Thanks for all the help everyone, after several question posts, I got it.
I was on the hunt for cleaner examples, but certain Gunpost members were really hosing people. Did I still buy it for inflated prices? Yes. Are there better condition ones out there? Yes. But at least I got to check it out in person. And I now own an SKS.
All matching 1963 Chinese. I'll get a tickler soon if the prices don't go even more insane, but I've wanted an SKS since I shot one at a friend's house 15 years ago, and as massive as my list of wants is, I just couldn't move on until I had one.
Also, Cosmoline is no joke. I looked at it wrong and now my next 3 generations of offspring are covered in it. I'll take cleaning tips as it's far worse than expected.
I got a Tula 20+ years ago for $169.99 plus 1000 rounds of crate ammo. What a deal those were. My 25 year old self made a couple great decisions gun wise back then.
That said, this is an early Chinese version, and there isn’t a damn thing wrong with it. Nice job.
Dropping the metal parts into a metal bin (I got one off amazon that’s supposed to be a kitty litter box lol) with boiling hot water was a good start for me and you could see the cosmoline come right off.
Mineral spirits got the rest off but after shooting I still find tiny bits here and there oozing out of the nooks and crannies.
beautiful! Keep it just as it is. It will treat you well literally forever.
The best way I found to remove cosmoline was with boiling water. You pretty much have to melt it off. If you hate your landlord, melt it right into the sink. Otherwise, capture it in a bin/bucket/tote or whatever else you may have.
You can bake the cosmoline out of the stock as well.
Sounds like your stock has been refinished or sanded?
My Russians have a shellac coat, and my Chinese rifles have a shiny varnish that are both water resistant.
The only stock I’ve had that sweated cosmoline was a Molot export that was sanded down to bare wood, so that even the original stain would come out when oily or wet.
If your stock is unfinished, any modern finish like Birchwood Casey Tru Oil (this is my go-to) will dry to a waterproof layer that seals the wood.
I believe the M1 Garand stocks are usually treated with BLO for a similar result that is easily repaired (for it’s time).
Genuinely, I just hate slime and oil on me. My plan is to use a nice oil finish to protect the wood after removing as much as I can without ruining the finish, but as it is, the stuff is literally sweating out.
I drive truck, and it reminds me of fifth-wheel grease; it does what it's supposed to, but get it on your skin, and especially clothes, it never comes out and spreads everywhere so I'd like to tackle it.
I baked my stock and gas tube cover at 100°C in the oven. Every 20 minutes I would wipe off the oils that sweat out of the wood with a lint-free cloth. Once the stock stopped sweating, I turned the oven off and let everything cooldown together. I put it directly on the rack with a turkey roaster pans underneath it to catch any cosmoline run-off.
With the stock now at room temp, I cleaned it with a bit of mineral spirits. Once it dried, I did a fine grit sanding of all the high spots. Once again cleaned it with mineral spirits to get any remaining crud off of the wood.
With the stock dry, I spent a lot of time oiling the wood with boil linseed oil. Making sure to wipe off excess and allowing the oil to be fully absorbed between coats. With the final coat dry and the wood now having a nice shine to it, I used a piece of printer paper to "sand" the high spots of the oil finish. The most time consuming part was waiting for the oil to absorb. It's an otherwise easy process.
With the oil "sanded", I wiped the pieces down with a lint-free cloth to be sure it was free of dust. After that, I applied town talk/orange wax as a final topcoat to protect the wood.
The picture doesn't do it justice. The finish is absolutely fantastic and the hand feel is unreal. The stock is soft, smooth, and does not shed onto your hands or clothes. The finish is unaffected by heat from the rifle.
Do you need to do this? No. However, I'm going to keep this rifle for the rest of my life. The investment is worth it.
I understand; this is what I do for my SKS that I bring innawoods:
1) Wear gloves;
2) Disassemble rifle;
3) Spray down with CLP like G96 to dissolve/soften the cosmoline;
4) Wipe off excess with paper towels;
5) Reassemble;
6) Wipe down exterior of assembled rifle with paper towels/rags.
7) Go innawoods.
The stock should have a hard, shiny shellac-type finish or varnish depending on whether it’s Russian or Chinese. This coating is water-resistant and will not “sweat” cosmoline.
The inletted part of the stock that is raw will hold cosmoline against the receiver and protect it from getting rust-pitted due to trapped moisture and dirt.
This is why CRC sells cosmoline for rust-proofing undercarriages, and why you shouldn’t clean off all the cosmoline out of the stock.
Little bit of grease and oil keeps the metal shiny and the wood healthy.🧐
A less messy alternative I like is dielectric grease.
The metal can just be wiped down with rags and CLP/solvent. You want cosmoline in the nooks and crannies where moisture can collect, corrosion starts where you can’t see it.
Do you seriously think soldiers are allowed to clean their weapons with boiling water?
Most common cause of rust on “restored” classic Mercedes Benzes are idiots cleaning out the factory cosmoline that was applied to make the frames and bodies last for decades.
Recite : "This is my SKS. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My SKS is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me, my SKS is useless. Without my SKS, I am incomplete."
love the type 56's, I have a 1967 spike bayonet model and its my favorite SKS
as for your cosmoline question, I think heat is the best solution, if you can get the parts hot (like hot enough that it will almost burn you) the cosmoline will run off like water and you can use wd40 to displace the rest of the liquid cosmoline, wipe down thoroughly followed by a second normal cleaning with gun oil, as for the wood stock you will literally need to wipe it down every time you handle it for like a year, the wood will extrude it over time.
I mean, if that's what you show up with at the consulate when they ask for id, they might have a few more objections besides it being of russian origins 😁
I’ve been looking for a sks do you have any recommendations? Idk what the difference is between this or something like a Russian one and how do you find one in better condition?
One minute you're taking my SKS. The next, you're putting me in front of the firing squad with the rest of the enemies of the state for painting my toes.
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u/soviet_toster Jul 11 '26
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