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Cleaning an SKS

5K views 60 replies 26 participants last post by  bhound 
#1 ·
I got a new Chinese SKS and it had cosmoline in all the crevices. I took it apart to clean it and also to start making it my Modern Rifle project (more on that later).

I know I can use brake parts cleaner to clean the cosmo off of parts like the receiver, but I'm not so sure about springs. I'm asking what is the best way to totally clean a rifle, which types of products do you use on certain parts. My goal is no damage to any part(s).

TIA,

VA-Vet
 
#5 ·
Small parts I can use mineral spirits. What type of container would you use to soak the receiver? I assume this needs to get done outdoors.

Thanks for the help, really appreciate it.

VA-Vet
 
#8 ·
I like using Hoppe's. I put the small parts in a bottle with the Hoppe's and put it on top of an old fish tank pump. Larger parts go in a stainless steel tray. I use duct tape to hold it on the pump since it will vibrate off. This acts like a gentle sonic cleaner. Alternately I've put the bottle or tray on the dehumidifier to get the vibrational action. I've tried mineral spirits but it left some of the cosmoline on the parts. I believe it was the higher molecular weight component that wasn't particulary soluable in the mineral spirits.
 
#9 · (Edited)
I had three Yugos several years back that were full of cosmo. I used Hoppe's for the barreled action. For the smaller parts I got one of those large, clear plastic pretzel containers and put a few in at a time, some individually, with some lacquer thinner. I let them soak for an hour or so and then swooshed them around for a few minutes. This worked great...even on the tough parts like the spring, bolt and magazine. Best of all, you're not touching the solvent while doing the cleaning. Even the spring came out like new.
 
#11 ·
I find the easiest way to remove cosmoline is to submerge the parts in boiling water, let them sit for 20 - 30 mins, remove and dry. All cosmoline melts off and stays on top of the water.
 
#12 ·
I assume mineral spirits will not dissolve or damage PVC piping or the solvent that glues it together? I'm thinking of buying a three foot pipe 4 inches wide or so, glue a bottom cap on it, then fill with mineral spirits, and drop in the receiver.

What I'm assuming if that people don't like the idea of using brake part cleaner?
 
#16 ·
So, for the small parts, here is what I'm going to try, and let me know if this will NOT work.

Take a pot of boiling water and soak the small parts for 20-30 minutes (repeat if cosmoline still detected). Then, take the parts and using compressed air get as much liquid off them followed by an oven bake at like 110 degrees (for maybe 20-30 minutes), to help drive off moisture, but not enough heat to hopefully damage anything.

Will this work?

And, I assume there are not any parts that should not go the bath? Bolt parts ok to include?
 
#17 ·
Sounds like too much trouble to me. I just put on some nitrile gloves, poured some kerosene in an old paint roller tray (outdoors, of course), put the disassembled small parts in, held the barrelled action with the receiver down in the pool of kerosene and used an old toothbrush to slather kerosene on and in it, let soak a while, wiped w/paper towel, then wiped it off with a fresh paper towel and applied some WD-40. Then the bore was cleaned last the normal way. Total of maybe 10 minutes invested (less soaking time, during which I was doing other stuff).
 
#32 · (Edited)
Personally, I am not a huge fan of using WD40 on guns. Any WD40 that gets left on the gun will gum up over time. It is somewhat harder to find, but I prefer a product called LPS1, that in my experience does not form a gummy film.
I have more than 40 years of successful use of WD-40 with none of the problems I hear at gun shops and read on the internet. It has proven to be an excellent cleaner and rust preventative without the horrible smell and toxicity of some of the more cool products. It has never harmed any metal or wood finish. I have never had a single instance of the gumming problem. NEVER. I have spent a lot of time studying the chemistry involved and reading just about everything I could find on the subject if for no other reason than to confirm that my practice was sound in theory.

As I have written on other occasions, I often wonder why WD-40 works so well for me and leaves nothing but a trail of destruction behind so many others who use it. :confused: Like many an urban myth, inaccurate stories with scattered bits of truth surrounded by falsehood becomes reality when sufficiently repeated. Once something appears in print on the web, forget it. It's now received as gospel. :p
 
#23 · (Edited)
Using MILITEC-1 for the 1st time and I think I like it. Got about half the parts cleaned and lubed. Some needed a second water boarding (hehehe).

The trigger group is going out tomorrow for a tuning job.

VA-Vet
 
#24 ·
Finished cleaning everything. I didn't use the oven. Except for some residue in the magazine and trigger group (which I did not disassemble), everything else is very clean. I oiled everything and put all the parts in a plastic bag until I can figure out a way to clean the receiver. If I were to use any accessories in the house, the other half would kill me.

Thanks for the suggestions and advice.

VA-Vet
 
#25 ·
I have used the PVC pipe cleaning process for a large number of different rifles, including a Chinese SKS recently. I use diesel fuel in the PVC pipe and let the barrel/receiver "soak" for anywhere from a couple days to up to a week, depending on how much cosmoline is on the piece. Never had any issues using this process and you can get a gallon of diesel fairly reasonably in price. If you use the PVC pipe, you will probably want to drill a small hole through the screw on cap, insert a coat hanger through it and make a curved hook so you can suspend the barrel in the pipe without being on the bottom of the pipe with all the sediment.
 
#26 ·
Might sound a bit weird but I bought a deep fryer for turkeys, has a propane hookup along with a 30 gallon pot. Deep enough to clean all parts and to put a receiver and most of a barrel for any of my rifles. I fill pot full of water on patio and let everything soak til clean. Wife don't get mad for me using kitchen, propane does not cost that much to heat water and clean up afterwards just means dumping water.
 
#27 ·
Steam- take your rifle parts over to a do-it-yourself carwash & use the engine steam cleaner, or at home you can fire up the pressure cooker & just leave off the pressure regulator. The column of steam coming out of the top of the pressure cooker via the regulator stem is ideal for melting off cosmoline from metal & wood. Wipe down with a rag sprayed with WD-40, then oil with your
favorite CLP, then reassemble.

All that brake cleaner, Hoppes & soaking in kerosine or diesel is too time consuming and pricey.

Be sure to disassemble the bolt and clean it up by hand. All that soaking and lazy avoidance to doing some real cleaning work won't get out a lot of insoluble stuff I've found in numerous bolts over the years.
 
#30 ·
Just got finished cleaning a Sino-Albanian...

Dirt, dirt, everywhere! I'll never be rid of the grit!
 
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