The Russian Mosin Nagant Forum

I'm acquiring my first SKS !

With my Mosins, I've been able to "totally" disassemble them to remove the grease.
Are there instructions or tutorials anywhere showing how to disassemble/reassemble an SKS for grease removal?
I'm sure more than a field stripping is going to be required to get all of the "cosmo" out of it.
I've searched the 'net and haven't been able to find much on the SKSs...

cjsimoh wrote:I'm acquiring my first SKS !

With my Mosins, I've been able to "totally" disassemble them to remove the grease.
Are there instructions or tutorials anywhere showing how to disassemble/reassemble an SKS for grease removal?
I'm sure more than a field stripping is going to be required to get all of the "cosmo" out of it.
I've searched the 'net and haven't been able to find much on the SKSs...

I got this video years ago along with one for the M1 Garand. http://store.ontargetvideos.com/SKS-Rifle_p_29.html I got mine from Cheaper Than Dirt but they don't carry this line of DVDs anymore. I see at least one E-Bay seller that has this for $14.99 and free shipping. Here's a pictorial, with one note: they suggest using a live cartridge to depress or move certain parts for disassembly and I'd suggest maybe using something else. http://www.gunpics.net/russian/sks/sksdis.html

Here's a few youtube videos.

[BBvideo 425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iiq7Ey1-5eg[/BBvideo]

[BBvideo 425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTnEPfA1ipQ[/BBvideo]

Thanks!. I saw those videos when I was searching, but being unfamiliar with the SKS, I thought there would be more disassembly for cosmo removal. It doesn't look too bad!

I bought one of the Yugo SKSs Classic has for sale. A bit pricey, but in line with what I've seen on the auction sites. And, I liked that they were from a Slovenian arsenal since I am 100% Slovenian!
I'll post pics when I get it. I hope mine's as nice as some of the ones hey show in their un-crating video!

A small brass punch works fine for removing the trigger assembly. Hopefully, you won't have to mount it in a 30 ton press to get the trigger group out.
I'd advise you not to pull the trigger group apart; Once it's out flush it with Gun Scrubber (or brake cleaner, if you're cheap like me), and relube moving parts, and a very light coat of oil on everything else.

Remember the Yugo SKS' don't have a chrome-lined bore. If you shoot milsurp ammo, (Or anything made by any former ComBloc country) you must clean it ASAP.

Thanks for the good advice. Sometimes with my other firearms, I'll put trigger assemblies in the ultrasonic cleaner. Then I blast them with air and put them by a space heater to bake off the rest of the water then oil them up.

When getting rid of cosmoline I just use real hot water and Dawn dish soap. So far it has worked pretty good. I have also used it in my sonic cleaner for trigger groups and other small parts.

there is nothing better than the smell of burnt powder in the morning. Except of course the smell of fresh coffee.

cjsimoh wrote:Thanks for the good advice. Sometimes with my other firearms, I'll put trigger assemblies in the ultrasonic cleaner. Then I blast them with air and put them by a space heater to bake off the rest of the water then oil them up.

That's the way to do it if you've got the right stuff. My ultrasonic is a jewelry one, too small for most trigger assemblies, and my compresser is buried in the garage.

Ok, so it looks like these SKSs have real cosmoline on them. Not there grease that the Mosins come covered with. Am I going to have to change how I go about removing it? The Mosin axel grease wiped off and then the remaining came clean with degreaser and the ultrasonic cleaner. I have a feeling I'm going to need to be more aggressive with the stuff that comes on the SKSs.... Maybe something petroleum based? I don't have anything to boil the parts in ....

cjsimoh wrote:Ok, so it looks like these SKSs have real cosmoline on them. Not there grease that the Mosins come covered with. Am I going to have to change how I go about removing it? The Mosin axel grease wiped off and then the remaining came clean with degreaser and the ultrasonic cleaner. I have a feeling I'm going to need to be more aggressive with the stuff that comes on the SKSs.... Maybe something petroleum based? I don't have anything to boil the parts in ....

It's still grease but it's just hardened. The US was the only place that used true cosmoline and it's a real bear to get off from what I've been told. I have one of these Yugo SKS's I got from Wideners a few years ago and like some of the Mosin Nagants that had dried grease I used Hoppe's #9. It won't harm anything on the rifle. It's petro based. I believe it actually has kerosene as one of the ingredients. It works but sometimes you need to let it soak. I paint it on larger jobs with a parts brush. It's also water soluble to a point. When I clean an especially dirty trigger group from something like a Ruget 10/22 or a Remington 1100 I just paint it on, let it sit and use an old tooth brush to give it a good scrub. I buy the stuff by the quart.

I did a little research on some of the SKS forums, and from what I can tell, these Slovenian Yugos are covered with Tectyl 502C.

"Tectyl 502C, Class I is a solvent cutback, corrosion preventive compound. The semi-firm film is amber and translucent. Tectyl 502C, Class I is approved under Military Specifications MIL-PRF-16173E, Grade 2, for Class I, and MIL-P-116J, Type P-2. It is designed to protect ferrous and non-ferrous parts for indoor or covered storage and during shipment."

Here's a link to a product page: http://www.petroleumservicecompany.com/tectyl-502-c-class-1.html?gclid=CMK6yrjJtscCFQ6RaQodZKoGrg

There's a remover for it, but it's about $37 per quart shipped! I'm sure just about any other less expensive petroleum based solvent would do the trick.

I use mineral spirits to remove the grease. It will evaporate out of the wood and can just be dried off the metal parts.

cjsimoh wrote:I did a little research on some of the SKS forums, and from what I can tell, these Slovenian Yugos are covered with Tectyl 502C.

"Tectyl 502C, Class I is a solvent cutback, corrosion preventive compound. The semi-firm film is amber and translucent. Tectyl 502C, Class I is approved under Military Specifications MIL-PRF-16173E, Grade 2, for Class I, and MIL-P-116J, Type P-2. It is designed to protect ferrous and non-ferrous parts for indoor or covered storage and during shipment."

Here's a link to a product page: http://www.petroleumservicecompany.com/tectyl-502-c-class-1.html?gclid=CMK6yrjJtscCFQ6RaQodZKoGrg

There's a remover for it, but it's about $37 per quart shipped! I'm sure just about any other less expensive petroleum based solvent would do the trick.

Such as Hoppe's #9 as I mentioned. It's not that expensive. Worked on mine.

To clean a SKS bolt that packed, put it in a pan of boiling water about 10 minutes. grease will bubble out the ends. work the firing pin back and forth and spray some Rem oil or good gun oil inside. An SKS bolt should rattle when you shake it........ SBP

entropy wrote:A small brass punch works fine for removing the trigger assembly. Hopefully, you won't have to mount it in a 30 ton press to get the trigger group out.
I'd advise you not to pull the trigger group apart; Once it's out flush it with Gun Scrubber (or brake cleaner, if you're cheap like me), and relube moving parts, and a very light coat of oil on everything else.

Remember the Yugo SKS' don't have a chrome-lined bore. If you shoot milsurp ammo, (Or anything made by any former ComBloc country) you must clean it ASAP.

Question, I drank the cool aid and bought one. As long as ammo is not corrosive like the new manufacture Wolf and whatnot then it is not an issue as far as cleaning immediately?

No more than any other non-chrome barrelled rifle. I clean them ASAP regardless, but then, I am a gunsmith, I'm used to it.

Use the wayback machine, see the links on the right under maintenance. Save the PDF files because one day these won't be available.

https://web.archive.org/web/20130628214 ... /index.asp

Here's the SKS disassemble link https://web.archive.org/web/20130518225 ... /index.asp

entropy wrote:No more than any other non-chrome barrelled rifle. I clean them ASAP regardless, but then, I am a gunsmith, I'm used to it.

So then I'm good if I had to wait a few days so long as it is not corrosive?

Can anyone help with this question? I just want to make sure I'm not jeopardizing my rifle Thanks!

Anyone? ;-) I know, I am a pain.

Well, personally I haven't had a problem with new-production ammo that was advertised as non-corrosive actually being corrosive. If it was, I would think it would have to be so slight that a few days couldn't amount to a hill of beans.

I don't want rust on, or in, any firearm I own. But, that being said, I have never been as much of a stickler for intensive cleaning as many are.

But, others' mileage may vary.