled though.

as for the wood your on your own you tube might have some vids on it.

"and on the eighth day god blew his nose and said let thare be cosmoline"

[purple]

I like mineral spirits and a non-metallic brush. Sometimes you get to a point where you find that the grease/cosmo almost appears to be a laquer coating. In these cases a double edged razor bade will remove it in flakes w/o any damage to the underlying metal finish. I just cleaned up a NOS 1944 M1903 barrel before installation. It was still in the original gauze type Springfield Armory wrapping over the original cosmo which had become "petrified" to some extent. I needed to get it good and dry to prevent slippage in the barrel vice and this approach worked well.