Removing Cosmoline

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  • ChannelCat

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    I have newly manufactured Bulgarian AK-74 imported through Atlantic Firearms. I hadn’t had a chance to get it out onto the range until yesterday, only to realize that there was a thin coating of Cosmoline on it. It’s not the totally caked on Cosmoline that you find on old Cold War era SKS’s (which I why I initially missed it), but it was enough to cause the rifle not to cycle correctly (Doh!).

    Does anyone have any suggestions on how best to remove the Cosmoline? I read that mineral spirits would be the way to go. The rifle has a composite and not wooden stock, and I read that I should be careful not to get about mineral spirits on a composite stock.
     

    HoChiWaWa

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 27, 2007
    1,414
    Montgomery Village
    I have newly manufactured Bulgarian AK-74 imported through Atlantic Firearms. I hadn’t had a chance to get it out onto the range until yesterday, only to realize that there was a thin coating of Cosmoline on it. It’s not the totally caked on Cosmoline that you find on old Cold War era SKS’s (which I why I initially missed it), but it was enough to cause the rifle not to cycle correctly (Doh!).

    Does anyone have any suggestions on how best to remove the Cosmoline? I read that mineral spirits would be the way to go. The rifle has a composite and not wooden stock, and I read that I should be careful not to get about mineral spirits on a composite stock.

    mineral spirits on the metal, toss the wood in a black trashbag with a bunch of sawdust and leave it in your car on a hot day.
     

    Half-cocked

    Senior Meatbag
    Mar 14, 2006
    23,937
    Boiling water works great on the metal parts, too. Add a few drops of dish soap to break up the melted cosmo, rinse off with more boiling water, spray down with WD40. Do it outdoors though, as WD40 on hot metal flashes off and stinks to high hell.

    edit: oh, and since your stock is composite, try hot water & dish soap on that too. I wouldn't use boiling water, as that might be too hot and distort the plastic.
     

    Huckleberry

    No One of Consequence
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 19, 2007
    23,314
    Severn & Lewes
    Boiling water works great on the metal parts, too. Add a few drops of dish soap to break up the melted cosmo, rinse off with more boiling water, spray down with WD40. Do it outdoors though, as WD40 on hot metal flashes off and stinks to high hell.

    edit: oh, and since your stock is composite, try hot water & dish soap on that too. I wouldn't use boiling water, as that might be too hot and distort the plastic.

    Dawn is the best dish soap to use. Best degreaser out there, even works if the dog gets into tar or you're saving a duck from a oil spill.
     

    HoChiWaWa

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 27, 2007
    1,414
    Montgomery Village
    heat plus something to absorb the cosmo will work on anything, I just don't suggest it on metal because I wouldn't want to clean sticky sawdust out of my chamber.
     

    Jaybeez

    Ultimate Member
    Industry Partner
    Patriot Picket
    May 30, 2006
    6,392
    Darlington MD
    Remove the stock set and you have a few options.

    1. Wipe down with mineral spirits.
    B. Blast it off with brake clean or carb cleaner.
    III. Heat gun it off, lean the rifle up and start at one end and work your way down, have some newspaper to catch the grease.
     

    ChannelCat

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Thank you everyone! I definitely know what to do now, and I'd like to do it tonight, but I'll probably wait till tomorrow. I think I have some mineral spirits on hand, and I'm going to remove the stock befors I start. I can't wait to clean it, and get it back out onto the range.

    Right now, that little angel is wispering to me "Do your workout tonight", while at the same time, that little devil is wispering to me "Blow off the workout tonight and clean your rifle!"
     

    jpk1md

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 13, 2007
    11,313
    Hang it barrel down from a coathanger up in the blazing hot attic for a couple of days.

    Be sure you put a big foil turkey pan under it to collect the Cosmo....then you can save the cosmo for future use.
     

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