Cleaning pistols: Help me understand

ETA: There's no true "correct way" to clean it, read the manual, follow instructions, make it run smoothly, safely, and reliably and you're in the clear. Here's my take-others will do differently there's an uncountable amount of ways people do this.

I have used Hoppes #9 (and Hoppes Copper Solvent) and RemOil for years on my 7mm mag. My uncle turned me onto Sweet's 7.62 solvent about 2 years ago. He showed me just how poorly Hoppes copper solvent worked- we cleaned the bore with the Hoppes copper solvent until all patches were clean. Then we ran a patch soaked with the Sweet's solvent and it was a bright blue/green-all the copper fouling that the Hoppes didn't remove. I was an instant fan.

That said, I run a nylon brush thru the bore twice- once breech to muzzle, once muzzle to breech. Then a patch soaked with #9 on a jag followed by a few dry patches, repeat until powder residue is sufficiently removed. Then I run a patch soaked with Sweet's 7.62 on a jag thru, and let the 7.62 soak in the bore for about a minute or 2 then run a few dry patches thru and repeat until wet patches come out clean. Dry the bore and lightly apply RemOil to a patch and run that thru the bore. Then I just wipe the action and outside of the barrel down lightly with RemOil.

I clean the bore of my G22 the same way. Then I just rub a damp patch of #9 on the outside of the barrel and all the internals just to remove any powder residue and such, and then a dry patch to remove the solvent(if any, as I lightly apply it as opposed to a soaked and dripping patch) and then I lightly apply RemOil to the inside of the slide, outside of the barrel, and to the guide rod. And then a drop of 3-in-1 oil in each of the slide grooves where the slide meets the frame.

Recently a friend of mine introduced me to CLP. Haven't tried it out yet but based on what I read in this thread I may give it a whirl. It's quite interesting to see how others maintain their weapons. Sometimes makes me think I do too much, but my 7mm is my pride and joy 1,000 yard rifle so that may be why I take such care in cleaning it, which isn't a bad thing by all means.


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Now you're talking about rifles and AR's . I use Sweets to clean the AR and will not use a bore brush on it anymore because copper is just not the type of fouling that brushes are good at getting out. Sweets works very good but do read and heed the instructions.
 
I have a cheap Winchester kit from Walmart and I use rem oil on everything.

Then I wipe the gun down with a dry paper towel or anything lint free (I need more microfiber towels) to remove any oil spots.
 
I get a large cleaning patch damp with Hoppes #9 and rub it all over the inside of the slide, the recoil spring assembly, the outside of the barrel, and any remaining parts. I use a nylon brush to push it into tight corners so they get cleaned as well. I also use it on exposed metal in the frame. I then take the nylon brush and go over all the internals except the inside of the barrel. At that point the majority of the gun is pretty clean so I finish by wiping it with a gun-cleaning cloth, which ensures the Hoppes is dried out and most remaining crud is removed from the firearm.

I then run an appropriate sized patch coated in Hoppes #9 down the barrel, both directions. I then turn that patch inside out and run it through again in both directions. Then I run a bore brush through in both directions (in and out). Then it is dry clean patches run through both directions, turned inside out, and run through again both directions, until they come out clean.

Finally I apply a light coat of LP/gun oil (not CLP) to all metal parts of the gun, making especially sure that some runs down the slide channels and any other areas that show damage from rubbing are coated lightly as well. I then take my gun-cleaning cloth and lightly go over the gun with it to get up a lot of, but not all of, the oil I just applied, so only a thin coating remains. I then reassemble the firearm, verify properly functionality, and go over the outside on more time with the gun cloth to make sure it is clean and shiny.
 
I've tried everything over the last 30+ years.

In my experience, products that are supposed to be both a solvent and a lubricant tend not to work that well in both applications. Like the Breakfree CLP that the military has used since the 1980s. I’ve found it to be a reasonably good lube (although there are better products out there now I think) but IMHO it sucks as a cleaner. It's too thick and oily.

(I was in the air national guard 1980-2000 as a security policeman and then as a combat arms instructor. I spent LOTS of time cleaning guns, and I ALWAYS found that RBC worked lots better as a cleaner than CLP did)

For a cleaning solvent, Hoppes #9 or Shooter's Choice is really good. Shooter's Choice has a formula specific for lead removal that works reasonably well. GI Rifle Bore Cleaner (RBC) is pretty good too, and available cheap from Gold Nuggett Army Surplus.

I like to use non-chlorinated brake cleaner or a citrus based degreaser to flush powder fouling out of the trigger group. Pull the grips off and flush out frame. If you use a citrus degreaser, when you go shooting again, and the gun heats up, it smells like oranges . . . not necessary to use all the time.

I almost always use FMJ bullets so I don't have a leading problem. I rarely use a bore brush unless I can see lead or copper fouling in the rifling.

If your barrel starts to lead up, a mix of shooter's choice solvent and kroil penetrating oil works fairly well to get that out.

Q-tips are a wonderful assist to the cleaning process. The long wood handled ones like they use at the doctor's office work great for cleaning the locking lugs & chamber on an AR-15

I generally use grease on the slides of my auto pistols. Lubriplate, TW-25B, Brian Enos Slide Glide, Shooter's Choice Red Grease, MD7, I've used all of them with good success.

I use grease on a gun that will be carried for at least a couple of weeks before being shot & re-cleaned, which applies to my duty gun for work and whichever off duty auto is in the rotation for this quarter. I haven't noticed a problem with grease in really cold weather, but if it's that cold I'm probably not out on the range for more than 90 minutes anyway.

On guns that will be shot (and cleaned) more frequently than that, I usually use oil. For the last few years I’ve primarily been using Slip 2000 EWL (extreme weapons lubricant) or 10-8 Performance Lube .

For regular lube, over the years I've used Triflow, Triflon, Break Free CLP, GI LSA, Militec, FP-101, Marvel Mystery Oil, Weapon Shield, Gun Butter, Machine Gunner’s Lube, Snake Oil (from Dillon Precision) and Prolix, etc. and hadn't had any problems with those, either. My mechanic uses Mobil One as a lube on his rifles and is very happy with it.
 
CLP vs Ballistol vs CorrosionX
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All are CLPs (cleaner/lubricant/protectant). Any good CLP will be fine. Which one you choose is up to you.
I really like Eezox, and have been using it for years, but it is somewhat difficult to find (I cannot buy it locally, so have to pay shipping) and is pricey.

About a year ago I mixed up some Ed's Red (do a google search) and have been using it ever since. It is a simple, effective, easy to make and economical CLP.
 
I use whatever is handy. That's usually Break-Free, but I've used WD-40 (right now someone is going :eek: ), Rem-Oil, Three in Oil, Hoppes, Gunscrubber, and a dozen other things I can't think of off the top of my head.

They all worked.
 
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