What is the best way to get all the built up cosmoline and/or debris out of an SKS gas tube? I want a spotless gas tube, but cannot find an object to clean it out with. Any suggestions?
SKS Gas Tube Cleaning
- Thread starter Dynasty
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Spray the inside of it with Breakfree and Gunscrubber. Then, take a very thin cloth (at least as thin as a napkin) or heck even a napkin, and stuff it in the fat end of the tube. Take the piston and ram it in, then do the reverse on the small side and push it back out. Do the same for the smaller part of the tube with a smaller cloth/napkin.
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Never thought of using the piston to help out like that.Great idea. Break free, gunscrubber, or *gasp* el-cheapo brand non-chlorinated brake cleaner works great on ALL tough and/or organic stuff, and is easy to get in harder/smaller places since it just sprays in. Cant picture how lone or big around the sks gas tube is ( never cleaned either of mine), but pipe cleanes, a .22lr cleaning rod with patches, Q-tips etc would work too. (again, all depending on length and diameter). Dr. Peter Venkman's idea may still be the best and easiest though.no idea.
I clean mine alter each range session. For cosmoline, bake the tube like all the other parts and just wipe it out.
After each session, I spray foaming bore cleaner down then patch it clean. The near side is about .22 caliber but the gas port size nears .45/.50 caliber.
After each session, I spray foaming bore cleaner down then patch it clean. The near side is about .22 caliber but the gas port size nears .45/.50 caliber.
DMK
Member
I find that Hoppe's #9 or simple mineral spirits cuts through cosmoline very well. I use mineral spirits to clean up old milsurps caked in cosmo.
Just let it soak a bit.
A 45ACP bore brush covered with a patch or piece of t-shirt makes a good gas tube scrubber.
Whatever you use, wipe it dry. Don't leave the gas tube or piston wet with oil. It will burn up and leave a tough layer of carbon.
Just let it soak a bit.
A 45ACP bore brush covered with a patch or piece of t-shirt makes a good gas tube scrubber.
Whatever you use, wipe it dry. Don't leave the gas tube or piston wet with oil. It will burn up and leave a tough layer of carbon.
Use a 12 ga shotgun brush with a patch wrapped around it. Saturate 1st patch with solvent and scrub the a 2nd dry patch will will finish the job.
Do you mind explaining how you plan to get a brush that is apx .750" in diameter into a bore that is apx. 510" in diameter?
Using the term "spotless" in the same sentence as "SKS" is pretty much futile. I've never even seen them in the same BOOK. Just give up now.
good info here, but as always the SKS experts are
www.sksboards.com
I know I pimp "my" board all the time, but it's too good to pass up for people wanting to iron the quirks out of these nifty rifles.
www.sksboards.com
I know I pimp "my" board all the time, but it's too good to pass up for people wanting to iron the quirks out of these nifty rifles.
Is the goal to get the top of the piston head with no black carbon on it? Or will there always be some sort of carbon on it?
Well, maybe every 2 or 3 range sessions.
Now "spotless" is not a word I would ever use to describe my SKS' gas tube, and I'm the only person who's ever shot it too. No matter what I scrub it with, no matter what solvent, there is always more soot and dirt ready to come out. I try to get it pretty clean but after all this rifle was meant to be used in the jungle by poorly trained and equipped troops. I don't worry much about it.
Go down to walmart or your local dollar store and buy some cheap brake cleaner or carbuerator cleaner. Then go home and blast the living hell out of the gas tube. Don't get it on the wood though, that would be bad. Works well.
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