Cosmoline

[luis]

Does anyone know who is still selling Cosmoline? I have some take off parts I want to place in longterm storage.

Luis

 

[luis]

Does anyone know who is still selling Cosmoline? I have some take off parts I want to place in longterm storage.

Luis

 

[RON in PA]

Check Brownell's.

 

[ShelbyV8]

The US Army considers metal coated with Breakfree to be approved for indefinite storage. It will be a lot easier to clean if you want to put the parts back in service. I have some 22 rifles that that have been setting in a closet for for almost 20 years and they still have a coat of protective lubricate on them.

 

[conn ak]

Yeah, ask anyone having purchased an AKM,SKS or Mosin-Nagant or K98 about the joys of cleaning cosmoline with mineral spirits, white gas and heat guns. I had a 1939 (TULA) Mosin for over 10 years and the wood would still leak cosmo after heating up a bit at the range. Hate cosmo with a passion, but I guess it's still the best solution to long term storage. When I bought my first AK, it's a good thing I took it apart before ripping the first magazine. The gas tube assembly was packed with that nasty ear wax concoction. White gas always did best on metal, heat guns sweat it out on the furniture.

 

[ChuckS1]

When I deployed from Fort Jackson to DESERT SHIELD, I was issued a M1911A1. It came packed in a heavy duty plastic bag about the size of a throw pillow. It was filled with Cosmoline and inside was the pistol. Took me all afternoon to clean that pistol. Been in storage since Vietnam. Hate that stuff.

 

[george minze]

A old but excellent pistol smith I have been sending pistols to for 20+ years turned me on to Militec-1 you apply and heat with hair dryer and repeat then dry off with rag Militec has done wonders for my weapons. It is a dry type of lube. even though it goes on wet Penetrates the metal. (Militec-1.com) It makes cleaning very easy weapon used or un-used. run into bore after firing run a clean swap trough. Clean. Check it out make your own conclusions....

 

[sjmjax]

Some say that Lee Liquid Alox makes a good subsitute for cosmoline on small parts.

 

[rp85]

hint, hint, cosmoline = petroleum jelly.

several years ago i tried to find out what cosmoline is made of. looked up the word "cosmoline" in a dictionary and the def. was "petroelum jelly".

rp

 

[conn ak]

Isn't cosmoline petroleum jelly and wax?

 

[Mickey D]

Oil them and vacuum seal them like you would frozen foods.

 

[shawn mccarver]

Originally posted by Mickey D:
Oil them and vacuum seal them like you would frozen foods.

I agree. I had a friend who had to go overseas for his job, and before he left, he disassembled his 459, coated it very heavily in ordinary gun oil, and put the frame in one zip lock bag, the slide in one, the barrel and recoil spring and guide in one and the mags in one. He put all of the bags back in the original one piece cardboard S&W box and put the whole thing in his parents safety deposit box. That was in about 1986 or so.

Just this past summer (2008), we opened it, wiped off the oil put it together and went out and shot it. It performed like new and there was not a hint of rust. In fact the air tight environment prevented the oil from drying up and it seemed just as "wet" as when we packed it in about 1986 or so.

 

[conn ak]

Originally posted by Mickey D:
Oil them and vacuum seal them like you would frozen foods.

Yes, that's what the U.S. military does for long term storage.

 

[Double-O-Dave]

I've successfully used vaseline (petroleum jelly) to all metal parts of a firearm, then wrapped it in several sheets of wax paper followed by sealing the whole thing in a large plastic bag. One particular pistol that I treated this way lasted almost 18 years without a spot of rust.

Best of luck,

Dave

 

[cxm]

A VERY excellent material for long term storage is the updated version of Gen.'l. Julian Hatcher's Frankfurt Ordnance Solvent with lanolin added to the mix to make it protect for long term storage.

Basic formula:

1 qt. kerosene
1 qt. Turpentine or mineral spirits
1 qt. Acetone
1 qt. Type III Automatic Transmission fluid

Mix these together in a metal can... it will eat through most plastics.

Once mixed in a seperate area melt a pound of lanolin (used to make salves at drug stores) and add the melted lanolin to the solution stirring as you add it.

The result will stay on metal and protect it from corrosion ... I am told for 5 years plus... and it is easy to remove using the same mixture less the lanolin. I would not pack wood or plastic in the stuff ...

FWIW

Chuck

 

[luis]

Thank you all for the information.

Luis

 

[Bullitholz]

As strange as it might sound, one of the best and easiest methods is simply to dip the parts in Dexron III ATF and then put them in a bag or plastic wrap.