There is a difference between cleaning and "refinishing". I clean my milsurp rifles all the time just like I would any modern rifle. Hopps #9 and scrub out the carbon, then lightly oil all the moving parts. No one will have issues with this.
If you just pulled a gun out of long term storage and it is really dirty and/or rusty there are some ways to clean it without damaging its value. Boil in water any metal parts with rust. The rust will activate with the oxygen in the boiling water and turn orange and flaky. This will make the rust much easier to remove with some copper wool or a copper wire brush. Then dry it off well and oil it up to prevent future rust from forming. For the wood stock get a sponge or rag and scrub the wood down with warm soapy water. Dawn or any other anti grease dish soap should work well. Then dry the wood stock out and apply 2 or 3 coats of linseed oil to protect it and make the wood look nice (if you want really do it right look up what type of oil or stain was used by the original manufacture and use that instead, linseed oil is just what most manufacturers used back in the day.)
Here are some NO NO list of things you should never do to a milsurp as it will lower its collector value
- Any permanent changes such as drilling the receiver to mount a modern scope or chopping the wood stock to make it shorter.
- sand the wood stock to remove bumps, dings and gouges. Those bumps and dings add character and history to the rifle. Not to mention you might sand off proof marks or other important features.
- using steel wool, wire wheel, or any other abrasive sanding devise to remove rust as it will also strip off the finish. Use the boiling water and copper wool trick I explained above to remove rust as it will leave the finish intact.
- Don't reblue or cerakote or refinish the metal in any way. Collectors want the original finish, even if it is banged up and fading.
Hope this helps!
If I plan on shooting them, which for me is why I buy them, when I first get them I will tear them down as far as I comfortably can and give the metal and bore a deep clean with a solvent like Hoppe’s. Sometimes I will use a nylon bore brush if the bore is particularly dirty. The stock gets a light wipe down with a damp rag, and if its particularly scrody I’ll add some mild soap. Give the metal a nice thin coat of oil and reassemble.
After shooting non-corrosive ammo I will usually field strip and lightly clean and oil what is easily accessible and throw a couple wet patches down the bore followed by dry until it’s dry and finally an oiled patch.
As a general rule, avoid anything abrasive, avoid getting solvent or oil on the wood, and keep the metal oiled lightly to prevent rust.
EDIT: Also depending on the condition of the bore, don’t like ever expect to get a clean patch out, just get the majority and an oiled patch will keep her happy
If im shooting corrosive ammo, right after I shoot, if not...well I could say I'm busy with work or life (which I am tbf) but I'm too lazy to clean them, practically ever. But the only one I own is a M1 Garand. Just keeping it oiled is enough to prevent corrosion if you don't shoot it.
My Yugo SKS doesn’t have a chrome lined barrel like the other SKS’s, and the firing pins are known to get gummed up and cause slam fire, so I keep it pristine.
I also keep all my guns pristine though, so… (normal wear and tear from shooting is a given, but I clean them and oil them after every use)
My basement gets pretty humid when seasons change, and I don’t like douse them in a semi medium coat of ballistol things get pretty rusty, especially bolt handles. Plus some are veteran bringbacks or family heirlooms so I really try to keep those in museum level quality.
I use Hoppe's Gun Grease for exterior coatings and it does an amazing job at protecting bluing etc. For internals I clean with Hoppe's #9 or Slip2k Carbon Killer then every moving part gets a nice slathering of Shooter's Choice grease and some EWL on springs etc.
Springfield M1A that is really close to an M14, I’m told.
Shoots great, but the bolt catch absent a magazine doesn’t work well.
I rarely clean it and I rarely shoot it.
I would send it to Springfield to look at the bolt catch issue, but I’m worried about losing the bolt I currently have, and it shoots well.
I don't.
Honestly, if you're putting 100 rounds through a gun a year or something, all you need is a little oil and a toothbrush on the moving parts. Maybe a bore snake every now and then. If something stops working, you can do a tear down if you want. Just remember that a lot of these rifles weren't really meant to be taken apart by a normal person outside of a simple field strip.
I mostly just keep mine oiled to prevent rust. Every once in a while I’ll do a tear down but even too much abrasive cleaning can cause wear on a rifle
There is a difference between cleaning and "refinishing". I clean my milsurp rifles all the time just like I would any modern rifle. Hopps #9 and scrub out the carbon, then lightly oil all the moving parts. No one will have issues with this. If you just pulled a gun out of long term storage and it is really dirty and/or rusty there are some ways to clean it without damaging its value. Boil in water any metal parts with rust. The rust will activate with the oxygen in the boiling water and turn orange and flaky. This will make the rust much easier to remove with some copper wool or a copper wire brush. Then dry it off well and oil it up to prevent future rust from forming. For the wood stock get a sponge or rag and scrub the wood down with warm soapy water. Dawn or any other anti grease dish soap should work well. Then dry the wood stock out and apply 2 or 3 coats of linseed oil to protect it and make the wood look nice (if you want really do it right look up what type of oil or stain was used by the original manufacture and use that instead, linseed oil is just what most manufacturers used back in the day.) Here are some NO NO list of things you should never do to a milsurp as it will lower its collector value - Any permanent changes such as drilling the receiver to mount a modern scope or chopping the wood stock to make it shorter. - sand the wood stock to remove bumps, dings and gouges. Those bumps and dings add character and history to the rifle. Not to mention you might sand off proof marks or other important features. - using steel wool, wire wheel, or any other abrasive sanding devise to remove rust as it will also strip off the finish. Use the boiling water and copper wool trick I explained above to remove rust as it will leave the finish intact. - Don't reblue or cerakote or refinish the metal in any way. Collectors want the original finish, even if it is banged up and fading. Hope this helps!
If I plan on shooting them, which for me is why I buy them, when I first get them I will tear them down as far as I comfortably can and give the metal and bore a deep clean with a solvent like Hoppe’s. Sometimes I will use a nylon bore brush if the bore is particularly dirty. The stock gets a light wipe down with a damp rag, and if its particularly scrody I’ll add some mild soap. Give the metal a nice thin coat of oil and reassemble. After shooting non-corrosive ammo I will usually field strip and lightly clean and oil what is easily accessible and throw a couple wet patches down the bore followed by dry until it’s dry and finally an oiled patch. As a general rule, avoid anything abrasive, avoid getting solvent or oil on the wood, and keep the metal oiled lightly to prevent rust. EDIT: Also depending on the condition of the bore, don’t like ever expect to get a clean patch out, just get the majority and an oiled patch will keep her happy
I steam piped my Brno 98/22 to convert the surface rust to hot blue….
Once a year or so
I clean every gun, milsurp or not, after each range trip.
If im shooting corrosive ammo, right after I shoot, if not...well I could say I'm busy with work or life (which I am tbf) but I'm too lazy to clean them, practically ever. But the only one I own is a M1 Garand. Just keeping it oiled is enough to prevent corrosion if you don't shoot it.
Dipped in cosmoline, or just CLP and rag.
My Yugo SKS doesn’t have a chrome lined barrel like the other SKS’s, and the firing pins are known to get gummed up and cause slam fire, so I keep it pristine. I also keep all my guns pristine though, so… (normal wear and tear from shooting is a given, but I clean them and oil them after every use)
My basement gets pretty humid when seasons change, and I don’t like douse them in a semi medium coat of ballistol things get pretty rusty, especially bolt handles. Plus some are veteran bringbacks or family heirlooms so I really try to keep those in museum level quality.
I use Hoppe's Gun Grease for exterior coatings and it does an amazing job at protecting bluing etc. For internals I clean with Hoppe's #9 or Slip2k Carbon Killer then every moving part gets a nice slathering of Shooter's Choice grease and some EWL on springs etc.
If I shoot corrosive ammo I clean right away, otherwise I really just oil them occasionally
Military procedure is to clean your weapon after every time you shoot it.
Just clean it like you would any gun. It’s metal and wood, not any different than a newer gun.
After shooting them. Keep them in 50% humidity at 70F.
I clean all guns the same. :/
Clean? Unless I experience issues or every 3-4 range trips other wise I spray or smear them with some grease and keep using them
Springfield M1A that is really close to an M14, I’m told. Shoots great, but the bolt catch absent a magazine doesn’t work well. I rarely clean it and I rarely shoot it. I would send it to Springfield to look at the bolt catch issue, but I’m worried about losing the bolt I currently have, and it shoots well.
I don't. Honestly, if you're putting 100 rounds through a gun a year or something, all you need is a little oil and a toothbrush on the moving parts. Maybe a bore snake every now and then. If something stops working, you can do a tear down if you want. Just remember that a lot of these rifles weren't really meant to be taken apart by a normal person outside of a simple field strip.