SKS caked in cosmoline

[TreyG-20]

Oh and share some pictures when you get it back together.

SKS owners roll call

I have become a member of the SKS owners club this morning. Did a bit of trading and came home with this Yugo SKS. It's a numbers matching rifle in pretty good shape. Has less scars than I do and is older. I couldn't find any threads on here dedicated to SKS's and I myself am pretty...

texasguntalk.com

 

[toddnjoyce]

Helluva lot of work for a commie milsurp.

 

[Elenah]

I think it's the perfect gun to try blueing for a fist timer?

 

[BigRed]

Brake cleaner for the metal.
Heat gun (usually on low) for the wood.

Cosmo is an EXCELLENT preservative.

 

[TreyG-20]

I think it's the perfect gun to try blueing for a fist timer?

Probably a cheap single shot bolt action 22 or break action shotgun would be a better option for the first time, but an SKS is not a rare rifle, so if you messed it up it wouldn't be anything to cry over and it would still be functional. Need to clean that surface really well and see if any rust has started pitting. Reblueing wouldn't fix that. Nothing will though. You'd be better off having it cerakoted. It's a durable finish and much cheaper. It just won't have the beautiful sheen of a blued finish and it won't look original. I think you should leave it alone. Learn to love it like it is and for it's character. Most other SKS enthusiasts like myself like them like that.

 

[Eastexasrick]

I think it's the perfect gun to try blueing for a fist timer?

OK, no home blue will ever come near to a hot tank or industrial blue.
There are dozens of home blue products out there, I like the Stock Doc. stockdocusa.com, check out his videos. I use his metal bluing products.
Several simple things, way too much to cover it all here.
Clean, clean, clean. Any oil or contamination will mess up the finish.
Wear disposable gloves, for the oil on your skin, and most cold blue is poison.
It is 98% preparation, 2% finishing.
Avoid sanding with course material 400 grit is as course as I go, 1200 for final sanding. Don't sand the edges, polish them, rounded edges are the benchmark of a beginner.
Start with the small parts, learn as you go.
If you don't like the look, do it over. Try a different product.

 

[Vaquero]

Ask @vtach

 

[Glenn B]

CLP is useless or just about so. Elbow grease will get the job done along with things like Gunzilla, mineral spirits, Goop Out (their strongest one), dry heat (probably the best). You may discover a new use for your hairdryer, it may come in quite handy in this regard. I've used other things but I'll be damned if the little gray cells are firing at 100% in my memory banks right now. I don't ever use gasoline because while it may clean out cosomoline very well, it is too flammable for my liking.

 

[cycleguy2300]

Pretty sure Coleman lantern fuel is just expensive mineral spirits, just like charcoal lighter.

Its "white gas"

White gas is more or less pure gasoline without the nasties (benzene et al) that would be bad for cooking over.

I've ran it in my lawn mower to dispose of it, but it has a really low octane rating so probably best not to use in your car.

It smells like avgas, just without the lead.



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[Gordo]

Yes, we've addressed that, see post #16...

 

[Eastexasrick]

Its "white gas"

White gas is more or less pure gasoline without the nasties (benzene et al) that would be bad for cooking over.

I've ran it in my lawn mower to dispose of it, but it has a really low octane rating so probably best not to use in your car.

It smells like avgas, just without the lead.



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Post 12,16,20, 45
Colman fuel runs about 45 to 55 octane. Low compression motors like my flat head Ford, most lawn mower will run on it. Pretty much is avgas, with no added stinko ( benzine), lead, and a somewhat less octane.

 

[cycleguy2300]

Post 12,16,20, 45
Colman fuel runs about 45 to 55 octane. Low compression motors like my flat head Ford, most lawn mower will run on it. Pretty much is avgas, with no added stinko ( benzine), lead, and a somewhat less octane.

See post #70.

I guess you dont read through everything before posting either

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[TexasHorn7]

I'll try letting it sit in the sun tomorrow, I'm scared to do anything with a heat gun because of my lack of experience and I don't want to ruin it. Would it be a bad idea to just soak the bolt in a dish of CLP?

Separate the stock from the action. Give it a basic cleaning to get the big gunk off. Set it on newspapers in the heat ... a few times.

Fir the metal parts, I used brake cleaner on my Mosin, a toothbrush and plastic picks.

 

[jwhistler]

My Korean veteran uncle told me they used boiling hot water to remove cosmoline. Just disassemble and place it the hot water.

 

[red-f40]

I used to take the SKS , put it in a bag with kitty litter, put it into the trunk and bake it off on hot summer days. Worked every time.

 

[Lead Belly]

Diesel works good, easy to find, cheap, doesn't 'splode like gasoline.

 

[Destroyer357]

Diesel works good, easy to find, cheap, doesn't 'splode like gasoline.

I was told that hot boiling diesel will cut through cosmoline like butter ; not something I would personally try my self though

 

[Glenn B]

Pretty sure Coleman lantern fuel is just expensive mineral spirits, just like charcoal lighter.

Coleman fuel - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[@TX_1]

Hello all,
I recently got gifted a pretty crappy Chinese SKS that is CAKED in cosmoline. I don't know what the guy who owned it before was thinking.

I've been trying to clean it but the bolt was this ugly orange color and the firing pin only moved after working it with CLP, a mallet, and pliers for an hour. I tried to hammer out the firing pin retainer to no avail, it barely budged and my hands hurt like crazy. I have a bench vise and I don't think I'm THAT weak. I've been watching YouTube videos while I try to clean it and I think my sks is as bad as it gets. I can provide pictures of needed.

Is it important that I get all the cosmoline out? Is slam firing that big of an issue? The firing pin moves in the bolt now with more ease but doesn't drop with gravity.

Thank you!

When you started this thread, found it interesting. Couple of years ago, I bought an SKS from moving sale from friend going to live with his sister. (health issues) It was totally disassembled, we found most of the parts in 3 boxes over about 3 days. I later found the missing part, the bolt. I had already ordered a new bolt and extractor, smile.

Make long story short, I found a gunsmith in Bowie who manufactures replacement firing pins for SKS. The firing pin is spring loaded and solves several issues for the SKS. There are some models of SKS that require minor mods to use the pin, but most simply drop in the bolt. My particular rifle (most common) did not require any mods and all you had to do is open the bolt and remove the original firing pin (then clean everything) and drop the new pin in and reassemble bolt.

It solves the issue of slam firing, the issue of firing pin puncturing soft primers, and the issue of firing pin freezing from sludge. When it was all done, my wife told me, "I like that, I really like that." From there it is her rifle. smile. It actually shoots pretty good. In addition to buying some of the Russian ammo, I bought reloading dies and brass and some JSP bullets and a bullet mold for gas lead bullets. I can reload for all the rifles I own (and some I don't), sleep better at night not worrying about ammo availability. It is a crazy world today.

 

[alternative]

https://murraysguns.com/sks-firing-pins/ for info.
I clean my bolt regularly and the firing pin should shake freely in the bolt so I have not had a slamfire or any problems. I do not have the spring kit. The only thing I needed to fix was replacing the gas tube. My gas tube was shipped from Ukraine years ago, purchased on gunbroker. Chinese and Russian use the same gas tube. Hard to find. In all, I like my SKS.