Mosin Nagant

[ziegler44]

Okay, so I know there are tons of threads about mosin nagants regarding just about everything. However I have questions that are more than that.

The big one of course is cosmoline. I have done tons of research and know just about every way to remove it, but I want to know: Which way has consistently worked the best for you to remove cosmoline?

Also, how can i remove it from the wood without damaging it or having to refinish it? I dont have the time or the sun to stick it outside in a bag and heat it out. It has to be something that can be done in your garage.

Another thing is (seeing as how I'm kind of new to firearms), what is "blueing"? I think i spelled that correctly. I see and hear it all the time but i dont know what it is.

Only two more.
One: Where can I find/what is the best Non-Corrosive ammo for the Mosin?
And two: What lubrication do you recommend and where should I put it.

I know i sound like a gun noob, but you gotta start somewhere and i want to learn.

Thanks

 

[cyclopsshooter]

There is no such thing as non-corrosive 7.62x54R unless you are buying expensive commercial hunting loads...

As far as cosmoline I use Hoppes- A little at a time, I dont really do a detailed cosmoline removal until after the second or third cleaning session.

Bluing is chemical process that darkens the steel to give a protective shield against the elements. I doubt your Mosin is "blued" most likely it is a more durable military "parkerization"

Welcome to THR!

 

[tom e gun]

i dont think any ammunition is truly non-corrosive (someone correct me if i'm wrong) i've started to think thats just a buzzword people use to make a sale lol, and with a good old mosin nagant i wouldnt really worry much about that. bluing is a type of finish many firearms recieve that protects the metal from corrosion and gives a nice color to the exterior of the firearm. it is called "bluing" however it can be a bluish color but can also be a darker black color, depending on the type of bluing used or maybe the process used i think. one finish that i have recently been admiring is colts Royal Blue finish which is on a lot of the colt pythons, now thats a beautiful finish!

 

[EMC45]

Not trying to be a jerk here, buuuttttttttttttt the Mosins are blued. There is relatively in-expensive modern ammo for the 7.62X54R that is not corrosive. Sellier & Bellot, Wolf, Golden/Silver Bear and Winchester (which are S&B) to name just a few. Cosmoline in the stock is a pain. It is a pain anywhere really. Clean all metal parts thoroughly of all cosmo with a strong solvent, I like Kroil. It will probably still leak out from unseen crevices after you clean and you get it nice and hot through firing, don't worry. For the stock you can wrap that sucker(stock and wood pieces) in a bunch of paper towels then put the whole works in a black trash bag and deposit in a hot car (summer is coming ya know) and allow the Cosmo to "sweat" out. These things were entombed in Cosmo by the Russians. There will be Cosmo EVERYWHERE!!!

 

[rcmodel]

A heat gun goes far in melting a lot of cosmoline out of the hidy holes it resides in.

http://www.harborfreight.com/1500-watt-dual-temperature-heat-gun-572-1112-96289.html

Just take it apart, and heat each metal piece smoking hot with the heat gun while the cosmoline melts and drips into the garbage bag.

After it cools, plain old oderless paint thinner and a paint brush will remove what is left.

You can even sweat a lot of it out of the stock wood, but don't get it hot enough to take the stock finish off.
There is also a product called K2R Spot Remover you can get at the grocery or hardware store.
It sprays on, then turns into a white powder that will suck oil out of a bowling ball!
http://www.k2rbrands.com/

It should suck a lot of oil out of the stock end-grain areas.

rc

 

[kd7nqb]

Best way to pull off cosmoline is brake cleaner, I also had some pretty good luck with melting it off with a heat gun but break cleaner is easier. Buy surplus ammo dump some ammonia or windex down your barrel when your done and don't worry about it. As for lube to be honest other than an an occasional shot of CLP to wipe down the bolt/ chamber I don't really do anything.

BTW if you want to see what I did to spruce up my mosin pictures are here

 

[fallout mike]

Like emc45 said on the ammo. It is widely available.

 

[Cosmoline]

1--Yes there most certainly non-corrosive ammo and there is a BIG difference between non-corrosive and corrosive primed 54R. The non-corrosive stuff includes the modern production from Wolf, S&B, Lapua, Norma, and half a dozen other outfits. There is some non-corrosive surplus ball ammo, particularly Finnish, but it's very rare. Assume all ball ammo (the kind that comes in tins or brown wrappers) is corrosive. That means you should not wait a day or a week to clean your bore out. Do it as soon as you get home from the range, and clean the bolt face as well. I use M-Pro or Hoppe's elite cleaner and bore gel and have had no problems with rust.

2--To remove cosmoline from the steel parts the fastest way is to break down the firearm and use extremely hot water like you'd clean a flintlock. Near-boiling, so wear protective gloves. It will "melt" the cosmo out. Use a scrubber and some dish soap if there's any remaining. You do not need the brake cleaner. Then *quickly* dry, clean (including the bore and the inside of the chamber!) and apply CLP or light oil, removing any excess. Avoid the chemical baths and high-octane penetrating oils for cosmoline. They are overkill. The one risk with my method is that you'll clog the drain. But I'd rather have that than have kroil trying to loosen my fingernails or breath in fumes from smoking cosmoline.

3--To remove cosmoline from finished wood (where the grease is on top of the finish), rags for the loose stuff and rags dipped in warm water for the dried-on bits. You want to be careful to remove the cosmoline but not to remove the underlying finish. You should find a shiny shellac finish under the grease on most Soviet mosins. The goal is to get down to this shellac, but not past it.

4--TO remove cosmoline from unfinished wood is much more difficult and there are various options. It takes a long time if you want to do it right, since you leech the stuff out of the stock with gentle heat. But most 91/30's do not have this problem. Any attempt to use harsh chemicals runs the risk of damaging the wood.

5--I'm not aware of any Mosin-Nagants that were parkerized by a military. Bubba may have done a few. They have blued steel. In some the blue has slowly worn off and been replaced with a patina. It's not really a problem.

6--There's not much need for any lube, and certainly no grease, for the Mosin. I put a few drops of CLP on the exposed metal and rub it around, removing the excess. Any grease you put on it will tend to attract grit.

 

[cyclopsshooter]

If you ever want to be proven wrong just go to THR

 

[Chawbaccer]

Drop the small parts in boiling water and the cosmo will float to the top, for the wood, mix kitty liter and mineral spirits into a slurry, coat the wood and after it dries brush it off and repeat as necessary. don't worry about lubing for a while, the cosmoline will act as a self lubricating system for a long time.

 

[CHM]

What Cosmoline said above! I always strip surplus guns down to bits and pieces. Metal parts are easy using a number of cleaners/degreasers. The wood is a bit more difficult. I had a thick layer under the butt plate. I wipe off whatever I can and use acetone for the rest of it. You have to be careful with acetone because it can dissolve the original shellac finish on this gun. Once I am satisfied with this, I use auto wax for a nice finish/preservative. One might argue regarding the type of wax, but there are several out there.

 

[kingcheese]

i baked the grease out the wood on my rifle by shooting it, i took it off the metal by spraying it with winchester nitro gun solvent, you know the stuff that is made for shotguns, and wiped the rifle down

blueing is a finish on the guns metal, good blueing is baked into the metal, but it can also be cold blued, with a specail set of chemicals

gun grease is a good thing to have, you put it on the bolt guide and on the intenal trigger parts and it keeps things a little smoother, other wise use oil in and on the barrel, the thing doesnt need to be packed with grease, just a lil layer will do, same with the oil

non-corrosive ammo for this rifle is a joke, there is no reason not to use it, unlease you need to hunt with the rifle

that being said brown bear is a good company for the job, if you want brass ammo, its privi partasin, heard that winchester and remington also make it, good luck finding it though

my personal favorite ammo is mil surp light ball, it is something like 147 grain steel core bullet, so techincally it classifies as armour piercing, but it makes near 3000 foot pounds muzzle energy, witch is a lot more then the russain sniper ammo for the rifle


now one last thing, you have to become a member of the 2x4 club, shoot the gun as fast as you can till the bolt siezes up, then beat it open with a 2x4, or other handy object, and you can call yourself a man

 

[maganoo82]

+1 with what cosmoline said
To add one little note for the stock. I have done surplus stocks that ive wanted to save the finish on before, so I took some advice from my mother in law (gasp!). Murphys Oil Soap, old washcloth, elbow grease, and some time worked good for me before. Its mild soap made for wood/finished wood. Heavy cosmoline might need more than that though. Hope this helps. Happy shooting!

 

[renegade-rick]

A spray bottle of "simply green" will do wonders on the wood and the metal and it is quick

 

[Gadzooks Mike]

If you ever want to be proven wrong just go to THR

Line of the month award!