I JUST BOUGHT A M44 TWO WEEKS AGO. MY FIRST MOSIN. I WAS WONDERING IF THERE WAS SOME KIND OF CLEANER I COULD USE ON THE STOCK. THERE IS DRIED UP COSMO ON IT, BUT I DONT WANT TO RUIN THE FINISH. ANY SUGGESTIONS?
If you want to keep the original finish (not sure why) just use a mild detergent in very warm water. That may not work either as it depends on how much cosmolene is under the finish. Unless its a M44 Tula Just refinish the stock.
Geo, he needs to identify it before he can decide if he has a rare one or not. Wisc, there is a sticky at the top of the Mosin forum that will take you to a site with pix where you can identify your carbine. But here's a down and dirty check: if there is a star with an arrow in it on the receiver below the USSR seal, it's a Tula Arsenal piece. If it's a triangle with a star in it, it was made at Izhevsk.
Okay, what's your next move? If you decide the cosmoline and finish has to go, I suggest using mineral spirits, brass soft bristle brushes, and perhaps green scrubbie pads to get the gunk off the stock after you detail-strip the firearm. After that, I'd use tung oil varnish or Tru-Oil to refinish the stock. Just my 2 cents.
Another stripping method (less fummy) that I like is using a good degreasing detergent like Dawn Power Desolver which will pull the cosmolene out of the grain. The downside is that you will nedd to let it dry for about 2 days and it slightly raises the grain so light sanding is required. Final finish is whatever you like.
Here is how it turns out (one of these days I need to take some more pictures):
I read that you can "sweat" the cosmo out of the stock and not harm the finish in any way. Cosmoline has a melting point of 130 degrees Farenheit. One method I read about is to wait for warm weather and put the gun (or just the stock) on some newspapers and then put everything into a black plastic garbage bag. Put this bag on a car dashboard or set it on a deck in the sun. Change the newspapers periodically, and it should take a few days to sweat the cosmo out.
Until the warm weather arrives, I believe (get this confirmed by another source) that you can clean up the stock with Murphy's and warm water. They make a spray version that may be worth trying.
I also want to keep the original finish on my Mosins, as I love them the way that they were made.
Izhevsk (Izzy) arsenal is the most common of the M44's, so probably not a true collectable. It's your rifle, so do what suits you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lowercase
I read that you can "sweat" the cosmo out of the stock and not harm the finish in any way. Cosmoline has a melting point of 130 degrees Farenheit. One method I read about is to wait for warm weather and put the gun (or just the stock) on some newspapers and then put everything into a black plastic garbage bag. Put this bag on a car dashboard or set it on a deck in the sun. Change the newspapers periodically, and it should take a few days to sweat the cosmo out.
Until the warm weather arrives, I believe (get this confirmed by another source) that you can clean up the stock with Murphy's and warm water. They make a spray version that may be worth trying.
I also want to keep the original finish on my Mosins, as I love them the way that they were made.
If the cosmolene has penetrated the pours of the wood then then whatever surface finish is on there will come off with the cosmolene. Better off just to either leave it alone or strip it and start with clean wood.
Many of the arsenal refinished stocks are fine the way they are. I just happen to like the natural grain of the birch stocks.
Last edited by Geo M44; 03-23-2008 at 08:03 PM.
Reason: Automerged Doublepost
I read that you can "sweat" the cosmo out of the stock and not harm the finish in any way. Cosmoline has a melting point of 130 degrees Farenheit. One method I read about is to wait for warm weather and put the gun (or just the stock) on some newspapers and then put everything into a black plastic garbage bag. Put this bag on a car dashboard or set it on a deck in the sun. Change the newspapers periodically, and it should take a few days to sweat the cosmo out.
Until the warm weather arrives, I believe (get this confirmed by another source) that you can clean up the stock with Murphy's and warm water. They make a spray version that may be worth trying.
I also want to keep the original finish on my Mosins, as I love them the way that they were made.
I have used Murphys oil soap on several occasions and it works pretty good but does take some time to get the cosmolene out .. If you want to save the finish just dont use abrasive material to apply murphys .. If that fails get some kutsit stripper and you wount have to sand on the stock and can apply Tru oil to it in about Three coats you will have a nice finnish..Just remember you have to stain it to get the russian red color ..
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You can have my gun when you pry it from my cold dead fingers
Ok, might be a little late, but try steaming it. Not sure how well it will work with it. Make the cosmo "sweat" out of the rifle. I did it to my Yugo 59/66 and my Yugo M24/47 and it worked well for both of them. There are abunch of different ways to do this. One is a steamer, the other is take a garbage bag and put the stock in it, seel the bag and put it in a HOT bath tub. it may take a while but keeps everything on the rifle in the original condition.
I have used Murphys oil soap on several occasions and it works pretty good but does take some time to get the cosmolene out .. If you want to save the finish just dont use abrasive material to apply murphys .. If that fails get some kutsit stripper and you wount have to sand on the stock and can apply Tru oil to it in about Three coats you will have a nice finnish..Just remember you have to stain it to get the russian red color ..
Now when it comes to that red I have seen mostly a light colored red. I want a very dark red like when I took it out of the box. Some people have suggested miniwax red mahogany but the pictures I have seen so far look too light, almost "tan". How can I get that rich dark red look? What stain should I use?
