Gun cleaning solvents

[txinvestigator]

Hoppes on the handguns, and An OTIS kit on the long guns.

[cyphur]

OTIS kits are great, I ended up getting one prior to separating from the Army. Gotta love 'em.

Anyone use Militec-1? I've seen that being talked about a good bit and may give it a shot.

[JLaw]

I use Hoppe's for cleaning and Breakfree for rust prevention. When I feel like blowing the trash out of the guts I'll use brake cleaner followed by Breakfree.

Anyone use Militec-1? I've seen that being talked about a good bit and may give it a shot.

I use Militec-1 on the sear surfaces, it works wonders!!! I just use one drop down where the cocked hammer extends into the frame, cycle and dry fire the empty gun a few times, and it really smooths up the DA trigger pull. Not sure if I'm doing any long term good by this, but it sure does make the trigger pull very nice for the short term.

JLaw

[nuparadigm]

M Pro7 .... but Hoppes No.9 is still my after-shave of choice. I like the kind of women it attracts!

[Liberty]

I use Hoppes #9 and Hoppes Gun Oil, and wipe all exterior metal surfaces with one of those sillycone rags. I've heard good things about a product called a gun snake

[NcongruNt]

I've heard good things about a product called a gun snake

Yeah, a bore snake. I have a couple myself. I only use them to finish off the cleaning... kindof a once through combination swab and bristle brush in one. I learned my lesson with those, though. After a particularly rainy 3 days with lots of humidity, I went to the range and found rust on the insides of both my Mosin-Nagant bores. (As background, I have to keep my guns in my van, due to my current living situation.) Now I put a nice oily swap through after the bore snake along with bags of desiccant in the lockbox, and that takes care of them until the next range trip.

I know some people that only use a bore snake, but that's pretty impractical for me with the amount of ammo I generally put through my rifles each trip to the range, especially as it's 40-year old milsurp ammo and likes to leave the barrel nice and dirty.

[ScubaSigGuy]

I generally soak the barrell and small metal parts in #9 or CLP (I only buy the large spray bottles not the aerosal).

I seem to remember that when I was in the military they dicoverd that Simple Green had some harmful effects on aluminum and magnesium. I never saw any proof but I'll do a little research and follow-up post.

Bore snakes are great especially for a prelim cleaning at the range.

[ScubaSigGuy]

Found this on the web:

Seems to me I remember the FAA issuing and AD some time ago warning
> >aircraft owners to not use Simple Green as a cleaner on their aircraft.
It
> >supposedly had some negative effects on aircraft aluminum.
>
> I remember that it was the Air Force which did a study after corrosion was
> found in their aircraft. Maintenance personnel had been using Simple
Green
> instead of the prescribed cleaners.

This was found on the Naval safety website:

Dear Editor:
The cleaning liquid, Simple Green, should not be used to clean aluminum equipment or parts because it is highly corrosive.

According to an article at avweb, a 3.5 gram aluminum alloy sample was immersed into a container of Simple Green. After one week, the sample was 295 milligrams lighter. The article further states that the Air Force issued a statement not to use Simple Green on Air Force equipment containing aluminum.

Thought you Navy folks would like to have this information.

MSgt. Larry Stulz
Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio

We appreciate your information about Simple Green. Lt. David Mims, head of the Occupational and Environmental Health Division here at the Safety Center, researched the Simple Green situation. He found that the Naval Air Warfare Center (NavAir) disapproved of the use of Simple Green for naval aviation in 1993. They have a documented incident of crazing of an F-18 canopy following the unauthorized use of Simple Green. According to an official at NAVAIR, they have tested the product at least three times since 1989. Simple Green fails sandwich corrosion and total immersion-corrosion tests for aluminum. That official also said that NAVAIR recommended that commands remove Simple Green from their spaces. It's just too easy for someone who's told to clean something to grab a bottle of Simple Green off the shelf and use it on an airplane or equipment made of aluminum.-Ed.

This letter to the editor was written to ASHORE, but it is relevant to MECH readers also. - ED

I found some contradicting information on both sides, but it's enough to make me pass. There are too many quality qulaity solvents that I know are safe.

I wouldn't soak an aluminum frame anyway, but just to be safe.

[MoJo]

FWIW - - - the corrosive effects of Simple Green on Aluminum is well documented. SG MUST be completely rinsed from the gun either with HOT water or cold water followed by an isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) dip and then blown dry with compressed air. Failure to completely remove SG from aluminum parts may lead to degradation of the parts.

If completely removed, Simple Green is an economical, effective and environmentally safe cleaner for firearms.

[pastor1]

I've tried just about every solvent out there and I believe the best is Blue Wonder. I even took out guns that I thought had a clean bore and was suprised that they weren't really clean when I used this product. Blue Wonder seems to get everything out except really bad leading. With bad leading in the bore, I use a copper Chore Boy with Blue Wonder on it. After the Blue Wonder I follow up with Break Free CLP and this get the last bit of fouling out. Be sure to follow up Blue Wonder with some type of oil in the bore to neutralize the ammonia it contains. I've never seen a bore so clean as when I use this suff. (By the way, I also believe Break Free is a great product because it's a "Jack of All Trades" in gun care, doing many funtions at one time. I hope this helpful.

[nitrogen]

Anyone use BreakFree Powder Blast? I was told today that it's the end-all be-all of gun cleaners. I've heard that about gunscrubber, CLP Breakfree, and hoppes, so i'm getting a little confused, so i'd love to hear some firsthands about it.