I just bought my first Mosin (91/30) and it came with some unexpected bits, including a double pocket ammo/stripper clip pouch and cleaning kit. They packed the rifle sling and pouch into the same bag as the cleaning bits which included the double sided solvant/oil can. The can of course was covered in cosmoline. So now my sling and pouch has some on it. I'm not too worried about heating up the sling and melting off the gunk, but the pouch seems like it is made out of rubber with leather fittings and not all leather. My thought was to try the hair dryer on lowest setting first and go hotter from further away until it reacts. But if it is a rubber type compound, I really don't want to melt it and ruin the kit. I also want to avoid water so the leather doesn't get ruined/hardened. Does anyone know what these were made out of and how best to clean the cosmoline off without damaging the kit?
Hmm. I'd suggest you safest bet is to gently scrape off as much as you can with something like a blunt butter knife and then boil some water on the stove. Pour some into a cup add a little cold water, not a lot; then hold the pouch over the sink and pour it onto the cosmoline on the pouch.
Cosmoline melts at 135 degrees F. Hot (hotter than tap water, which is maybe 120 degees F. but not boiling-hot-out-of-the-teakettle) water should melt the stuff off without damaging the rubber. As for the leather, if you saddle-soap or use Lexol or Horseman's Cream on it right away, the water won't penetrate far enough to damage the leather.
I'm with Cyrano.. Boiling water will remove it.. Soaking leather in water isn't a good idea, but cleaning leather with water is just fine.. Let it dry and give it a good coat of neatsfoot oil and work it in aftewards, and it'll be better than new..
Thanks for the input. I will give it a shot. I have used water to harden leather before, which is why I am weary of straight up boiling out the cosmoline.
