....is all wrapped up for Christmas.

I soaked the barrel, bayonet, and cleaning rod in paint thinner for a
few hours, using my home-made, with 2" PVC 'cleaning tank' (a 2' piece
of PVC capped on one end) filled with paint thinner. The barrel was
too long, so I had to flip it after a few hours and let the other end
soak. Sloshed it around a bit, and except for a little around the rear
sight, all the cosmoline was gone.

I put the disassembled bolt and all the other little parts in an old
pan lined with crumpled tin foil. Put it in the oven at 250F for about
an hour. All the cosmoline melted right off and the parts came out not
even feeling greasy. Worked like a charm. Well, except that Mrs. H was
not thrilled by the smell of warm cosmoline, which I couldn't
understand.

Anyway, the rifle is now clean and all wrapped up in Santa Clause
paper. Hope he likes it, but on the other hand I hope he doesn't. I
like it.

Now I'm looking for another!

--

"The modern definition of 'ingrained racist' is someone who's winning an argument
with a couple liberals."

(Thanks, Luddite!)