{"id":213348,"date":"2025-08-30T14:45:45","date_gmt":"2025-08-30T19:45:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?p=213348"},"modified":"2025-09-23T09:23:00","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T14:23:00","slug":"how-to-remove-cosmoline","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/how-to-remove-cosmoline\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Remove Cosmoline"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-estimated-reading-time yoast-reading-time__wrapper\"><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__icon\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-icon=\"clock\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" style=\"display:inline-block;vertical-align:-0.1em\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M12 8v4l3 3m6-3a9 9 0 11-18 0 9 9 0 0118 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__spacer\" style=\"display:inline-block;width:1em\"><\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__descriptive-text\">Estimated reading time: <\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__reading-time\">0<\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__time-unit\"> minutes<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a millennial, I feel like I was part of the last generation that dealt intermittently with Cosmoline. Millennial gun ownership often started with the <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/search?keyword=mosin%20nagant\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"how-to-remove-cosmoline\" title=\"How To Remove Cosmoline\">Mosin-Nagant<\/a>, which was often slathered with Cosmoline. It&#8217;s been years since I&#8217;ve dealt with this thick, brown, wax-like substance made from petroleum. The Russians covered everything in the stuff, especially their guns, so it became common knowledge to remove the junk from wood, metal, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-in-box-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Cosmoline covered gun\" class=\"wp-image-213296\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-in-box-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-in-box-400x225.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-in-box-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-in-box-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-in-box-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-in-box.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Look at this thing. Even the box is covered<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><h2>Table of contents<\/h2><ul><li><a href=\"#h-removing-cosmoline-the-supplies-and-first-steps\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"how-to-remove-cosmoline\" title=\"How To Remove Cosmoline\" data-level=\"2\">Removing Cosmoline &#8211; The Supplies and First Steps<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-the-wipe-down\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"how-to-remove-cosmoline\" title=\"How To Remove Cosmoline\" data-level=\"2\">The Wipe Down<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-bring-the-heat\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"how-to-remove-cosmoline\" title=\"How To Remove Cosmoline\" data-level=\"2\">Bring the Heat<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-find-your-spirits\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"how-to-remove-cosmoline\" title=\"How To Remove Cosmoline\" data-level=\"2\">Find Your Spirits<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-the-alternative-to-mineral-spirits-and-the-solution-to-wood-and-plastic\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"how-to-remove-cosmoline\" title=\"How To Remove Cosmoline\" data-level=\"2\">The Alternative To Mineral Spirits (And the Solution to Wood and Plastic)<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-the-eternal-fight-against-cosmoline\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"how-to-remove-cosmoline\" title=\"How To Remove Cosmoline\" data-level=\"2\">The Eternal Fight Against Cosmoline<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>I have an addiction to .32 ACP firearms, and when a Bersa Lusber 844 came up at a local auction for 150 dollars, I raised my hand without even looking at the gun. After looking closely, I realized why they kept it in the box for auction. It was slathered in that sticky brown substance we all love. After taking possession, I knew I had a chore, but that&#8217;s okay; I got a weird <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/search?keyword=32%20ACP\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"how-to-remove-cosmoline\" title=\"How To Remove Cosmoline\">.32 ACP<\/a> on the cheap.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-magazine-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"cosmoline covered magazine\" class=\"wp-image-213293\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-magazine-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-magazine-400x225.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-magazine-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-magazine-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-magazine-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-magazine.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Seriously. Did the guy applying the stuff get paid by how much he used?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Since I had a chore and realized a lot of new <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/chicago-do-not-take-matters-into-your-own-hands-call-the-police\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"how-to-remove-cosmoline\" title=\"How To Remove Cosmoline\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"117\">gun owners<\/a> might not have the same knowledge about removing Cosmoline that I had gleaned from numerous small gun forums, I now had a chore and an article I could write to help pass that knowledge onto the world. Since Russian imports have dried up, the likelihood of running into that sticky brown wax is unlikely, but always possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-removing-cosmoline-the-supplies-and-first-steps\">Removing Cosmoline &#8211; The Supplies and First Steps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s start with the supplies to get this show on the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rag<br \/>Tooth Brush<br \/>Blow Dryer or Heat Gun<br \/>Mineral Spirits<br \/>Disposable Container<br \/>Gloves and Eye Protection<br \/>Hot Water and Dawn Soap<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-gear-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Kit to remove junk\" class=\"wp-image-213300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-gear-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-gear-400x225.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-gear-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-gear-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-gear-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-gear.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A few goods, mostly from around the house, can get things done<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>You don&#8217;t need anything too crazy. Everything can be found at your local Walmart or under your wife&#8217;s side of the sink. I went to Goodwill and got an old Tupperware container for almost nothing. A good rule of thumb is to be prepared to throw away nearly anything you plan to use to clean Cosmoline off a gun, except for the heat gun\/hair dryer and eye protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ultimately, the mineral spirits could be optional. You can get away without using Mineral Spirits, but they make life much easier. If you plan to use mineral spirits, be aware that they are harsh on wood finishes and can be harsh on polymer. I&#8217;d remove any wood or plastic stocks, grips, and parts before exposing them to mineral spirits.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-gun-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"cosmoline soaked gun\" class=\"wp-image-213337\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-gun-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-gun-400x225.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-gun-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-gun-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-gun-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-gun-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">I&#8217;ve got a long way to go. This thing is obnoxiously coated for such a small pistol<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>I like using shirts as rags. The size makes them easy to use for large parts of a gun. The thick nature of Cosmoline eats a rag up quickly. A small work rag doesn&#8217;t always do well. Old shirts are cheap and disposable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-wipe-down\">The Wipe Down<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Predictably, the first thing we can do is use the rag to wipe away any exposed cosmoline on the outside of the gun. I wiped down the old 844 with glee and removed layer after layer of the junk from my gun. It seemed to keep expanding and flowing out of the gun. Once you&#8217;ve removed most of the material, you can strip the weapon.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-stripped-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"field stripped gun\" class=\"wp-image-213294\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-stripped-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-stripped-400x225.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-stripped-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-stripped-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-stripped-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-stripped.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Getting this thing field-stripped was a major hassle. However, it&#8217;s a necessary step.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Field strip the gun and begin wiping it away. Get into as many nooks and crevices as you can. You might break out the toothbrush to get into the hard-to-reach nooks and crannies of the gun. Clean off the stock, any grips, the barrel, and beyond. My magazines were even soaked in Cosmoline, so I had to pay special attention to the inside and outside of the magazines.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-cleaned-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"wiping off cosmoline\" class=\"wp-image-213335\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-cleaned-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-cleaned-400x225.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-cleaned-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-cleaned-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-cleaned-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-cleaned-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Everything needs to be wiped off. That&#8217;s the first step to get rid of all this junk. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>We can break out the heat once we&#8217;ve wiped down every nook and cranny. I suggest doing this outside because heat melts the stuff, making a huge mess that&#8217;s nearly uncleanable. When I was 16, I got a Mosin for my birthday, and my mom still brings up the mess I made in her kitchen, cleaning it up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-bring-the-heat\">Bring the Heat<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You can use a dedicated heat gun. If you don&#8217;t have a heat gun, you don&#8217;t need to buy one; a hairdryer is much cheaper. Keep the weapon stripped and put the parts and pieces on a big rag or towel that you don&#8217;t mind throwing away. Start applying heat. You can apply heat to plastic, wood, and metal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The heat will melt the Cosmoline and cause it to puddle like a liquid. You don&#8217;t even need a ton of heat to melt Cosmoline. It causes the nasty stuff to drip off and even puddle inside parts of the gun. With the heat melting the brown junk out, you might need to pour it out of your weapon. The Cosmoline was so thick on my gun that I felt like I poured a cup of it out of the gun.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-heat-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"applying heat to melt cosmoline\" class=\"wp-image-213336\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-heat-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-heat-400x225.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-heat-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-heat-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-heat-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-heat-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A little heat will liquify the gunk and turn it into a straight liquid. It&#8217;s very messy, so be careful.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>I don&#8217;t know if the guy at Bersa got paid based on how much Cosmoline he applied, but it certainly seems like he should get a bonus. Typically, the heat step is pretty quick, but the junk obstructed the barrel of my handgun so that it poured out of it for 67 seconds. I&#8217;m not exaggerating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you heat different parts of the gun, you must wipe them down. Be cautious not to burn your precious paws on the hot parts of the weapon. You&#8217;ll follow a pattern of heating the gun and wiping the gun down with your rag.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-heat-2-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"hair blow dryer pointed at gun parts on old towel\" class=\"wp-image-213334\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-heat-2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-heat-2-400x225.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-heat-2-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-heat-2-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-heat-2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-heat-2-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Apply heat everywhere you can using different angles, all sides, up, down, all around.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Heat and repeat over and over until you&#8217;ve removed as much of the Cosmoline as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-find-your-spirits\">Find Your Spirits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>After you apply the heat, it&#8217;s time for mineral spirits. You can consider this optional. It&#8217;s not needed, but it makes the process a lot faster. Mineral spirits are also a harsh chemical, so do this step outside. Do all the cleaning outside. Mineral spirits dissolve quickly, so if you&#8217;re using a handgun, it&#8217;s smart to have some kind of container.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finding a container that fits a rifle can be a lot harder. With a rifle, pour the spirits on a rag and wipe it down. With that in mind, you should wear gloves and eye protection whenever you handle material meant to strip metal.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-pouring-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"mineral spirits pouring into container with gun part\" class=\"wp-image-213298\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-pouring-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-pouring-400x225.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-pouring-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-pouring-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-pouring-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-pouring.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pour them over and then cover the lid for the best effect. Wear gloves and eye protection to avoid dealing with harsh chemical reactions.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Keep a wet rag and a dry rag to apply mineral spirits and wipe them away. Mineral spirits dissolve Cosmoline, so they are incredibly effective at cleaning out the thick gooey crap. You can pop it in a container and pour the mineral spirits over it. If it&#8217;s a handgun, throw the lid on and let it sit. Swish it around if necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-pouring-mineral-spirits-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Dissovled cosmoline\" class=\"wp-image-213295\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-pouring-mineral-spirits-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-pouring-mineral-spirits-400x225.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-pouring-mineral-spirits-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-pouring-mineral-spirits-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-pouring-mineral-spirits-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-pouring-mineral-spirits.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Notice all the dissolved cosmoline in the spirits. That&#8217;s why they&#8217;re brown<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>After applying mineral spirits, the gun should be stripped of nearly all Cosmoline. If that&#8217;s the case, congrats. It&#8217;s likely not entirely stripped, but it&#8217;s as stripped as it will get. Cosmoline has a way of getting into every crevice and corner, and it can be impossible to reach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-alternative-to-mineral-spirits-and-the-solution-to-wood-and-plastic\">The Alternative To Mineral Spirits (And the Solution to Wood and Plastic)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you don&#8217;t want to use mineral spirits or you need to clean wood and plastic, we are turning to our final step: applying hot water and Dawn dish soap. If Dawn&#8217;s good enough for baby ducks, it&#8217;s good enough for cleaning baby <a href=\"https:\/\/bersausa.com\/bersa-pistols\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"how-to-remove-cosmoline\" title=\"How To Remove Cosmoline\">Bersas<\/a>. We need hot water, like real hot water. You might even want to set it on the stovetop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hot water can help remove Cosmoline because it melts Cosmoline. You don&#8217;t need boiling water; it should be as hot as good coffee. With that in mind, don&#8217;t be dumb and burn yourself. If you can&#8217;t handle hot water safely, you can&#8217;t handle a gun safely. Use the hot water to wash away the first layer of Cosmoline.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-cleaned-frame-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"firearm frame and parts\" class=\"wp-image-213333\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-cleaned-frame-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-cleaned-frame-400x225.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-cleaned-frame-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-cleaned-frame-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-cleaned-frame-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-cleaned-frame-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A little hot water and soap can be an alternative to mineral spirits. It&#8217;s less harsh. Just make sure you dry the gun and oil it afterward.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Once the first layer is removed, you can get some warm water, like doing dishes, and mix in some soap with a rag. Scrub the gun, the stock, and the plastic grips. Depending on the amount of Cosmoline on the gun, you might have to change the water a time or two. With this in mind, don&#8217;t use your sink!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Get a bucket or container with hot water and soap. Scrub, scrub, scrub! You can get the junk off the gun eventually. Once you&#8217;ve scrubbed the weapon to its limits, you need to dry it off. Once dry, remember to lubricate and apply oil to prevent rust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>READ MORE HERE: <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/how-to-break-bad-shooting-habits\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"how-to-remove-cosmoline\" title=\"How To Remove Cosmoline\">How to Break Bad Shooting Habits<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-eternal-fight-against-cosmoline\">The Eternal Fight Against Cosmoline<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Cosmoline is a very effective rust-proofing material, but it&#8217;s a pain to clean up. My hands are still a little brown after cleaning up my little Bersa. The stuff was everywhere on my gun, and it was a nostalgic reminder of the days of cheap Russian firearms. While those days have passed, I&#8217;m sure Cosmoline will continue to haunt gun owners for decades to come.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-recoil-spring-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"coated spring\" class=\"wp-image-213340\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-recoil-spring-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-recoil-spring-400x225.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-recoil-spring-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-recoil-spring-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-recoil-spring-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-recoil-spring-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Seriously, look at all this! <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Now you know how to win the fight; knowing is half the battle! (The other half is my wife&#8217;s hair dryer.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\" style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong><em>*** <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"how-to-remove-cosmoline\" title=\"How To Remove Cosmoline\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica!<\/a> ***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I&#8217;m going to run through the process of removing the wax-like Cosmoline from your guns,.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":135,"featured_media":213337,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_specdata_upc":"","_specdata_placement":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1257],"tags":[483,102,108,638,621],"featured":[],"hunt365":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-213348","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-how-to-diy","8":"tag-bersa","9":"tag-feature-articles","10":"tag-guns","11":"tag-how-to","12":"tag-pistol"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.1 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - 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Experience\u00a0 \u2022 Hunter - Long time deer and hog hunter in the swamps of Florida \u2022 Instructor - Volunteers to teach basic firearm safety classes to kids, adults, and cats \u2022 Wannabe Competitor - Has recently dipped his toes into competitive shooting and has happily discovered an expensive hobby. \u2022 Marine - Served five years with the infantry before transferring to the First Civ Div. &nbsp;\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/travis.l.pike\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/author\/travis-pike\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How To Remove Cosmoline","description":"Learn the best ways to deal with and remove the thick, smelly, difficult substance called cosmoline from your gun.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/how-to-remove-cosmoline\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How To Remove Cosmoline","og_description":"I'm going to run through the process of removing the wax-like Cosmoline from your guns,.","og_url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/how-to-remove-cosmoline\/","og_site_name":"Gun Reviews and News | GunsAmerica.com\/Digest","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gunsamerica","article_published_time":"2025-08-30T19:45:45+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-09-23T14:23:00+00:00","og_image":[{"width":4032,"height":2268,"url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-gun.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Travis Pike","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@gunsamerica","twitter_site":"@gunsamerica","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Travis Pike","Est. reading time":"1 minute"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/how-to-remove-cosmoline\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/how-to-remove-cosmoline\/"},"author":{"name":"Travis Pike","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#\/schema\/person\/e0da700e463f64acd40af9c7869b0f2c"},"headline":"How To Remove Cosmoline","datePublished":"2025-08-30T19:45:45+00:00","dateModified":"2025-09-23T14:23:00+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/how-to-remove-cosmoline\/"},"wordCount":1706,"commentCount":10,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/how-to-remove-cosmoline\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-gun.jpg","keywords":["Bersa","Feature Articles","Guns","How To","Pistol"],"articleSection":["How to (DIY)"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/how-to-remove-cosmoline\/#respond"]}],"accessibilityFeature":["tableOfContents"]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/how-to-remove-cosmoline\/","url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/how-to-remove-cosmoline\/","name":"How To Remove Cosmoline","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/how-to-remove-cosmoline\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/how-to-remove-cosmoline\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-gun.jpg","datePublished":"2025-08-30T19:45:45+00:00","dateModified":"2025-09-23T14:23:00+00:00","description":"Learn the best ways to deal with and remove the thick, smelly, difficult substance called cosmoline from your gun.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/how-to-remove-cosmoline\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/how-to-remove-cosmoline\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/how-to-remove-cosmoline\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-gun.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-gun.jpg","width":4032,"height":2268,"caption":"I got a long way to go. 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Experience\u00a0 \u2022 Hunter - Long time deer and hog hunter in the swamps of Florida \u2022 Instructor - Volunteers to teach basic firearm safety classes to kids, adults, and cats \u2022 Wannabe Competitor - Has recently dipped his toes into competitive shooting and has happily discovered an expensive hobby. \u2022 Marine - Served five years with the infantry before transferring to the First Civ Div. &nbsp;","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/travis.l.pike\/"],"url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/author\/travis-pike\/"}]}},"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cleaning-cosmoline-gun-150x84.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/213348","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/135"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=213348"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/213348\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":220975,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/213348\/revisions\/220975"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/213337"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=213348"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=213348"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=213348"},{"taxonomy":"featured","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/featured?post=213348"},{"taxonomy":"hunt365","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hunt365?post=213348"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}