Gun cleaning, what do you use

[ladykiller]

I picked up a can of Birchwood Casey Gun Srubber and use q-tips. Seems to work fairly well on my p22 and p239.

What is everyone else using; small metal brushes, q-tips, shirts..? What products are you using?

[00boraslow]

I use Hoppes.

[HookedOn16v]

I use Hoppes.

This.

And my dad gave me a little bottle of Rem-Oil I keep in my shooting bag.

[Obin Robinson]

I use:

MIL-PRF-32033 for lubrication and MIL-PRF-81309 before I put the guns into storage. For cleaning barrels I have never come across antything superior to Gunslick Foaming Bore Cleaner. I've had great results with those chemicals and will be using them from now on. Those three cans have replaced entire cabinets full of chemicals.

obin

[dj age one]

depends which gun I'm cleaning. all my stuff gets cleaned after shooting.

22lr. I blast em out with brake clean. clean with a brass brush, and bore snake. if its leaded up hydrogen peroxide and vingar.

I always lubricate lightly with a teflon based spray.

centerfire/ non corrosive.

blast it out with brake clean. just a tiny bit of ATF (g052162a2 ) on the bore brush and on the bore snake. cleans things up really nice. push some patches threw to remove excess and put away. its a really good lubricant and has awesome detergents in it. down side is if you use just a little too much it gets messy, up side, for me its free.. but even a 1l bottle will pretty much last a life time.

corrosive.
windex with ammonia scrub the hell out of it, then hot water (as hot as the sink will get), blow dry with compressed air, then clean with ATF like any other centerfire.

[compy222]

M-Pro7 gun scrubber and LPx gun oil. standard set of brushes/rods, a couple rags, bore patches, etc.

[Elbows]

Anything made by Slip 2000 - pretty much exclusively.

[CO Boy]

CLP and CLP foaming bore cleaner, but that will change with Frog Lube once I run out.

[NoDubJustYet]

Windex

[Wilbur the pig]

Anything made by Slip 2000 - pretty much exclusively.

[SuperStar]

just to let you know gun scrubber is same thing as brake cleaner with 2-3x the cost

dish soap and water and compressed air

mainly use Ballistol and Tetra grease

[Egilbe]

CLP and CLP foaming bore cleaner, but that will change with Frog Lube once I run out.

Is CLP still made? I had a few bottles smuggled out of the arms room, years ago. Good stuff

[Obin Robinson]

Is CLP still made? I had a few bottles smuggled out of the arms room, years ago. Good stuff

CLP was mil spec MIL-L-63460. It has been replaced with MIL-PRF-63460. I can tell you from firsthand experience that in the Navy I've only ever seen us a few different chemicals to lube and protect small arms and CLP is not the most common one. By far the most common is MIL-PRF-32033. In our .50 BMG machine guns we actually use MIL-PRF-83283 (aircraft hydraulic fluid) and TW-25B.

Here's an obligatory photo of me cleaning a A.C. Delco M2HB machine gun:


We cleaned the guns with squirt bottles of MIL-PRF-63460 as well as a parts washer that had off-the-shelf Simple Green in it.

Last year in the middle east we cleaned the aircraft .50 machine guns with MIL-PRF-32033, MIL-PRF-83282, and TW-25B. Not a single problem even with fine talcum-powder sand. Sorry no photos of that online for security reasons.

obin

[Vee-Dubber-GLI]

I originally used Breakfree CLP and then when shooting with a buddy used MPro-7. Worked a lot better for me and I've switched over to them for solvent, lube, and copper solvent. For my K31 and Mini I use white lithium grease as Waffenfett is a little rare to say the least and the normal gun oil doesnt last too long in the Mini.

[winstonsmith84]

Windex

Sound like your shooting the same stuff I am.

[Obin Robinson]

Sound like your shooting the same stuff I am.

FWIW I used to use Windex but found MIL-PRF-81309 works really damn well. I hose down all the combloc guns with MIL-PRF-81309 after shooting. I clean the guns when I get home and then spray MIL-PRF-81309 in the gas tubes, actions, and breech before putting them in storage.

Here's why I started using MIL-PRF-81309:

http://www.cortecvci.com/Publication...8-014-1825.pdf

The results of the Neutral Salt Spray Protection test concluded that VpCI-325 has
sufficient anticorrosion properties. After 336 hours in the “neutral salt spray”
conditions, no corrosion was present.

And...

http://www.corrosionx.net/mil-prf-81309f.html

MIL-PRF-81309F is the Navy's newest performance requirement (a level above Mil Spec) for water displacement and corrosion prevention on airframes, avionics, and now general purpose use. If your favorite corrosion inhibitor is not on the Qualified Products List for this Mil Spec, there's a reason – it's not good enough.

One can will last you a ridiculously long time with your guns.

obin

[dj age one]

awesome. gonna have to try that stuff.

even with a good windex cleaning/ rinsing and oil I'm still getting little bits of orange in tough places

which form do you suggest (spray can or bottle?)

[Señor Peligro]

Hoppe's everything...solvent, gun oil. Takes care of the corrosive crap in my Mosin, bore is nice & purdy.

[Obin Robinson]

awesome. gonna have to try that stuff.

even with a good windex cleaning/ rinsing and oil I'm still getting little bits of orange in tough places

which form do you suggest (spray can or bottle?)

Use the aerosol can. It works wonders! I get this stuff from gun shows for $3 or so a bottle. Don't worry about the expiration date. That's only when you are spraying it on $60 million aircraft. I have bottles which expired 3 years ago which I still use and they work just as good as the new bottles. The "expiration" is a bit of a scam anyways. In any case here's some suppliers I found online:

http://www.amazon.com/Nu-Calgon-4128.../dp/B003N3HZ5E

http://www.autogeek.net/corrosionx-p...m_campaign=CSE

http://www.acehardwaresuperstore.com...nts/35305.html

http://midhardware.com/hardware/prod...e9cbde32549e6d

Remember the label on the can is not as important as the adherence to the Mil Spec. As long as it conforms then you will be good to go. Also note this stuff is electrical safe (so if you spray it on electronic sights then you will be good to go), and it is safe on plastic and wood furniture as well. I fog the living crap out of my AK gas tubes and there isn't a single bit of rust on any of them.

obin

[dorifto]

so far all ive used is ballistol for everything. according to the bottle, it does all 3 things, C/L/P. it does smell weird, but its biodegradable and safe on all materials as well....anyone else have experience with it?

[dj age one]

Use the aerosol can. It works wonders! I get this stuff from gun shows for $3 or so a bottle. Don't worry about the expiration date. That's only when you are spraying it on $60 million aircraft. I have bottles which expired 3 years ago which I still use and they work just as good as the new bottles. The "expiration" is a bit of a scam anyways. In any case here's some suppliers I found online:

http://www.amazon.com/Nu-Calgon-4128.../dp/B003N3HZ5E

http://www.autogeek.net/corrosionx-p...m_campaign=CSE

http://www.acehardwaresuperstore.com...nts/35305.html

http://midhardware.com/hardware/prod...e9cbde32549e6d

Remember the label on the can is not as important as the adherence to the Mil Spec. As long as it conforms then you will be good to go. Also note this stuff is electrical safe (so if you spray it on electronic sights then you will be good to go), and it is safe on plastic and wood furniture as well. I fog the living crap out of my AK gas tubes and there isn't a single bit of rust on any of them.

obin

awesome!

and you'd think being in automotive for 10 years I'd have seen every rust penetrator/ corrosion fighter/ lubricant on the market.. but nope.

FWIW, I tried my own mini corrosion protection test with automotive chemicals and gun cleaning stuff..

5.45 cases, q-tip and just swabbed the empty case and let them sit open for a few days...

Water alone- wicked corrosion.
soapy water- wicked corrosion
windex- very mild corrosion.
hoppes #9 (old school with benzine that gives you an awesome head ache) mild corrosion.
Prolix (found at gun show, really not bad stuff)- small amounts of corrosion.
G12 coolant- absolutely no signs of corrosion, easily the cleanest looking case
ATF- no sign of corrosion

Control- absolutely no sign of corrosion

[Obin Robinson]

awesome!

and you'd think being in automotive for 10 years I'd have seen every rust penetrator/ corrosion fighter/ lubricant on the market.. but nope.

I never really used this stuff until I worked on helicopters. Our helicopter's mission involved flying low, slow, over salt water, in a humid middle eastern environment, and during all weather conditions. Needless to say that we used A LOT of corrosion prevention materials on that machine, the chains, and all the gear. I decided to start using the same grade material on guns when I saw how well it worked on the aircraft. Once I found out that it worked awesome on guns I went and picked some up for myself. FWIW I now use it on my cars at home and it works great.

obin

[DonL]

What is this "clean" that you speak of?



Actually, I've tended to use Hoppe's, CLP, Slip, and some of the Rig stuff. Hoppe's and CLP have been pretty constant, but I think I'd like to try somd of the more hardcore mil-spec stuff.

[.:RDriver]

Gunzilla is the best. http://www.gunzilla.us/

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=265198

[ladykiller]

http://www.amazon.com/Nu-Calgon-4128-03-Break-N-Lube-Aerosol-Spray-12oz/dp/B003N3HZ5E[/url]

http://www.autogeek.net/corrosionx-p...m_campaign=CSE

http://www.acehardwaresuperstore.com...nts/35305.html

http://midhardware.com/hardware/prod...e9cbde32549e6d

Do you use these in some sort of combination or just different brand that you've used (I'm leaning towards the ladder)

Sorry for the stupid question.

[Obin Robinson]

Do you use these in some sort of combination or just different brand that you've used (I'm leaning towards the ladder)

Sorry for the stupid question.

Not a dumb question. Figuring out these MIL specs can be confusing. I took a picture of the exact stuff that I use on my guns. I get it from gun shows from the guys that have surplus chemicals. The stuff in the can is pretty much identical to the cans I put the links to. It's all the same stuff but with different labels on it. Think of it as different brands of spring water, or vegetable oil.

Here is exactly what I use. I took this photo a few minutes ago for this thread:



This is where you can get it from:
http://shop.lhbindustries.com/(S(jco...duct=Corrosion Preventative Compounds

The problem is that it's a bulk order. Well worth the money if you have 11 other friends that want a multi year supply of corrosion preventative compounds. It's overkill for one person and that is more than what you will need for a decade. A little of this stuff goes a LONG way. That is why I put up the links to the same compound but in smaller quantities and more easily available.

obin

[emmettlodge]

Spray parts with off the shelf brake cleaner, then lubricate with WD40 or whatever spray lube is lying around.

[Power5]

Is this mil spec stuff just spray, wipe, and go for normal range trips? I shoot 250 rounds on a trip sometimes. Come home, use hoppes cleaner with a tooth brush for frame and a bore cleaner. Then wipe down and apply a few drops of oil to the rails while putting back together. This is on a 92fs. Am I missing anything? Got about 1000-1200 rounds though the gun so far. Have not even gone through a full bottle of cleaner and oil yet.

[Obin Robinson]

Is this mil spec stuff just spray, wipe, and go for normal range trips? I shoot 250 rounds on a trip sometimes. Come home, use hoppes cleaner with a tooth brush for frame and a bore cleaner. Then wipe down and apply a few drops of oil to the rails while putting back together. This is on a 92fs. Am I missing anything? Got about 1000-1200 rounds though the gun so far. Have not even gone through a full bottle of cleaner and oil yet.

The mil spec stuff is spray, wipe, and go. If you are using a 92FS then you're not doing anything wrong right now. I use the military chemicals because I shoot a lot of corrosive ammo and MIL-C-81309 neutralizes the corrosive salts and protects the metal against corrosion. I also have guns which will sit in the safe and not get shot for months at a time.

On the other hand I also have replaced all the other chemicals I used to use because MIL-C-81309 works so well. I wouldn't change what you are doing now but if you decide to start shooting vintage guns or corrosive ammo then consider the MIL spec corrosion inhibitors and lubricants.

obin

[Power5]

So if I want to grab one of those linked aerosols when I am out of hoppes, I just spray wipe and go? Well same as now that is, and then no oil needed?

[Obin Robinson]

So if I want to grab one of those linked aerosols when I am out of hoppes, I just spray wipe and go? Well same as now that is, and then no oil needed?

The MIL-PRF-32033 is Lubricant and Preservative all in one. It is designed for lubrication and corrosion prevention on small arms and automatic weapons. The MIL-PRF-81309 is a corrosion prevention compound that you use if you are putting the gun into storage or worrying about corrosive ammo. If you wanted to grab just one can then the MIL-PRF-32033 will work for you just fine. No oil needed after it because it is a lubricant.

obin

[Talus]

My local Ace Hardware had MIL-C-81309 in the form of LPS 2 Heavy-Duty Lubricant in an 11oz. spray can. I did not see any MIL-PRF-32033 though.
I have always used CLP and automotive grease, but I might try some slip 2000 when my bottle of CLP runs out.

[Obin Robinson]

My local Ace Hardware had MIL-C-81309 in the form of LPS 2 Heavy-Duty Lubricant in an 11oz. spray can. I did not see any MIL-PRF-32033 though.
I have always used CLP and automotive grease, but I might try some slip 2000 when my bottle of CLP runs out.

I have SLIP 2000 as well and I use it to refill my small bottle that goes to the range. The MIL-C-81309 is worth it if you have guns that you don't shoot much. FWIW I just finished using it to prevent corrosion on my .22 suppressor. The baffles are steel but the tube is aluminum. I noticed a tiny bit of corrosion starting to form so I treated everything with MIL-C-81309.

obin

[VEEDUB_FAZEVR6]

I picked up a can of Birchwood Casey Gun Srubber and use q-tips. Seems to work fairly well on my p22 and p239.

What is everyone else using; small metal brushes, q-tips, shirts..? What products are you using?

I like to drown the gun/parts in BREAK FREE, then I use Q-tips until I can pass MY strict white glove test. I like using Q-tips though, they're cheap AF, small enough to get into the cracks and crevices.

I think I have OCD when cleaning the toys....

[IJM]

I use a bore snake on my Mossberg 500 with Hoppes solvent. Gun oil as needed on occasion. I'm a little more fussy with the M1 Garand. On that I use a 1-piece coated rod with nylon bore brushes, then I follow up with Hoppes copper solvent on cotton patches followed by light oil in the bore. I use a chamber brush from time to time as well. As for the action, that's either Mobil 1 synthetic grease on the sliding parts and light oil on the pins, etc. I use those foam eye makeup applicator things instead of Q-tips as they don't fall apart and leave cotton pieces all over place.