Cleaning recommendations

J

joepa

New member
Hello everyone. I'm new to the forum and a new owner of a nickel Colt Python. The gun was made in 1978 and is in like-new condition. I'm trying to get an idea on what is safe to clean the nickel finish with. Is Hoppe's 9 OK? I use Hoppes and FP10 on my autos. I obviously don't want to tarnish the nickel finish but after a couple hundred rounds, it's ready for a good cleaning. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
 
Hoppes #9 has ammonia and is a no-no for the copper underneath the nickel plating. FP-10 and Breakfree and MPro-7 are good to clean with, I checked with the Colt Custom shop as I own nickel colts too. MPro-7 is about the best cleaner that will not harm you or your guns finish and Hoppes sells it under their own trade name too. Oh, and to remove heavy buildup of powder fouling and other crud on the cylinder face, Flitz with a soft cotton rag does wonders.
 
NO Hoppe's #9 unless you want to break your own heart.

The only other advice I have to add is a "Lead-away" cloth from the gunstore for the cylinder face. These cloths can be ripped into strips and used like floss to get things lead free inside. The are absolutely non-abrasive and work through chemical action.
 
Is Hoppes # 9 a no-no for all nickel plated guns or just the colts (don't know what Smith and Sig use under the nickel)? Man, I'm glad you guys mentioned that. My nickel S&W model 27 has been sitting in it's presentation case awhile and I intend to reclean it and function check it before the next range visit. I bought some Hoppes awhile ago for my commander's bore and would undoubtedly have used it on the Smith. Thanks again.
 
Thanks for the tips guys. I used my FP10 on the Python last night and it did a pretty good job. The cylinder face and flutes were tough to clean. I used this on the bore as well. Is that my best choice? I'm shooting .38 specials, unjacketed.
 
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