I got a Yugo SKS 59/66A1 for Christmas!

[Scott]

My brother rocks. It looks to be in VERY good condition. Anyone got any tips to get all the cosmoline off? This thing is caked.

[Marlin]

The easy and best way, isn't quite the option right now.Where's Global warming when You need it. Just set it out in the hot sun for about half a day, wipe it down every couple of hours, works great. Doesn't work to well during the ice age though.

Next best method that I tried, wipe off the excess with paper towels. Then take a hair dryer/heat gun on the low setting. works well enough.

The oven method is an option, You have to field strip it and put it in on the lowest setting for a few hours. That one is the most dangerous though, You need to put down plenty of foil, and make sure Mama is out of town for a few days.

Last, There is the Chemical/warm water method. Oven cleaner works good. I did it once, Decided that it was not the prefered way. Too much work and, the results weren't that great.

Good luck with it and remember to post pic's.

[Scott]

I think I'm going to give the hair dryer idea tonight. My wife is going to be mad, which makes it even better.

[sirthomas]

I use kerosene, field stripped it and soaked the metal parts and wiped the wood

[jerrymrc]

You are going to have to use kerosene (or something else) to get it all out of the metal parts. Once I get it to the point I can take it apart I soak and then use a chip brush on the metal.

The bolt is going to take some work.

I disassemble the stock and use my baking oven set at 250. The last one I did had me pulling it out every 20 min or so to wipe it down.
It spent 10 hours of baking and wiping to get the cosmo out of it.

Once you think you have it clean it will surprise you down the road.

Just my two cents.

[Scott]

Well I think I got a pretty good start with the hair dryer, but it's taking for ever. My oven is out of commission until the 4th and I don't really have an adequate setup to do the kerosene safely (I have 6 kids running around my house everyday). How much kerosene do you think I would need, and can I use a plastic bucket, or does it have to be metal? Also, what happens if I shoot the gun without getting 100% of the cosmoline out? I'm talking just a thin film on the really hard to get parts.

[androck14]

You have to disassemble the bolt and get the cosmolene out of there so the firing pin can move freely. Otherwise it's possible to have a slamfire. Trigger group should also be nice and clean. A gallon of your favorite solvent will more than do the job. A quart might not.