Cosmoline?

[TexasVert]

I bought a new Colt series 70 reproduction and just got it today. I went to clean it and as soon as the Hoppes 9 hit it, it activated some sort of a waxy film that I could not get off no matter what!!! The gun was sent back to Colt to be refinished in ultimate bright stainless. I am wondering if at some point cosmoline was put on the gun? I did some searching and that is the only likely thing I saw. It is not just covered in the stuff like military rifles but there is a waxy film of some kind. I am going to get some mineral spirits and see if that works to get it off.

Anyone that has seen something like this let me know what you did about it.

Thanks,
Mike

[Dod racing]

I was just doing some research on this pistol. Where did you find one and how much, if you don't mind saying?

[CJ]

I bought a new Colt series 70 reproduction and just got it today. I went to clean it and as soon as the Hoppes 9 hit it, it activated some sort of a waxy film that I could not get off no matter what!!! The gun was sent back to Colt to be refinished in ultimate bright stainless. I am wondering if at some point cosmoline was put on the gun? I did some searching and that is the only likely thing I saw. It is not just covered in the stuff like military rifles but there is a waxy film of some kind. I am going to get some mineral spirits and see if that works to get it off.

Anyone that has seen something like this let me know what you did about it.

Thanks,
Mike

Mike, some of those had a protective coating similar to coated aluminum wheels. If I were you I would have made the same decision with hoppes #9. I find a microfiber towel damp with hoppes as the best way to remove coatings, just be persistent and patient.

[TexasVert]

I was just doing some research on this pistol. Where did you find one and how much, if you don't mind saying?

I found the pistol on gunbroker.com. They only make them in brushed stainless or blue but the original owner on this one sent it back to Colt to have it polished to high polish stainless. I paid $1150 for it. When I checked week before last B&S Guns over on I30 in Garland had one new in the box in the stainless for $1099. Might still be there....

[TexasVert]

Mike, some of those had a protective coating similar to coated aluminum wheels. If I were you I would have made the same decision with hoppes #9. I find a microfiber towel damp with hoppes as the best way to remove coatings, just be persistent and patient.

That is what I would have thought if I even known the coating was there. But I used a half a bottle of Hoppes 9 and I soft brush so not to scratch it. I would let the hoppes sit and then I used Gun Scrubber to rinse and it would still be filmy. It is interesting that then I heated it with a hair dryer that it stopped being filmy and I could polish it back up again and it woud look pretty good. But I know the next time I clean it that coating will still be there. Hoppes would get it soft but it did not seem to make it loose enough to come off. Do you think Mineral Spirits will hurt the gun?

Thanks,
Mike

[CJ]

That is what I would have thought if I even known the coating was there. But I used a half a bottle of Hoppes 9 and I soft brush so not to scratch it. I would let the hoppes sit and then I used Gun Scrubber to rinse and it would still be filmy. It is interesting that then I heated it with a hair dryer that it stopped being filmy and I could polish it back up again and it woud look pretty good. But I know the next time I clean it that coating will still be there. Hoppes would get it soft but it did not seem to make it loose enough to come off. Do you think Mineral Spirits will hurt the gun?

Thanks,
Mike

Nah, stainless is indestructible. You can do anything on stainless, blued is another story.

[YALE]

Nah, stainless is indestructible. You can do anything on stainless, blued is another story.

This. Even if it starts to dull, or develops surface rust, you can always passivate stainless, and it'll come out bright as fuck.

[TexasVert]

This. Even if it starts to dull, or develops surface rust, you can always passivate stainless, and it'll come out bright as fuck.

Yeah it seems pretty indestructable... I wound up using Brake Parts Cleaner and it still took many times of applying the cleaner to a microfiber towel and rubbing. But it finally came off and the gun looks much better to me. I suppose whatever was on there was supposed to make it look better because it would polish up like car wax but if I shoot this gun I want to be able to clean it and not have all this waxy crap activate and start smearing and then I want to be able to keep a thin coat of lubrication on the gun and not have the oil bead up on the surface. So I like it better without whatever it was. But I have emailed the guy I bought it from to see if he will tell me what it was. I have two ultimate bright stainless Colts and I am pretty sure Colt did not put this on.....