I'm officially Canadian.

[u/ExtremeCommercial821]

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.

[u/BrotherLefthand]

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.

[u/ExtremeCommercial821 → u/BrotherLefthand]

Appreciate that brother, 🤜🤛.

[u/IcySkyDream → u/ExtremeCommercial821]

Baking the stock can warp or crack it.

Just leave it; it prevents corrosion on the receiver.

The only place cosmoline shouldn’t be is the operating parts. Everywhere else, it protects the wood and steel.

This anti-cosmoline groupthink needs to die.

[u/BrotherLefthand → u/IcySkyDream]

1973 passed 56 years ago. Convection ovens go below 300°C. The future is here.

Cosmoline is the least pleasant treatment for guns you actually use.

Just because you like to play in the muck, doesn't mean everyone else should.

[u/IcySkyDream → u/BrotherLefthand]

CRC sells cosmoline for rust-proofing undercarriages.

[u/BrotherLefthand → u/IcySkyDream]

Cosmoline on the frame of a truck is not the same as cosmoline on wood that you handle.

[u/IcySkyDream → u/BrotherLefthand]

How are you handling the inside of the stock?

[u/BrotherLefthand → u/IcySkyDream]

The cosmoline sweats out of the stock. It gets all over your hands, case, whatever you put the gun on. Do you actually own an SKS?

[u/IcySkyDream → u/BrotherLefthand]

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).

[u/ExtremeCommercial821 → u/IcySkyDream]

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.

[u/BrotherLefthand → u/ExtremeCommercial821]

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.

[u/IcySkyDream → u/ExtremeCommercial821]

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.

Hope that helps!

[u/Glockinmytacklebox → u/IcySkyDream]

Skip all those steps and repeat pouring boiling water on everything. Saves a lot of hassle

[u/IcySkyDream → u/Glockinmytacklebox]

Boiling water + wood = swelling and warping.

Don’t be a Bubba and do it properly.

I don’t think pouring boiling water was ever the standard protocol in the USSR or CCP militaries. 

[u/Glockinmytacklebox → u/IcySkyDream]

Not on the wood numbnuts. On all the metal parts to remove the cosmoline. Easiest and most efficient way to do it. Sparkly clean every time

[u/IcySkyDream → u/Glockinmytacklebox]

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.

Idiots gonna bubba I guess. 🙄