Question regarding cleaning polymer firearms... input appreciated.

[mattw]

So, I have always been a fan of heavy steel pistols. A good friend purchased an XD-S for carry and I really liked it... So, bought one. Between detail strips on pistols I have always been a fan of cleaning the magazine path with non-chlorinated break cleaners, have done it for years. But, there was never plastic involved and any wood was removed. Then about once a month I detail strip each pistol and clean, lube and reassemble them.

I have not gotten brave enough to completely dismantle the XD-S yet, it is not a Smith revolver, 1911 or Witness. I am looking for the hose it out product that will not melt the gun...

What do you guys use?

[OuchHot!]

Birchwood Casey, shooters choice, and others market a spray cleaner that is advertised as "polymer safe". I bought a glock a billion years ago, not because I wanted Tupperware, but because polymer science (and to a lesser extent metallurgy) is my gig. I expected the interfaces between the polymer frame to the steel rails and other bits to fail. I have not been gentle with the pistol and it has withstood everything that I have thrown at it including all of the usual gun solvents. I don't recommend it but that is what has happened for me. All the same, I won't soak the gun in an ultrasonic cleaner full of miracle juice. ymmv

[44 Special]

In my often wrong personal opinion, detail stripping and using spray cleaners like Gun Scrubber are unnecessary.
Under NO circumstances would I use any form of brake cleaner on a polymer firearm.

I just clean mine with Breakfree and Ballistol, and occasionally blow them out with compressed air.

[w5pv]

I take the wood off and use alcohol wash the gun in pull it out and gently blow air at about 25 to 30 psi until it is dry and then oil parts using a needle spout to get the oil where it is needed and then use a q-tip to spread the oil over all the other surfaces.Takes a little time to do it this way and then about once or twice a year I will detail strip.

[DougGuy]

Kahr TELLS you to use non-chlorinated break clean on their poly framed guns. Never had a single issue using it on my CW45.

Hint: DO NOT use any lube in the striker channel of an every day carry gun! I had 1 drop of Frog Lube creep down the firing pin hole and inert the primer of the round in the chamber.

[OuchHot!]

To amplify what DougGuy says, I wouldn't spray anything into the firing pin channel of a glock. They have a liner and the least swelling would be unhappy.

[pworley1]

I use Ed's red oil, not the bore cleaner, just the oil. It is safe on wood or plastic.

[Petrol & Powder]

The polymer, AKA plastic, used in the construction of pistols is pretty tough stuff. H&K stated that any cleaner safe to handle with bare hands was safe to use on their pistols. I would imagine the polymer used in other pistols is similar. One doesn't need to get all crazy when cleaning polymer, it's not as if it is going to rust!
Almost any of the standard firearm cleaning chemicals will clean polymer but many will leave an oily coating that is less than desirable on the grip frame.
Rubbing alcohol or any other de-natured alcohol works well, it's cheap and readily available.
Keep things in perspective. One of the advantages of plastic.....er sorry.. polymer - is that is doesn't need much attention!

[W.R.Buchanan]

I would completely disassemble the gun and wipe out the magwell with any detergent like 409 or whatever. It doesn't take much to remove powder residue from a plastic gun.

I would then completely treat every part with Frog Lube.... Follow the instructions as you don't want any liquid Frog Lube left on the gun and especially in the firing pin hole.

I think this product is great BUT you do need to follow the instructions. I have had an instance where I used liquid FL to lube the Striker Spring in my Springfield rifle. I took it out to shoot it when it was cold and watched the firing pin slowly drop and not even dent the primer. It does tend to gun up things if you don't follow the instructions.

Had I not used the FL like oil it would have worked just fine.

It made such a difference on my Glocks that I nearly ripped the slide off them when I first reassembled them.

it is that slick,,,, USED AS DIRECTED!

Randy

[dragon813gt]

Ballistol, won't damage any part of a firearm. Won't gum up a trigger assembly over time. Works great on wood and leather. People like to go overboard cleaning their firearms. If I use brake cleaner on anything metal during the summer it ends up w/ flash rust. Don't want that on any firearm.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

I have just been wiping down my parts with breakfree CLP some where I read it was polymer safe I use some eds oil on the slide at times if I get it really dirty besides the breach face and the barrel not much gets that dirty that much more than a tooth brush a rag and some alcohol to flush it out I run grip tape and would be more worried about the cleaner removing the grip tape than harming the frame


several of the guys at league are using the harbor freight ultrasonic cleaner with a cap full of simple green , then they oil the lube points with CLP in a precision oilier bottle , they have very very little oil in the gun and the insides are sparkly clean

I am going to have to look into this frog lube these guys speak of and try it



as long as you oil the parts up after hot soapy water would work fine , and it is cheap, I use it on my black powder pistol and muzzle loaders all the time I just make sure every thing gets dried and a coat of ed's red oil ( ATF and K1 50/50) or CLP or some other good gun oil

[Petrol & Powder]

The OP is addressing polymer guns and specifically the magazine well. I really don't think any oil is needed or appropriate in that application.

[mattw]

Ok, I should have included that I usually shoot a 100 to 150 rounds a weekend... If the weather is good for it. I am shooting Bullseye, 4.0 grains with a 200 LSWC. That has been my favorite 45 load for going on 20 years. It is a very dirty round, but very consistent and very accurate. I have no desire to take it easy on the gun, but I want to keep it functional and maximize it's life. This gun for me, is a first experiment into poly frame weapons and it will get shot just like my 1911's.

That said, I end up with powder residue in the mag well and in the lower parts of the frame and do not want to create a failure to functiion since I do plan to carry it eventually. It really works well for me, never thought I would say that about a poly gun! But, I just cannot stand a grubby gun!

Thanks Matt

[FergusonTO35]

On my auto loaders I seldom find the need for any kind of cleaner in and around the magwell. Most of the dirt ends up on the breech face and feed ramp. For the mag well and area immediately above it I just wipe with a clean paper towel. The paper absorbs most of the dirt and I don't worry about creating a sludge of solvent and dirt that might migrate somewhere important.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

In my often wrong personal opinion, detail stripping and using spray cleaners like Gun Scrubber are unnecessary.
Under NO circumstances would I use any form of brake cleaner on a polymer firearm.

I just clean mine with Breakfree and Ballistol, and occasionally blow them out with compressed air.
i do the same and use some #9 just cuzz i like the way it smells

[lefty o]

for the mag well, just pull a shop rag thru it.

[Petrol & Powder]

Ok, I should have included that I usually shoot a 100 to 150 rounds a weekend... If the weather is good for it. I am shooting Bullseye, 4.0 grains with a 200 LSWC. That has been my favorite 45 load for going on 20 years. It is a very dirty round, but very consistent and very accurate. I have no desire to take it easy on the gun, but I want to keep it functional and maximize it's life. This gun for me, is a first experiment into poly frame weapons and it will get shot just like my 1911's.

That said, I end up with powder residue in the mag well and in the lower parts of the frame and do not want to create a failure to functiion since I do plan to carry it eventually. It really works well for me, never thought I would say that about a poly gun! But, I just cannot stand a grubby gun!

Thanks Matt

Paper towel, dry tooth brush, maybe a little rubbing alcohol.....I wouldn't get too crazy. I hate dirty guns and clean mine every time I shoot them but you don't need to do a lot with polymer.

[hiram]

I have a spray in a blue can. I think a NAPA product. Not sure. It is for cleaning circuit boards. It cleans the metal and dries quickly and does not affect the circuit board.

[fastdadio]

Field strip the pistol. Clean the barrel, slide and other metal bits with your solvent of choice. Toss the frame in the dish washer with the other dishes. Lube properly when dry and reassemble. When I was in the Army I had a good relationship with the cook. After a day at the range, I would disassemble my m-60 and run the receiver and feed pawl parts through the commercial dishwasher. 180 deg with some strong degreasers. Worked great.

[Petrol & Powder]

The dishwasher may be a bit extreme, not fatal but probably overkill for the job at hand. I wouldn't worry about the plastic but any metal parts that remained on the frame would be exposed to the chlorinated soap and hot water. Drying and re-lubing any metal parts would be required and probably be more work in the long run than just cleaning the frame in the conventional manner.
It's PLASTIC for crying out loud! How clean does it need to be ???

[Moonie]

The guys over at concealedcarry.org swear by non-chlorinated break cleaner on their polymer guns. Heck I use it on my 1911's on ocassion.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

The OP is addressing polymer guns and specifically the magazine well. I really don't think any oil is needed or appropriate in that application.

I hadn't caught the question was specifically about mag wells , a damp rag is usually enough for the mag well some dawn on the rag might help if it is oily in the mag well

some powders seem to leave an oily soot