Got My CMP Carbine, How do clean off the dried grease

[Flyboy73]

I got my CMP carbine yesterday. Got a 12/42 inland barrel. Stock is birch and handguard walnut. Will need to change that.

However the gun seems to be coated, especially around the reciver, in dried grease.

Any suggestions to clean it off. Tried WD 40 real quick and no luck.

See pics from my other thred.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=3537729#post3537729


Brion

 

[bill larry]

boiling hot water on the metal parts.

steam on the wood.

Works like a charm.

 

[[email protected]]

Sounds like it may be Cosmoline, a grease wax type of "sludge" used to protect the metal from rusting.

Go to Wal-Mart and get the following; Cheapest brake cleaner you can find (at least 2 big cans); Rem-Oil (small spray can will do); cleaning patches.

Dissamble your rifle from the wood. Spray all of the metal with the brake cleaner and watch the cosmoline melt away. (You will want to do this OUTSIDE!) My new AK had it all over the entire rifle. I used both cans on mine. The barrell will be clean when the cleaner comes out of the end clear. Let it dry once you have gotten all of the cosmo out. Brake cleaner evaporates fairly quickly. Next, spray or wipe down all of the metal components with the Rem-Oil. The brake cleaner will take everything off of your metal except the paint. Soak a cleaning patch with the Rem-Oil and run it through the barrell. Wipe any excess off, you don't want it to drip! Reassemble your rifle, and it should be good to go.

It worked extremely well on my AK and only took about 45 mins from start to finish.

Good luck with it.

 

[ScottsGT]

My system is to use a wall paper pan with lacquer thinner. Soak it in that and use a parts cleaner brush.
But then again, looks like the CMP sent you a dirty old carbine. You need to just forward that one on to me and order yourself another one.

 

[glimmerman]

STEP 1. Remove all metal from wood. STEP 2. go to grocery store and buy a can of EASYOFF OVEN CLEANER. STEP 3. spray easyoff on all metal parts and let soak for about 15-20 min. STEP 4. Rinse off with HOT!! water(the hot water will heat the metal and it will dry it self). STEP 5. clean and oil all metal parts as usual. Easyoff oven cleaner is the cheapest, easyest way i have found to clean cosmoline off of milsurps. I have done this many, many times and works great!!

 

[cane]

Take the wood off, go to local car wash with a pocket full of quarters.

 

[strat81]

I use mineral spirits, a roasting pan, and a natural bristle paint brush to get cosmoline off. Disassemble the gun as much as you can. Let the parts soak, sometimes overnight for something like a bolt assembly, and then use the paint brush to wipe off what you can. For bolts and such, I'll blast them with Breakfree CLP too. Wipe dry and let sit for a few days for all the solvent to evaporate. Mineral spirits are relatively low-odor compared to other solvents and available almost everywhere. Reassemble and lube as necessary.

I get plain-jane mineral spirits. Do NOT get paint stripper (stripper and thinner are different). It is some seriously nasty stuff that can cause chemical burns and melt plastic.

 

[Green Lantern]

When I got my SKS, I used quite a bit of Birchwood Casey "Gun Scrubber" on mine. But sounds like the brake cleaner might do as good, and probably cheaper too...

BTW, I got a book yesterday that makes me pine for the "good ole days." Back around the mid-90's when it was published, it said you could get a Garand from the "Director of Civilian Marksmanship" for $165!

 

[Flyboy73]

I cleaned a few guns with Cosmo on them and this dosn;t seem like it. Almost seems dried on. You know Cosmo is sticky to touch and this isn't. I tried some mineral spirts and no luck. The spray on Brake cleaner work a little. But Spray on Bore cleaner (birchwood casey i think off the top of head) worked the best. I didn't try my normal cosmo removal system of a steam cleaner to melt it off.

But my hunch this is not cosmo.

Brion

 

[Dr.Rob]

Bucket of deisel fuel works well. Of course, do it outside and NO smoking.

 

[ScottsGT]

Flyboy,
It's probably just real old and dried out cosmo. Try some lacquer thinner.

 

[Sistema1927]

Lots of different ways to remove cosmoline. I leave mine out in the sun for awhile to get it good and hot and then wipe it off using kerosene.

 

[DMK]

I warm the parts then use mineral spirits and an old toothbrush.

Soaking small parts overnight in a glass dish seems to work well too.

 

[glimmerman]

Easy Off Oven Cleaner!!!!! Cheap, And Not Flamable!!!!

 

[Flyboy73]

Ok, Well i did a detailed strip on the carbine last night and tried my handheld steamer on it. This is favorite way to remove cosmo. CHeap and no chemicals.

On the trigger group there was cosmo that melted as normal. But the dried on gunk would not melt. However it did soften it up and was easier to srubb off. Is it dried on cosmo? Who knows, But looks like it will need alot of elbow grease.

Brion

 

[cracked butt]

I use denatured ethanol.
Upsides:
It smells nice.
Its relatively non-toxic/corrosive
It disolves cosmoline well.
Its cheap

Downsides:
Its very flammable
It will dissolve shellac if the rifle is finished with shellac.

 

[Flyboy73]

well tried to do some cleaning last night. Tried the brake cleaner again, and it worked a little but not great. Tried some of the new tipton Truly Remarkable Bore Cleaning Solvent and the dried grease just came right off. However this stuff stinks. I accidentaly got a good wiff of it and it burned my nose.

I tried what cracked suggested, Denatured Alochol and it worked just as good.

Brion

 

[m.p.driver]

i'm with cane,strip it and hit it at the car wash with the motor clean setting,save yourself the trouble of cleaning cosmo off of everything in your house

 

[GunTech]

Methyl ethyl ketone - MEK - is about the nest solvent out there. It melt anything petroleum based like butter and leaves no residue. The down side is that the fumes will rot your brain and liver. You can get it in the pain section of most hardware stores. Use in a well ventilated area only.

Personally, I try boiling water first, MEK as the last resort. Mineral spirits and paint thinner leave a residue.