Seriously, try spray carburetor cleaner on the metal parts.
I too struggled with removing cosmoline until a local gunsmith gave me the tip.
I've used it on many of my old surplus weapons to remove cosmoline. It works like magic!
The carb cleaner will dissolve the cosmoline instantly and I've never had it damage the finish on any metal.
I just used some this weekend to clean a Finnish-capture Mosin-Nagant I just picked up.
As far as I can tell the spray carb cleaner solution is mostly toluene.
For the stock I've done what was suggested above, hot Texas sun and lots of rags.
|