How hard is it to clean cosmoline off a gun? It doesn't seem tough, but I'm worried about disassembling the bolt and trigger assembly. Is it possible to just dump the both parts in spirits and clean them with a brush or is it best to disassemble the parts completely?

You can go the solvent route, and that works ok if it's just a thin layer, but there's cosmoline, and there's COSMOLINE.

I know a lot of guys have great success with very hot water or steam. Sure beats using solvents for many tasks.

Here's a link to some tips.

http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting...line/index.asp

It's not that bad to clean off but what you must know is that cosmoline protects, not lube. Clean and lube all parts, then hit the range.

Thanks for the tips.

It looks like I'll disassemble all the metal, use a steamer on it and then dump it in a bucket of hot soapy water. I'll than scrub all the hard to reach areas with a toothbrush. Repeat that a couple times and than oil the parts.

For the wood, I'll either steam it, wipe off, repeat or bake it in the oven.

Wish me luck...afraid I'm going to either break a metal piece or ruin the wood.

EDIT: I'm alittle concerned with the removal from the wood. Wouldn't steaming it hurt the wood?

I wrap all the wood in paper towels & set it out in the sun for a few hours. flipping it over now & then,so all sides get ampule sun & heat. Then I move on to mineral spirits.. Some will move on to their dish washer next. Ive seen a few really really nice CMP 30 carbines that went threw the old dish washer then onto sanding & refurbishing the stock. The dishwasher will pull out all those nasty dings as well as all the goop that is deep in the wood.
I recommend not letting the wife catch ya using her dish washer. She may not understand you loving that old Mil surplus rifle as much as her.

Yes steaming will bleach it out. But its worth it. If its a rifle you really like & wanna show off. Then go for it. If it a Commy rifle then get some Russian tong oil.
What kind of rifle are we talking about ?

Hear is great example by FLYENBRAIN off the THR web site.
http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/v...Picture030.jpg

You can take a MAP GAS torch & carefully flam out tiger stripes some call it Zebra stripes,on the wood. Something I have always liked.

I put stock/stock pieces in a black trash bag, laying on a few layers of newspaper or paper towels. Then I set that atop some more newspaper on the dash of my old pickup on a sunny day, roll up the windows. Come out every few hours to wipe the goop off the wood. Today it's going to be mid-90's around here, you should be able to bake a lot of cosmoline out that wood on a day this warm. Price is right.

The steam is just a carrier for the heat. The heat is what gets it off, not the water. If you'd like to heat it up a different way, that's ok.

Also keep in mind that the gun likely has a finish already on the wood, and it's quite able to withstand use in the rain/snow/etc depending on it's actual military use.

A few minutes in some steam won't ruin a gun finish, but it will greatly aid the removal of the cosmoline.

There are things that look like cosmoline that aren't, too, but those generally come off with heat as well.

Thinking about picking this up:

http://www.rockriverarms.com/images/...s/purelop2.gif

http://www.rockriverarms.com/index.c...1b4b6064e14804

Rock River Arms Elite Operator2. Anyone have any experience with it (or the operator2 line in general)? I love the mid-length gas system though I wish it had quad-rails. Looks like a nice shooting gun and RRA has developed a hell of a name for itself.

Thoughts?

good sale on Green tip XM855 5.56/ $149.99/ 420 rounds plus stripper clip's
http://www.targetsportsusa.com/p-301...ammmo-can.aspx
http://www.targetsportsusa.com/image...edium/3014.jpg




lil chart I found on THR

Ammo Velocity Energy
40gr Fiocchi Hornady V-Max, 3353fps 999
Fiochhi 50gr V-max 2.250", 2923fps 949
Hornady 55gr V-max 2.238", 2875fps 1010
Federal 55gr FMJ BP223BL 2.193", 2980fps 1085
Federal 55gr XM193F, Brown Box, 3141fps 1205
Federal American Eagle 55gr FMJ Tactical XM193c, 3158fps 1218
Wolf 55gr FMJ 2.245", 2882fps 1015
Winchester White Box 55gr FMJ Q3131, 3096fps 1171
55gr PMC Bronze FMJ Ammo (PMC223A) 2.245", 2760fps 931
55gr Fiocchi FMJ Ammo (223A) 2.218", 2826fps 976
55gr Fiocchi Pointed Soft Point Ammo (223B) 2.185" 2834fps 981
55gr DRS FMJ Ammo (DRS223FMJ) 2.240", 3219fps 1266
55gr DRS Soft Point Ammo (DRS223SP) 2.225", 3222fps 1268
62gr Prvi Partizan SS109 XM855 2.240", 2990fps 1231
62gr American Tactical Imports SS-109 Penetrator (ATI556SS109) 2.240", 2990fps 1231
62gr Lithuanian Military SS109 Penetrator (GGGSS109) 2.253" 2997fps 1237
62gr Fiocchi FMJ BT Ammo (223C) 2.240", 2653fps 969
62gr Silver Bear JSP, 2903fps, 1029

I have no experience with it,but that wouldn't stop me from being confidant about buying anything from RRA. I see more & more RRA equipment at the range every year. They are doing something right

Hmmmm...free shipping too.

Them dam ammo boxes come in handy to. long after the rounds are all shot up.
I didnt see the free shipping so thats a big +

http://www.targetsportsusa.com/p-202...mmunition.aspx

That's a little bit better price per round, by $0.023. But no ammo box.

Picked up the rifle. It's a 1924 Hex reciever Mosin Nagant, didn't look at it enough to see if it was Tula or the other one.

Spent three hours cleaning all the metal inside and out. I than steamed the wood parts and screwed up on the handguard. It left a blueish type strip on the guard. The stock still needs more steam, which I'll do tonight.

This is my first time taking this gun apart and the bolt is causing me trouble. Again, I'll figure it out tonight. I also messed up the trigger pull and I really hope a piece fell out of the trigger assembly. I found a tiny pencil led type piece on the cement that I hope is the problem.

It didn't have near as much grease as I thought it would. Here's how I cleaned it.

Hot Soapy water (dumped all the metal parts in it), scrubbed these parts with a toothbrush, sprayed brake cleaner and a degreaser type substance on it, wiped off and oiled them up.

For the stock and handgaurd, I steamed them, it seemed like nothing was coming off though. But you could tell it was doing its job.

Their is a vid on how to use a pop can tin as a shim to lighten the trigger on the 91/30. I will try & find it
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