First Cleaning - Shipping Grease

[x60183]

Hi, just picked up a Colt LE6920. It has what appears to be some sort of shipping grease in it, perhaps cosmoline. I've cleaned many rifles before but never a brand new one with packing/shipping grease or cosmoline on it. It's obvious that this stuff is to protect the rifle for shipping and storage, not lubricate it, based on a simple pull of the charging handle.

Is there anything special that has to be done, or do I just have to wipe it dry and then clean/lube it as normal? The owners manual didn't say anything about it.

Thanks!

[Devildawg2531]

I clean the grease / oil off new guns with a good gun solvent / degreaser and run a bore snake through the barrel a couple of times. I then lube bolt and bcg and fire away.

[JW5219]

I'd clean that stuff off with a good solvent, run a couple of wet patches through the barrel followed by dry ones. Then re-lube the bolt/bcg and fire away. Good luck with the new blaster ! :)

[x60183]

I used an old cotton t-shirt to wipe it off. It ended up coming right off, but the end result was a completely dry rifle. Then I put a lot of CLP on it let it sit overnight. I'm going to wipe it down again today and re-lube it. It's already functions-checking much better... now to find a place to go fire it.

[J_Dub_503]

Simple Green is the best product I've used to remove heavy grease. When I bought my Mosin it was caked with the stuff, Simple Green made quick work of it.

[zimm17]

If it's cosmoline- use the trick we do on surplus M1 garands- break it all down, throw the parts in boiling water for a few minutes, and it all comes off and floats to the surface. Dry and oil parts afterwards.

Don't use your wife's good pots.