cleaning cosmoline off - Page 2 - XDTalk Forums - Your HS2000/SA-XD Information Source!

gunnewb · 03-16-2005, 11:21 AM

Forgive my ignorance. But what is Cosmoline?

WWIIArmsLover · 03-16-2005, 01:23 PM

Cosmoline is a grease like substance that is used to preserve guns. It is said that you can throw cosmoline covered weapons into a lake for ten years and they'll come out as new as the day you threw them in there. A myth of course.

I boil all my part to get the cosmo off.

**R Dub** · 03-16-2005, 01:29 PM

Try Birchwood Casey "Gun Scrubber". It wokrs great getting that crap out the inside of the Pro Mags.

gunnewb · 03-16-2005, 01:40 PM

Thanks WWIIArmsLover, couple more questions for you if you dont mind.

do guns come from the factory with cosmoline on them? I have to assume they do being that everyone seems to want to get the stuff off, and noones recommending putting it on.

If this is the case do XD's come with it on the gun and if so what parts? You say it's a greasy like substance so I assume I would be able to see it if it was on my gun?

mr0w1 · 03-16-2005, 02:29 PM

Almost all the time the guns you see coated in cosmo are the warehoused military surplus rifles, protected to last a lifetime in storage.. Newer commercial guns as made by Remington and Springfield and the likes are meant to be bought in short order, so there's no need to preserve and protect them for long.

ichy_trigger · 03-16-2005, 05:54 PM

My factrySig mags came coated in cosmoline...I always use mineral spirits, its cheap and safe.

WWIIArmsLover · 03-16-2005, 07:19 PM

What mr0w1 said. If you collect a lot of surplus weapons, as I do along with a few other people at this board, you become acustomed to it. Some of us even grow to like the smell of it, a sort of cologne if you will, (of course my wife begs to differ, she thinks it smells like crap.)

I picked up two 30 round AK mags last month from a gunshow. They were covered in cosmo. Just boiled them and they came out looking brand new. Just make sure you dry em off real good. Kerosine works as well.

masterofg3 · 04-09-2005, 05:03 PM

mineral spirits!!!But make sure to follow up quickly with break-free or any good rust inhibiting gun oil.

JimLongley · 04-09-2005, 07:45 PM

I have never seen a CMP Garand in cosmoline, is this a new policy or just a new run of Garands?

My one and only experience cleaning cosmoline in the Navy was enhanced by being able to use live steam. Blew that stuff off and right overboard.

dolanp · 04-09-2005, 09:55 PM

I tried brake cleaner, boiling, and some mineral spirits. After spending more time than I probably should have doing this on my Yugo SKS, I would say probably the best method would be to let the parts sit in mineral spirits for a while, and then spray down and scrub off anything remaining with brake cleaner. The boiling soapy water did work but it took a while and was kind of a pain to deal with.

The ultimate cheapest way to go is brake cleaner by itself, should cost you about $3 to get two cans and then you can clean the small bits up with a brush or something and oil it down afterwards.

For the stock, the oven method others have mentioned worked just fine for me. I worked a few coats of tung oil into it to help protect the wood.

03-16-2005, 01:29 PM	#13
R Dub XDTalk 3K Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Last Frontier Posts: 3,695 Blog Entries: 1	Try Birchwood Casey "Gun Scrubber". It wokrs great getting that crap out the inside of the Pro Mags. __________________ Need XD Accessories? Support the XDTalk Sponsors. They support us! Need some competition? IDPA / USPSA

03-16-2005, 02:29 PM	#15
mr0w1 XDTalk 2K Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 2,536	Almost all the time the guns you see coated in cosmo are the warehoused military surplus rifles, protected to last a lifetime in storage.. Newer commercial guns as made by Remington and Springfield and the likes are meant to be bought in short order, so there's no need to preserve and protect them for long. __________________ guns.freaksho.net - My awesome gun website! More guns than ever! (Last updated: July 24, 2006)

03-16-2005, 05:54 PM	#16
ichy_trigger XDTalk 5K Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Dayton, Ohio Posts: 8,058	My factrySig mags came coated in cosmoline...I always use mineral spirits, its cheap and safe. __________________ "The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself." http://militarysignatures.com/signatures/member2645.png

04-09-2005, 05:03 PM	#18
masterofg3 XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: ohio Posts: 206	removing cosmolene mineral spirits!!!But make sure to follow up quickly with break-free or any good rust inhibiting gun oil.

04-09-2005, 07:45 PM	#19
JimLongley XDTalk 500 Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Allen, TX Posts: 822	I have never seen a CMP Garand in cosmoline, is this a new policy or just a new run of Garands? My one and only experience cleaning cosmoline in the Navy was enhanced by being able to use live steam. Blew that stuff off and right overboard. __________________ Gun control is very small groups - OFFHAND.

03-16-2005, 11:21 AM	#11
gunnewb XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Vancouver, WA Posts: 139	Forgive my ignorance. But what is Cosmoline?

03-16-2005, 01:23 PM	#12
WWIIArmsLover XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Posts: 174	Cosmoline is a grease like substance that is used to preserve guns. It is said that you can throw cosmoline covered weapons into a lake for ten years and they'll come out as new as the day you threw them in there. A myth of course. I boil all my part to get the cosmo off.

03-16-2005, 01:40 PM	#14
gunnewb XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Vancouver, WA Posts: 139	Thanks WWIIArmsLover, couple more questions for you if you dont mind. do guns come from the factory with cosmoline on them? I have to assume they do being that everyone seems to want to get the stuff off, and noones recommending putting it on. If this is the case do XD's come with it on the gun and if so what parts? You say it's a greasy like substance so I assume I would be able to see it if it was on my gun?

03-16-2005, 07:19 PM	#17
WWIIArmsLover XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Posts: 174	What mr0w1 said. If you collect a lot of surplus weapons, as I do along with a few other people at this board, you become acustomed to it. Some of us even grow to like the smell of it, a sort of cologne if you will, (of course my wife begs to differ, she thinks it smells like crap.) I picked up two 30 round AK mags last month from a gunshow. They were covered in cosmo. Just boiled them and they came out looking brand new. Just make sure you dry em off real good. Kerosine works as well.

04-09-2005, 09:55 PM	#20
dolanp XDTalk 500 Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: N TX Posts: 784	I tried brake cleaner, boiling, and some mineral spirits. After spending more time than I probably should have doing this on my Yugo SKS, I would say probably the best method would be to let the parts sit in mineral spirits for a while, and then spray down and scrub off anything remaining with brake cleaner. The boiling soapy water did work but it took a while and was kind of a pain to deal with. The ultimate cheapest way to go is brake cleaner by itself, should cost you about $3 to get two cans and then you can clean the small bits up with a brush or something and oil it down afterwards. For the stock, the oven method others have mentioned worked just fine for me. I worked a few coats of tung oil into it to help protect the wood.

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