Gun cleaners

[44man]

I was forced to clean my .475 BFR today after months of shooting. The cylinder was getting stiff to turn even with STP on the pin. Filthy was not the word.
I have all kinds of cleaners even Ed's Red along with expensive stuff. I decided to try each on a different part. I could not find any that worked, still packs of carbon left here and there.
I went to my old standby and the carbon wiped off with a wet patch, then to my next cleaner that even took almost all of the rings off the cylinder front.
It still boils down to three cleaners that will do almost anything.
Plain old Hoppe's no. 9 is still the best for starting.
M-Pro 7 will remove most carbon from the pores of the steel and the rings from the cylinder. Just need a fine, soft brass brush and a bore brush.
If jacketed is shot, Sweet's still is best for copper.
For oil, M-Pro 7 CLP will even get out more carbon. Amazing how black a patch is after the gun was scrubbed.
What do all of you use and what do you find works the easiest?

[EMC45]

MPro7 and Kroil are the best for cleaning I have found in all my years of shooting. MPro is nice because no odor. Breakfree CLP for lube! I got hooked on it in the Military and have been a user ever since!

[44man]

I have Kroil but never thought to try is a cleaner.
I use a lot of Ballistol as a final on my BP guns and even as a patch lube. It should clean good too.
I will see what happens.

[jsizemore]

Montana xtreme for the bore and clenzoil for the rest.

[JIMinPHX]

Coffee pot cleaner is good for carbon.

[cajun shooter]

Kroil will work if you have leading also. It goes under the lead and loosens it up. As a long time rifle shooter I have yet found anything that will out do Sweet's. 44 Man you should also look at EEZOX for the long term storage or any wet outdoor exposure. I have a friend who did a outdoor salt water test and EEZOX beat them all. And last but not least Ballistol for the BP.

[44man]

Coffee pot cleaner is good for carbon.
I don't think I would use this one. Pot cleaners are mildly acidic to remove lime buildup as well as coffee stains.

[BD]

Anyone have a good "home remedy" for plastic wad fouling in shotguns?

BD

[HABCAN]

I clean with Hoppe's old #9 for boolits or shot, KleenBore #10 Copper Cutter for condoms, and twice a year with a patch or two of JB in all.

Climate here is pretty dry, no salt water and little rain. I lube with a small dab of grease where necessary, and sometimes a little WD40, but guns get used or at least fondled every few days and are basically 'dry'.

[JIMinPHX]

Kroil will work if you have leading

Where do you find Kroil these days anyway? My local hardware store doesn't have it. The 3 auto parts stores that I checked don't have it.

[Sprue]

I like making my own things. I use Eds Red.

[FN in MT]

Anyone have a good "home remedy" for plastic wad fouling in shotguns?

BD

Brownells sells a red juice billed as a Wad Plastic Remover. It REALLY works. It seems to CREEP or whatever you would call the juice moving across a surface. Seems to get under the fouling and seperate it from the bore. Damned stuff even tries to leak out of the bottle.

Works very well.

FN in MT:Fire:

[44man]

Where do you find Kroil these days anyway? My local hardware store doesn't have it. The 3 auto parts stores that I checked don't have it.
Midsouth or Midway has Kroil.

[Bigscot]

I use Ed's for anything shot with lead, muzzle loaders and shotguns. Takes the plastic sabot residue right out of ml's. Love Wipe-out foam (http://www.sharpshootr.com/wipeout.htm)for jacketed, worth every penny, or Butches.

Bigscot

[GSM]

Mix of 1/2 Hoppe's 9 & 1/2 Kroil.

[yondering]

Hoppe's #9 for general cleaning, M-Pro 7 for serious carbon, and Wipe-out is by far the best for copper removal. Wipe-out does the same or better job as Sweet's, but without all the scrubbing, which means less risk of barrel damage from the cleaning rod.

Bore-Tech Eliminator is my #2 choice for copper; it dissolves copper quicker than Sweets, has no smell, and, while it does require some scrubbing, much less so than Sweets.

FWIW, I always used Sweets until I found Eliminator, then Wipe-out.

I still have not found anything that will remove the lead/carbon fouling on my rimfire barrels from use with a suppressor.

[JIMinPHX]

Thanks 44 Man

[44man]

This should be a sticky, many good suggestions coming in. I have to write them down. :drinks:

[dromia]

I gave up using propriety cleaning products many years ago, I used to be a Hoppes fan , does as advertised and great smell, but the price was too much.

Some one tipped me off on Ed's Red or an equivalent as it wasn't called that then but when I came across Ed's recipe it was similar. It does all my cast boolit cleaning but takes some effort if there is leading. I avoid leading by going for good boolit fit.

As ammonia is the active copper removing ingredient in most cleaners I buy that as household ammonia 10% strength from any hardware shop. This what I use for getting the copper out when I want get a barrel into cast boolit shooting fettle.

What I do is bristle brush and patch the bore turn about with Ed's Red and then ammonia leaving it no longer than 10 minutes to soak for the ammonia as some one said too long in there will damage the barrel.

I've used this for years and it does the job effectively and cheaply, I don't go for the unfired barrel state but I do like to get the ammonia patches not coming out blue.

In saying all this I've been given some Wipe Out and rate it highly as its squirt and leave, it's pricey but just the biscuits for those old barrels that look like a .22. It just gets everything out with ease. Even shifts leading.

[Lloyd Smale]

Have you tried wipe out foam? It seems to work well for me. For plastic fouling i never fooled much with shotguns but had a inline with rough bore that got plasticed up for better words. what id do is spray it with brake cleaner and cap both ends of the barrel for about an hour and it would wipe right out.

[dromia]

Its the foam I'm on about Lloyd, I've got some of the liquid stuff and the accelerator. It does as advertised for me.

[44man]

Have you tried wipe out foam? It seems to work well for me. For plastic fouling i never fooled much with shotguns but had a inline with rough bore that got plasticed up for better words. what id do is spray it with brake cleaner and cap both ends of the barrel for about an hour and it would wipe right out.
Yeah, that stuff should dissolve plastic but watch the wood finish or plastic stock! I was out of cleaner when cutting a mold so I went to the garage and got brake cleaner to flush chips with.
I didn't notice right away but it was taking the paint off my lathe. :mrgreen:

[Dan Cash]

+1 on Dromia's comment. Have not tried Wipe Out. With Black Powder and/or corrosive primers, hot soapy water.

CLP will not kill the residue from corrosive primers as a friend of mine discovered with a pristine WWII P38 that is not pristine now.
Dan

[cajun shooter]

BD, To remove the plastic in gun BBL's we in CAS use Windex with vinegar. It cleans fast and easy, no scrubbing. Just spray a bunch down the barrel or barrels and follow with a paper towel, cotton swab,or bore snake. The inside of that shotgun will shine like no tomorrow. Make sure you buy the one with vinegar and not the one with ammonia. You don't want ammonia on your shotgun. I've done this while shooting a match and the stuff that comes out the end looks like a snake just shed his skin.

[BABore]

Ed's Red as a cast boolit and general purpose solvent. Copper "Chore Boy" wrapped bronze brush for leading removal.

Wipe-Out for jacketed fouling.

GM Top Engine Cleaner for the tough carbon buildup jobs and for jacket fouling. GM TEC is the same thing as Butch's Bore Shine at only $8 a pint.

Always keep a jar of Brownell's Non-Embedding Bore cleaner around for stubborn bbl's and a deep down cleaning.

Acetone for plastic wad fouling.

[felix]

Acetone or toluene. Furniture strippers use this stuff big time. Most will let you get a gallon free out of their 55 gallon drums. ... felix

[atr]

this is what I keep handy
House hold ammonia based cleaner, Hoppes#9, and WD40
with a good scrubbing with a stiff toothbrush....

I also tend to clean at the range when the barrel / action is still warm,,,,

[BD]

I'll give the windex with vinegar a try. I've been putting off going for the dangerous solvents, acetone, Trichloralethylene and Tolulene.

Do you think it's worth buying a hone for the Mossberg barrels? My M-12 is much smoother and doesn't seem to build up the plastic the way the mossberg does. It seems like once you have a little plastic fouling it builds upon itself pretty quickly.

BD

[monadnock#5]

There's a maker of gun cleaning gadgets out there that makes 12 + 20 ga jags that will fit most rods with a separate adapter. I'd try one of those with some JB Bore Paste on a patch before I'd go to a hone.

http://www.midwayusa.com/browse/BrowseProducts.aspx?&tabId=6&categoryId=19860&categoryString=10612***8874***&brandId=1799

[monadnock#5]

http://www.empirearms.com/

Go to the above link and scroll down to:

ARTICLE: "how to EASILY clean your firearm after shooting corrosive ammo" by Dennis Kroh

Good info from guys who make a living wheeling and dealing milsurps.

[GSPKurt]

I like making my own things. I use Eds Red.

Me too. I mix it up by the gallon.

[Shiloh]

I like making my own things. I use Eds Red.

Me Too. For several years now.

Ed's Red works quite well as a general purpose cleaner for both jacketed and cast. It does the job only is a bit slower than prepared commercial cleaners. That's okay with me. The price is right.;)

I use Flitz for cleaning the carbon rings off the front of cylinders of stainless wheel guns. Sweets and Montana Xtreme for copper fouling.

Shiloh

[357maximum]

My cleaning bench has 4 bottles on it.


1.,ed's red with acetone/ammonia (glass bottle)[smilie=1:
2.lanolin rich ed's red without aceteone/ammonia
3.murphy's oil soap/water
4.ballistol

that's it

[Idaho_Elk_Huntr]

just wipe out for copper and M Pro 7 products. I found a place that sells quarts of M Pro 7 cleaner for $15 a quart

[longbow]

I've been using Hoppes no. 9 for as long as I can remember and it does everything I need plus I like the smell. I do plan on making and trying Ed's Red and/or Ed's Red plus soon though to try. I like making stuff myself too and saving a buck in the process.

I agree, there is lots of good info and suggestions in this thread. I think I will copy some down for furture "just in case" use. There is no such thing as too much information!

Longbow

[mainiac]

When i got to clean i go mechanical,,, jb paste or rem clean.Takes out all fouling right now!

[joey02g]

I'm with Felix -- use Acetone for the plastic (wads or sabots). Cheaper if you buy it in cosmetics as "nail polish remover".

[sundog]

Ed's Red does a fine job on plastic wad fouling. I use an appropriate size piece of saturated paper towel with an appropriately sized dowel and push it thru. Once the gunk is out clean up is easy with eau d'Hoppe numero neuf.

[44man]

I made jags for my 12 and 20 ga shotguns. The protectors have "O" rings on them and they plug into the chamber so I can go to town with the jags. I hate those slotted rod ends. [smilie=1:

[jonk]

I'm cheap. While I like how a lot of products work, I like the cost of Ed's Red. So that's what I use mainly.

If I have some copper I'll break out the foaming cleaner- be it wipe out, outers, whatever- they all work about the same. I am a firm believer that anyone who touts Sweets or Montata Extreme or whatever has not used the foaming cleaners. I used to use those. And I still have a bottle of each about half empty.

If something is really carboned-up I might break out the carb cleaner, which in and of itself is also a pretty good bore cleaner.

For the really gunkiest bores, I've been known to scrub with gasoline- outside, using small amounts and no steel brushes or rods. That really works well.

[buck1]

In my testing I have formed these opinions ..................
Hoppies #9 is is good enugh for most cast and jacketed stuff and molds to, also easy on the paycheck.
Eds Red is good enugh for most cast stuff and is cheep and easy to make.
Shooters choice will beat them both (tested again and again) (also costs tooo dam@ much).
Hoppies bench rest cleaner is good for heavy copper fouling (but I cant find it anymore).
JB paste is great for heavy fouling.
Bronze wool and chorboy and the stainless steel tornado brushes are great for heavy leading.
Those lead removal cloths are great for cylinder burn rings but will take off blueing slowly.
#0000 steel wool for tool marks in a new factory bbl (use sparingly!!!!) followed by JB paste.
Marvel mystery oil or atf makes a fine gun oil but marvel smells better.
I no longer get every hint of dark out of my bbls as they will tend to lead more if I do.
I hear good things about the foaming cleaners but havent used any yet.
I wipe my guns down with Slick 50 one lube with teflon ,over time this will make most or even a dull blue job shine like a new penny and will scare rust plum away.
There are lots of cleaners I have not used , some no doubt are great. But a good bronze brush,soak time and a little elbow grease have always served me well....Buck

[Shooter6br]

:Fire:Poor mans Kroil. That and Ed's Red doess the job. I use Breakfree CLP and or good old vasoline for long ter:Fire:m rust protection."Cost is no object as long as it's cheap" Three Stoogies:Fire:

[azcoyhunter]

I like CLP (USMC Experience)

I love the smell of Hoppes 09 (good memories)

I am glad I live in such a dry climate

Sewing Machine oil works, but actracts dust and dirt

[Ricochet]

Hoppe's #9 smells better than Chanel #5!

Can't get Mrs. R to dab it on, though.

[buck1]

Hoppe's #9 smells better than Chanel #5!

Can't get Mrs. R to dab it on, though.

I will second that!!:drinks:

[44man]

I used to buy a carburetor cleaner that flat out flushed off carbon from parts. I can not remember the name of it but it would make a carb shine with no work at all. I bought some of the name brand junk and I would do better with water.
I wish I could remember what it was so I could find more. I bet it would make a revolver cylinder shine like a new penny.
When I was a mechanic, our shop had an acid bath for carburetors for the first dip. Then after washing, we would dip into other stuff to put the gold colored swirls back on the pot metal. Came out like a brand new one.
The boss put his carb parts from his old inline Buick in the acid and forgot about it until the next morning. He pulled out an empty basket! :mrgreen:

[Marshaltootall]

So what is the best cleaner of lead and powder residue that I get in cowboy action
shooting? I don't like Hoppe #9 because it stinks up the house. I want something that dissolves the lead fast and not leave me with a pile of patches. I also want one that I want have to worry about dissolving stock finishes and is environmentally friendly. Suggestions? I is now using Kroil but it is taking to long to clean out the cylinders.

[725]

Chore Boy for heavy lead. Lead removal cloth for bore and cylinders / cylinder faces. Kroil & Ed's Red. Janitorial (10%, not the super market household 3% stuff) ammonia for copper removal. Should cover most bases.

[Frank46]

Hoppe's for general cleaning, butchs for serious copper removal, kroil for slight rust and cleaning out the crud in old barrells. JB compound and bore brite. And probably a few othere I can't remember right now. Almost forgot, heavy duty rubbing compound and polishing compound. Wrap a patch around an old bore brush, annoint with the heavy duty rubbing compound and scrub away. Then same drill wiyh the polishing compound. Can almost get metal down to the shiney part. Frank

[captaint]

JiminPHX

Sinclair Int'l sells Kroil and lots of other cool (not cheap) gun stuff. I'm still scared of Sweets. An old gunsmith told me years ago "it will etch the bore if left in too long". Figured it would be easy enough to avoid that.