I am such a fan of military surplus, and I am certainly not alone as the trend toward surplus is becoming more and more mainstream. Military surplus firearms are firearms that have been retired from various militaries around the world. These types of firearms have been sold on the civilian market for years now. They are especially popular with hobbyists, collectors, enthusiasts, and sports shooters.

Buying surplus firearms has so many benefits. The most popular of which is that you get a really good firearm that also holds significance as an important part of history. In fact, if these guns could talk I'm sure we would be fascinated with the stories they could tell. These firearms are functional, well-engineered instruments that are, honestly, a heck of a lot of fun to shoot.

What every potential buyer should know is that many of the surplus firearms, especially rifles, that are received and sold by American distributors and dealers, have been covered with cosmoline for protection from moisture, before being stored away. You may find the cosmoline caked on the stock, gumming up the receiver and bolt carrier, plugging up the bore, and covering the internal parts of the firearm.

Cosmoline is a petroleum-based, grease-like rust inhibitor, that is typically used on firearms that are going into long term storage. You may find that some firearms have been brushed with a thin coating of the substance, while others may have been completely submerged leaving a thick, messy coating. For years or likely even decades before military-stored firearms caches are sold off, these firearms have been packed away at a warehouse somewhere, just marinating in this protective gel. In the event that these coated guns may be exposed to sunlight for an extended period of time, the cosmoline may begin to lose its viscosity and harden still leaving a protective coating but one that is more wax-like and baked on. As such, just the sight of a fine old surplus firearm caked in cosmoline can intimidate many new buyers, and it is a dreaded day for some when they finally decide to remove this gunk from their new surplus firearm. But this shouldn't be the case. Removing cosmoline is actually a very simple task and with the right product, and a little patience, cleaning up your new rifle can actually be a fun new learning experience and a great way to become more familiar with your rifle.

Need a visual example? Let Ben show you how its done on a Chinese SKS!


Italian M91 Carcano Cavalry Carbine - Surplus Good To Very Good Condition

REMOVING COSMOLINE

There are so many different ways to clean the cosmoline off of surplus firearms. I have heard of everything from simply heating the rifle up, to using oven cleaner. I have even heard the old " I use boiling water to clean mine".... ouch. One guy even told me he took his into a hot shower with him and just scrubbed it under the running water as hard as he could stand it until the cosmoline was gone. If that is a true story, it may have worked, but in my opinion, it was a terrible idea. Not only does it leave the rifle wet with water after it is done, but the cosmoline would have had to go somewhere and the last place you want it is down the drain in your house.

As I said, opinions vary, but for the purposes of this article, I'm going to share with you the methods I use. They are tried and true, relatively simple, and will give you a fantastic result without harming the firearm. Probably the most efficient method of removing cosmoline is to use a petroleum-based fuel product like gasoline, kerosene, or diesel fuel. Any of these products will act as a solvent and thin the cosmoline on contact allowing it to easily be wiped away. Living in the country like we do I always have a gas can handy with either some gas or diesel fuel in it so this method for me is always convenient. and in all honesty, this is the substance I personally most commonly use. However, in this case, I have to involve the old adage of, "don't do as I do, do as I say". Using petroleum-based products to remove cosmoline, while highly effective, can be dangerous. The product is flammable and can produce harmful fumes, and as such, I would recommend the following alternative which most surplus firearms enthusiasts agree upon.

The product recommended here mineral spirits. It can be purchased at any hardware or home improvement store, it works well, is relatively safe and clean, and the one we feel most comfortable in recommending.  

Enfield #4 .303 British Bolt Action Rifle - Good Condition

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

First, your set up. You should start by getting everything set up to make your cosmoline cleaning as productive and efficient as possible.

Select a working area that you don't mind getting messed up because this can get messy. Have a pair of disposable gloves handy to protect your skin. Put some old washcloths or shop rags on your working surface. These rags will most likely be thrown away after this cleaning. A bucket is needed to submerge disassembled parts in and also to stand your stock and barreled action in for cleaning. A dish scrubbing or nylon type brush will work well for cleaning after soaking. Get a gallon of mineral spirits to use as your solvent and a spray bottle can also come in handy. The cleaning method goes like this. Simply remove the rifle from the stock and disassemble the rifle to the extent that you are comfortable disassembling. How much you will need to disassemble will vary from rifle to rifle but you want to be able to access the inside of the receiver, and of course, you will want to be able to clean the bore thoroughly to be sure there are no obstructions. On semi-auto rifles, you will also want to be sure that the gas systems are clean which may involve removing the pistons or op rods and cleaning the gas port opening. Pour enough mineral spirits in the bucket to cover your small parts, i.e. bolt group, trigger group, etc. After allowing them to soak for a few minutes you should be able to brush or wipe away the thinned cosmoline. This will leave the components with a very light oily finish which is a good thing. Once cleaned, lay the smaller parts aside to dry.

Next, start on your stock. Stand the stock up butt first in the bucket and give it a good spray down with the mineral spirits. Lightly scrub your stock with the mineral spirits and wipe with one of your rags. Remember you don't want to scrub off the finish, just the cosmoline, and a heavy scrubbing is not needed. In fact, if the mineral spirits are allowed to soak for a while, a towel wiping will typically remove the cosmoline just fine. I generally only use a brush to get into the crevices and hard to reach spots and then only use it lightly. Mineral spirits are great for stocks because they tend to leave a light oily sheen that really defines the beauty of the wood. For heavily coated or hardened cosmoline that has soaked into the wood of the stock, you can sit the stock out in the sunshine to let it heat up a bit and start sweating the cosmoline out so that you are able to clean the wood more thoroughly. It is a best practice to reseal a wooden stock after you have used any solvent on it but we have found that in the vast majority of cases mineral spirits do not harm the original finish of the wood.

Now you are ready to clean the barreled action, remember, the prime objective here is not only removing the cosmoline from the outside of the barrel but far more importantly, you should take great care to be sure the bore is clean and unobstructed as well. Stand the barreled action up in your bucket and use a cleaning rod with a brush or patches dipped in the solvent to be sure all cosmoline is removed from the bore. As mentioned before, the mineral spirits will leave a light oil coating. If this is not enough for you, re-oil lightly, but remember, a heavy oil job does not mean a smoother function. In fact, putting a heavy oil coating on your firearm, old or new, will typically collect debris, and eventually gum up your firearm.

Reassemble your firearm and give a final wipe down with a dry cloth.

Now, you are ready to go! Now that it's ready don't just put that surplus firearm in a cabinet, take it out and shoot it! That's what they are made for.



Czech VZ52/M52 Semi-Auto Rifle - Good Condition

FINAL THOUGHTS

Don't be afraid or reluctant to buy a piece of history and a working relic from the past. These firearms will never be produced again, and supplies are not endless. They are easy to clean and the disassembly and reassembly involved will give you first-hand knowledge of how your firearm works.

All of that being said, check out of our surplus firearms. We have a wide selection and some of the best deals that you can find anywhere!

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