Cleaning your gun. Solvents

For the Glock, I use just a CLP! I clean with it and lube with it. My competition gun (G17) has had thousands of rounds through it with this method and nary a FTF or other cleaning related malfunction! My concern with solvent is that it strips ALL the oils out of the metal parts that need it most. I found a good CLP will remove the gunk but still leaves a bit of lubricity to the metal, even before I re-lube. I, personal opinion here, would rather have a "dirty" gun properly lubed than a gun shop clean gun that’s dry as a bone! However, if your choices are limited, Id use the brake cleaner in very LIMITTED amounts (bore only) and then clean the rest with the closest thing to a CLP you can find.
 
^ +1

I'd rather use methods of getting the carbon out that leave oil in the pores of the metal.

I don't want a completely oil free gun in the name of getting it absolutely spic & span.
 
I would hope anyone using something like brake cleaner, Gun scrubber, etc, would know you have to use something else on the gun (or whatever) to replace the preventatives the other took off in cleaning.

You just dont use the brake cleaner as a "do all" cleaner, its part of a specific cleaning regimen.

I was never a big fan of CLP as I never felt the gun was getting "clean" when using it. It got the junk out, and it acted like a lube of sorts, but like most things "do all", it didnt seem to do either as well as other things that were for more specific uses. Now, I have been playing around with this new "Froglube", which is labeled as a "CLP", and so far, for the short time Ive been using it, it does seem to be working as advertised. Im just curious to see how things go, as far as copper fouling on a gun I know was "clean", and how clean it really is down the road, when cleaned the way Im used to doing it.
 
I have found that "Gunzilla" CLP works about as well as Hoppes #9 as a solvent, so that is what I use on my Glocks. Gunzilla doesn't have nearly the odor that Hoppes does, either. I use Breakfree CLP as lube, because it doesn't seem to clean very well, or at least that is what I remember from using it in the military. The brake clean that I have always used as a mechanic, both in the shops I have worked in and at home, is the green can CRC stuff, and I wouldn't get it anywhere near plastic that I care about. Especially not an expensive pistol!

If you are doing a detailed strip on your Glock, you may want to look at a slightly thicker lube for the parts in the lower end of the pistol. I have been using TW25B, and haven't had any problems.

To touch on the failure to fire: My Glock 26 experienced a series of misfires, due to light hammer strikes. I took the pistol to the local armorer and he suggested that I check the striker for signs of oil or solvent. Sure enough, somehow I had gotten some solvent into the striker channel while cleaning, and it caused a hydraulic action that caused light hammer strikes. I cleaned the channel out with a cue tip and have never experienced a failure from that pistol again.
 
Good call on brining up the channel issue toolguy! You have two options here... keep junk out of there and wipe it out with a Q-tip from time to time or, spend around 20 bones for the "maritime" spring cups! A note on those... doesn’t make it an underwater, super SEAL team gun, just allows liquid to move out of the channel and solves that problem. Easer and cheaper to just wipe the thing out!
 
Since I have gotten into shooting I have used Trophy Gold Cup Gun Oil, Hoppes #9 Solvent, and Hoppes Lubricating Oil. I have been meaning to get some grease. Just haven't yet. For now all my friction surfaces see oil only.

I have never thought of WD-40 though I do like the idea of it as a rust preventative.

I'll probably get some Breakfree CLP here in the near future.
 
I should perhaps pitch in again with a clarification of the situation.

I have had a spate of failure to fires. About one in a box of 50, recently.

Some have said that it is ammo. Indeed, a local gun shop has said that the range ammo, Barnaul, is only a step up from Wolf, which some on here will know. So, not the best, according to him.

Some have suggested that it might be the gun due to indications that the gun may have been resprung for a lighter trigger. I hope to find out next week at this same LGS.

Finally, some feel it may be gunk in the striker assembly. I must say that I can see signs of copper grease spray on the frame springs and a bit on the slide, too. So who knows if he blasted copper grease in the striker channel too...

That is the root of this post. How to clean the striker channel?

There are dedicated gun products over here, but I don't have access to stacks of different types.
'So, I turned to what I know: motorcycle products.

The idea was to just clean it the once, then leave it be, by not re-lubing it either. Seems that it probably is not a good idea anyway. So I could spend $20 (€14) on a can of cleaner, or, as said LGS suggested: Strip the parts and put them in the dishwasher (when my wife is out, of course).
 
You could always use rubbing alcohol as a degreaser if you dont want to get into buying a big can of something else. Ive used it in that capacity when I have nothing else, and its worked, although I prefer Gun Scrubber or brake cleaner for that use.

Strip and clean the slide and see what happens. If that was the issue, it should let you know pretty quick.

I really dont know how sensitive Glocks are to having lubes in the firing pin channel, and Im a little skeptical about it being the problem. I shoot at least a couple of hundred rounds through a 17 every week, and have been doing it for a couple of years now. It gets cleaned (basic field strip cleaning) after every outing and I know Ive got solvents and lubes down on the firing pin and most likely down the channel, and Ive never had any light strikes. I stripped the slide once, to replace the extractor and its spring, and the firing pin and channel were somewhat dirty, but not overly loaded up with crud. I cleaned everything with solvent, then Gun Scrubber to remove any residue, then wiped everything down with Eezox, wiped off the excess and reassembled, and its still running fine.

If I remember right, didnt you say in another post that someone had done some trigger work on your gun? If so, is it possible that could be the problem? To take that out of the mix, if you know someone else who has the same model as you, swap slides and see what happens. That should eliminate the trigger issue.


As far as the ammo, Id try a couple of different brands and see what happens. Ive shot a lot of the Russian (rifle) ammo, and Barnaul has always been the best of the lot. Most consistent and accurate. Ive never had any of the issues with it that Ive had with Wolf. Wolf really isnt all that bad, Ive just always found its to be very inconsistent. Some lots shoot great, some really suck. I also usually get one or two "duds" per case, which Ive never had with Barnaul.

Youre still going to have to go about this somewhat scientifically though, if you want to solve the problem. Might be as simple as switching ammo, or as usually is the case for me, NOT. :)
 
im a huge believer in break clean. i will use hoppes #9 occasionally. but since i get break clean for free and i must pay for hoppes, its not often
 
Yes the strikers on Glocks will become sluggish if oil and gunk gets in the striker channel. I've experienced it myself when I foolishly lubed my first Glock like it was the Exxon Valdez and have seen it time and time again at the shooting range.
 
Use weapons lubricated/(externally)cleaned wiped dry using either BreakFree, MiliTec-1 or Weapon Shield. Those particular CLPs provide residual surface slip/rust protection w/o attracting dirt, sand, dust and other abrasive/jammers

The only place actual grease might ever go is on specified points in Garand-type actions -- and even then only very, very sparingly.
 
Oil, grease, CLPs, & TLC...

If you were to ask most agency/PD armorers, gunsmiths, gun shop owners or FFL holders what one of the most common problems gun owners have is over-use or excessive use of oils/grease/CLPs/etc. :(

With most firearms, a little goes a LONG way. It's important to avoid large amounts of oil or cleaning products because it may clog or prevent the parts from moving. It may also cause dust, grit, gunk, sand, etc to jam up.

As I sometimes say; "put a lot of oil on your sub or salad, not your carry gun." ;)
 
I like the eezox but it is hard to fine where I live, I usually have to order off the internet. The Break Free worked well but one day I tried some Hoppe's Elite (M-Pro-7) and it cleans the best on all of them. I also use the Hoppe's Elite gun oil with TR-3 (I think that's what its called) not sure if it protects against rust like the eezox but so far I have had no issues when it come to the lubricant on any of these products. The Hoppe's Elite has no odor and it says it is biodegradable/non toxic. I probably should say that all I am shooting are hand guns. (Revolver and Semi Autos)
 
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