Cleaning vs restoration. Where is the line?

[StagrhandShooter]

I want to honor the spirit of this forum. I would hope that the group does not frown upon cleaning off cosmoline. Metal is easy enough to me. Ultrasonic or action degreaser and reoil.
How do you handle the wood? Diluted Murphy's?

[Junk Yard Dog]

Wipe off the dirt, cosmoline, bore fouling, remove any active rust and then leave it alone.

[websterz]

^^^ What he said ^^^

[ksbanker]

I usually use Simple Green to clean the stock. It has worked well for me.

[Screwball]

Any of those spray-on finishes will work... [emoji1]

Kidding.

I usually strip the gun down, get the Cosmoline off of the metal, then quickly take a heat gun to warm up the exterior of the wood to get the bigger stuff (Cosmoline globs in the barrel/action channel) off with a shop rag. Nothing extreme... just wave it back and forth for a short period of time to loosen the stuff up.

I try to inspect most of the metal before I say I'm done. I recently cleaned my Ishapore 2A1 for the first time; wow, they came in dirty (and the previous owner said he cleaned and fired it). Really was impressed how the Enfield design got to that point. But when you start disassembly, you realize there is a crap ton of parts. I even cleaned up the butt pad door assembly... being it was very hard to open. It was hard to open because of the caked on Cosmoline on the spring/pivot pin. Cleaned it up, works as it should.

My M38 was actually the easiest for me to clean... because I think the previous owner was as anal with cleaning as I am. Most I had to do was disassemble the bolt, reoil, then put it all back together. Probably was fine, but I like doing it for myself.

When I get a bad (Cosmoline filled) rifle, I'll put down some newspaper and paper towels, and start stripping parts off the rifle. Kind of looks like a Forest Gump in boot camp, but I keep it apart until I get it all finished (if I finish the bolt, it goes back together; same with other parts, down to the magazine). Usually get it down over a weekend or week... but the longest was my Yugoslav M59/66A1. Took me like two months, being I just couldn't make time, and when I did, wasn't motivated enough to do it.

Thinking about it makes me want to buy a new rifle to clean. I like the different designs, so cleaning/field stripping it really makes me see how it was made to operate. Still remember taking apart my first Mosin Nagant (M44)... seeing how simple the trigger assembly was.

[Longcolt44]

Keep that heat gun away from your firearms. Heat will bubble up and ruin a finish in one sneeze. I have used paint thinner to remove grease and it won't hurt the finish of most rifles.

[djbuck1]

I have yet to come across a Mosin that needed more than a wipe down with lemon oil. Be warned, however, that many products masquerading as "lemon oil," have petroleum distillates mixed in, and they will strip the finish.

With something as filthy as, say, a 1916 Spanish Mauser, I go over the stock with mineral oil on a rag gently.

[qz2026]

I have yet to come across a Mosin that needed more than a wipe down with lemon oil. Be warned, however, that many products masquerading as "lemon oil," have petroleum distillates mixed in, and they will strip the finish.

With something as filthy as, say, a 1916 Spanish Mauser, I go over the stock with mineral oil on a rag gently.

+1
I have had my best luck with mineral spirits on the stocks (and inside too). But, some residue remains that usually comes off with lemon oil. Never had any problems with lemon oil. For persistent stock problems, I'll lean the stock up against the deck rail in the sun. She'll sweat the rest of the grease out.

[Darryl]

I have yet to come across a Mosin that needed more than a wipe down with lemon oil.

Yugo sniper import





Many Mosins just used a grease to store in. We call it cosmoline, but it is not. Just a heavy grease dried up mostly. Restoration is beyond just cleaning up the storage grease and preping it to be fired. It is replacing finishing and beyond. That is not discussed here as it lowers the value of any Military surplus rifle in value. Also kills the history. ........ Altering or swaping parts is the next worst thing you can do all the way to drilling and tapping it for a scope (which is the worst.

Have fun cleaning it up and firing it!!!

Dolk

[djbuck1]

I have yet to come across a Mosin that needed more than a wipe down with lemon oil.

Yugo sniper import





Many Mosins just used a grease to store in. We call it cosmoline, but it is not. Just a heavy grease dried up mostly. Restoration is beyond just cleaning up the storage grease and preping it to be fired. It is replacing finishing and beyond. That is not discussed here as it lowers the value of any Military surplus rifle in value. Also kills the history. ........ Altering or swaping parts is the next worst thing you can do all the way to drilling and tapping it for a scope (which is the worst.

Have fun cleaning it up and firing it!!!

Dolk

Mosin stock, which is what the OP initially referred to: "Metal is easy enough to me. Ultrasonic or action degreaser and reoil.
How do you handle the wood?"

[RazorBurn]

Hot boiling water on the metal is my solution to cosmoline, heavy grease, or whatever other jargon is used for it. Melts it right away.

I use mineral spirits and lemon oil on the wood as others have stated.

[Maine 20th]

Follow forum guidelines under technical, cleaning a mosin. God Bless America. Pro Libertate Patria.