Because of Fordnut at the Shootzenfest I am now the proud owner of an Mosin Nagant M44 purchased from AIM Surplus. It arrived Monday and is covered in grease/oil/cosmoline and I totally understand why. What is the best way to remove this protection from the metal and wood parts quickly and economically. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Cleaning a Newly Imported Mosin Nagant M44??
- Thread starter GTrav
- Start date
fordnut
Well-Known Member
Hey Buddy...Glad you "pulled the trigger" On buying a Negant. You will never regret it...
The clean-up is a pain...I never had to do it to mine, but, did have an SKS once that srll had some...I used Hppps#9 on the steel...But, I sure wouldn't use it on the wood.
You might try rubbing alchaol on it. We buy the 90 proof stuff at Walmart for work. I have to remove old stickers on Medical equiptment and the alchaol works good for that. I really don't think it will hurt anything, but....I have never tried it on a gun before...So, be careful...Sure don't want tp mess up a pretty Negant...
Steve
The clean-up is a pain...I never had to do it to mine, but, did have an SKS once that srll had some...I used Hppps#9 on the steel...But, I sure wouldn't use it on the wood.
You might try rubbing alchaol on it. We buy the 90 proof stuff at Walmart for work. I have to remove old stickers on Medical equiptment and the alchaol works good for that. I really don't think it will hurt anything, but....I have never tried it on a gun before...So, be careful...Sure don't want tp mess up a pretty Negant...
Steve
Schultz
Well-Known Member
If your not in a hurry once you break it down wrap the stock pieces on newspaper and set them in the sun. This will allow the cosmo to thin and leach out of the wood. If your not worried about the mess where you put it you don't really need to wrap it.
biganimal
Well-Known Member
I use a metal trash can 3/4 full of water and put a fire under it to get it boiling
add some Dawn dish detergent
separate the stock from the metal parts
toss em in the boiling water for ten minutes or so
take em out wipe em off
use a brush or scraper to dislodge the cosmoline that is hanging on in the cracks and crevasses
repeat until clean
use a blow dryer to semi dry wood
oil the hell out of the metal
re assemble rifle
let stock dry
when dry take it apart again and clean like you would your hunting rifle
add some Dawn dish detergent
separate the stock from the metal parts
toss em in the boiling water for ten minutes or so
take em out wipe em off
use a brush or scraper to dislodge the cosmoline that is hanging on in the cracks and crevasses
repeat until clean
use a blow dryer to semi dry wood
oil the hell out of the metal
re assemble rifle
let stock dry
when dry take it apart again and clean like you would your hunting rifle
Stan in SC
Well-Known Member
Just go to Lowe's,Home Depot or Walmart and get a can of mineral spirits(paint thinner).You can use it on wood with no bad effects and of course on metal.It gets cosmo off really good.
Be sure to disassemble the bolt and get all of the cosmo out of it.
Stan in SC
Be sure to disassemble the bolt and get all of the cosmo out of it.
Stan in SC
Schultz
Well-Known Member
biganimal I never thought of doing it that way, Thats a good idea.
GTrav just remember that these rifles have been sitting with this goo on them for quite a while so it's soaked in the wood pretty well and it's better to leach it out now rather than every time you shoot it it coming out in your hands.
GTrav just remember that these rifles have been sitting with this goo on them for quite a while so it's soaked in the wood pretty well and it's better to leach it out now rather than every time you shoot it it coming out in your hands.
Might be a good time to really work on the wood with some tung oil.
Some kind of really hot (fast drying) solvent like methyl ethyl keytone or even just some acetone to flush the wood celulose. Anything that will disolve the sealer on the wood will require putting a new sealer on it. I remember the M44 Fordnut had looked like it has received a nice re-finishing job.
If you use a little ten-zero steel wool on the wood you'll take down the finish and expose the wood for further oiling and / or staining if you want to change the color. you'll need to make sure you remove everything if you go that route. The natural wood is a nice medium color though.
Pops
Some kind of really hot (fast drying) solvent like methyl ethyl keytone or even just some acetone to flush the wood celulose. Anything that will disolve the sealer on the wood will require putting a new sealer on it. I remember the M44 Fordnut had looked like it has received a nice re-finishing job.
If you use a little ten-zero steel wool on the wood you'll take down the finish and expose the wood for further oiling and / or staining if you want to change the color. you'll need to make sure you remove everything if you go that route. The natural wood is a nice medium color though.
Pops
fordnut
Well-Known Member
Hey BuddyB...Great link... I have learned a lot in just a short read. I will be spending more time reading over there...
Steve
Steve
lafayette gregory
Well-Known Member
I used to buy a lot of old mil surp weapons. This is the technique I used.
Small parts, boil in water and the cosmo will rise to the top. Then Clean and lube in your normal way.
Barrelled action. Pressure wash or at your local u-do it car wash. Dry in the summer sun and clean and lube in your normal way. This is the only time I use WD 40 on a rifle. WD40 has ingredents that drive out any moisture. One day after the wd 40 I clean and lub with good gun oil. "break free"
Stocks- never put water on a stock. Never soak in solvents of any kind. Mineral spirits are good for wiping - NOT soaking!!
I cut windows in a gun box. Then cut box into two halves horizonally. I lay paper towel in bottom of box.I cover that with foil and punch lots of holes with a fork. I tape saran wrap over the windows in the top half of box. Insert stock and put on roof of your house in the Charleston sun. Check it in a few hours you may need to mop up the cosmo and replace the paper towel. It took about two days for the Yugo sks's. I have never seen a Moisin that had that much cosmo, so one day will likely do the trick.
If you do not get all this cosmo out of the wood it will ooze every time you get it hot. Making for a stick smelly mess.
Solvents do not get out the cosmo that has soaked into the wood. Slow heat will leach all the cosmo from the wood not just the surface stuff.
The oven technique works also, make sure the wife will be away for about a week if ya do that. There is another good technique using a plastic trash can and a 100 wat light bulb. But thats kinda involved for just one rifle.
If you plann to use BLO on the stock, wait a week and repeat the window box technique. It may take two attempts to get it clean enough to soak up the BLO.
Small parts, boil in water and the cosmo will rise to the top. Then Clean and lube in your normal way.
Barrelled action. Pressure wash or at your local u-do it car wash. Dry in the summer sun and clean and lube in your normal way. This is the only time I use WD 40 on a rifle. WD40 has ingredents that drive out any moisture. One day after the wd 40 I clean and lub with good gun oil. "break free"
Stocks- never put water on a stock. Never soak in solvents of any kind. Mineral spirits are good for wiping - NOT soaking!!
I cut windows in a gun box. Then cut box into two halves horizonally. I lay paper towel in bottom of box.I cover that with foil and punch lots of holes with a fork. I tape saran wrap over the windows in the top half of box. Insert stock and put on roof of your house in the Charleston sun. Check it in a few hours you may need to mop up the cosmo and replace the paper towel. It took about two days for the Yugo sks's. I have never seen a Moisin that had that much cosmo, so one day will likely do the trick.
If you do not get all this cosmo out of the wood it will ooze every time you get it hot. Making for a stick smelly mess.
Solvents do not get out the cosmo that has soaked into the wood. Slow heat will leach all the cosmo from the wood not just the surface stuff.
The oven technique works also, make sure the wife will be away for about a week if ya do that. There is another good technique using a plastic trash can and a 100 wat light bulb. But thats kinda involved for just one rifle.
If you plann to use BLO on the stock, wait a week and repeat the window box technique. It may take two attempts to get it clean enough to soak up the BLO.
PCShogun
Well-Known Member
+1 on lafayette gregory's posting.
I've never boiled my rifle parts, the metal cleans up easy enough on its own in my experience. The wood is the hard part. I have a Yugo that still weeps cosmoline, even after two years. Personally, I think its a cosmoline breeder.
I've never boiled my rifle parts, the metal cleans up easy enough on its own in my experience. The wood is the hard part. I have a Yugo that still weeps cosmoline, even after two years. Personally, I think its a cosmoline breeder.
biganimal
Well-Known Member
the first time I ever saw a rifle boiled was at FT Knox and we boiled the Matty Mattel
it worked good
I have boiled several dozen milsurps over the years and never had any problems with the system
I witnessed stock boiling in Estonia they were cleaning up some rifles with Martini actions
never got close enough to check out the guns but our guide stated that this was standard procedure to remove cosmoline
it worked good
I have boiled several dozen milsurps over the years and never had any problems with the system
I witnessed stock boiling in Estonia they were cleaning up some rifles with Martini actions
never got close enough to check out the guns but our guide stated that this was standard procedure to remove cosmoline
lafayette gregory
Well-Known Member
biganimal said:
But not wooden stocks!
Actually I wonder if the goo coating on GTrav's M44 is even cosmoline? or is it just thick oil?
I handled it the day he picked it up and it felt dry enough to handle, but is was still sticky and oily where it was thickest.
Do Russians use cosmoline or do they have some other concoction?
I handled it the day he picked it up and it felt dry enough to handle, but is was still sticky and oily where it was thickest.
Do Russians use cosmoline or do they have some other concoction?
Halfcocked
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2010
- Messages
- 100
Ditto on what lafayette gregory said. I usualy wrap the end of the muzzle with a rag to protect the crown and the stick it in the stake pocket of my pickup bed, then start feeding in the quarters.
Thanks for all the information!! What a great group of guys to share all the information. Took the M 44 to the range this weekend and everything worked good. Just a slight problem with the bolt not working as smoothly as I would like, but time will tell. Does anyone know what is the best way to get a manual either inexpensive or free. Thanks again for all the pointers, it made things a lot easier!
lafayette gregory
Well-Known Member
A buffing wheel with some jewlers rouge will help with the sticky bolt.GTrav said:
The most common reason for sticky bolt is laquare in the chamber. Causing the spent cartage to stick ending with difficult extraction.
A brass brush on a dril with a little hopes will usually eliminate that problem.
The lacquare get in the chamber from using lackqared ammo that was prevelant when these rifles were last used.
Enjay
Well-Known Member
Manual for a Soviet Mosin-Nagant
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/other/mosin.pdf
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/other/mosin.pdf
Frost
Well-Known Member
Did we ever come up with THE way to do this?
