[earlwb]

Usually paint thinner or mineral spirits work to get the dried up grease stuff off.

I do remember one time having a devil of a time with a Russian Mosin. They used some kind of a fish oil grease like substance. Nothing would touch the stuff. I eventually found that acetone would clean it off. But even then it was tough work though.

 

[earlwb]

Fish oil grease?!?! That doesn't sound like it would smell very good even after you got the grease off. My friend has a Mosin that smells like it was stored in a smoker's lounge for 50 years.

Yes it started stinking to high heaven when I went to clean the goop off.

 

[earlwb]

I think that the hardest gun to clean was a Egyptian Hakim. I think it was captured by Israel during their war at the time. The soldiers were discarding their guns in the desert as they fled. I would take it apart wash every part, oil it, put it back together and there would still be some grit in there. I must have cleaned it 20 or 30 times before I got enough grit out that it didn’t feel gritty. I would swear that the pores in the wood stock had sand particles in them.