How do you clean your handgun?

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by JNewell:


Denfoote, I've only used Simple Green on CMP Garands (which arrive very, very greazzy) -- mostly because SG cuts grease like noone's business, it's cheap, and I'm going to completely re-lube anyway. I believe SG is water-based, and I worry about the possibility of corrosion unless everything is re-lubed completely. I could be wrong, though -- any ideas, anyone? I'm not sure there's any reason to use more expensive products like MP7 anywhere except the bore and breech face/extractor, but I'm concerned that Simple Green might cause corrosion unless every trace of it is removed and the surfaces wiped down with some kind of lube.[/quote]
I wash off the SG compleatly in hot water, then pop the parts into the warm oven to dry.
No sign of corrosion yet, but the only gun that I have tried this on is my G19. It' supposed to work for Glocks because of the tenneffer finish. I am going to experiment with my blued Ruger MK-II.

Update on the results of the MK-II experiment.
I washed the gun in the kitchen sink with Simple Green. (yes the wife is at work!!!) Dryed it in the oven.
The only rust that appeared was some right at the tip of the inside of the barrel. A patch soaked with WD-40 cured that. I think that the next time I do this, I will dry the inside of the barrel before putting it in the oven. the rest of the gun was rust free. I coated it with WD-40, and wiped it off. I lubed it as normal, and put it together. I'll find out tomarrow if it fires.

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BOYCOTT SMITH AND WESSON!!!
Defend the Constitution from the foreign threat!!!!

Yeah, I got a permit to carry,it's called the friggin Constitution.---Ted Nugent

"Man killing is nasty business"---Finn Aggard

[This message has been edited by denfoote (edited June 17, 2000).]
 
JTKing -- I almost never use brushes on pistols. When I do, I usually use a Dewey fiber brush. Why? Two reasons. First, I'm not convinced that even a bronze brush isn't going to cause some unnecessary wear. Second, and more importantly, I just don't think that using the brush proves anything in my pistols. If I'm using a chemical-action cleaner, it's the chemical reaction that does the cleaning, not the brush. If I'm using a physical-action cleaner (JB bore cleaner), a patch does a much better job of holding the cleaning compound against the bore. The only application I routinely use a brush for is cleaning the chamber and breech area on an AR, but that's a different forum <g>.

The jags I've found that I like best (for now <g> ) are the Dewey jags. They are relatively long and nearly the same diameter from end to end with just a few wide raised ridges to grip the patch. I find that the .36/9, .40/10 and .45 versions work excellently with .30 cal rifle patches. Doesn't matter whether I'm using MP7, Hoppe's or SC, or JB -- or CLP or Militec.

I think someone expressed concern about abrasives. The JB is extremely "fine" -- it's really polish, rather than an abrasive. I have a SIG P239 that I bought very used, and JB was the only thing that would clean the bore. But ya know what? I can clean that barrel till it is mirror bright, and a hundred rounds later it's got the same copper tracks up the bore. As I said before, I'm wonder how much I'm proving by cleaning it. It doesn't affect accuracy to any extent that I can determine, and it does just seem to build up to a certain level and then stop. (The very used P239, by the way, shoots quite accurately and has never bobbled a round.)
 
JKnight -- A rep. demonstrated an ultrasonic cleaner for our Dept. It cleaner great but removed the white from the sights on a couple of SIG P226's. Do all US cleaners do that?
 
bcsd372,

I guess it depends on how tough the paint is they use on the sights. So far I've only cleaned my Glocks using the ultrasonic unit with no problems. I'm going to clean my HKP7 this week and I'll see what it does to the paint on those sights. I've never heard of anyone having problems with the finish being removed during a normal cleaining.
 
These threads on gun cleaning are always great.

J.T. King: you are in the majority view about liquid MPro7 evaporating just fine. I use the gel cause it's what I first tried and I liked it. It sticks to the sides of the bore real good after scrubbing it in with a Q-tip.

I agree that guns should be completely relubed after degreasing to avoid rust. Trigger actions and other assemplies can be sprayed with RemOil and then blasted with canned air to remove the excess.

I don't use jags myself. If the barrel is really bad, I will put a patch over a brush, like cleaning a shotgun. IMHO, chemical and physical means should be used _together_ to remove foreign materials from the bore.

I once "cleaned" the white dot sight out of a Colt Commander. I think I was using CLP. It just fell out the next time I shot the gun. Local gunsmith fixed it in 20 seconds with a new spot of paint. I think they were Novak or Novak-style sights.
 
once i get home from the range with my sig P220 i pull the slide, barrel, spring, and take the plastic grips off and drop it in a 2.5 gal. container of deisel. the next evening using a plastic brush and the deisel dipping back into the fuel to rinse, then blow dry with air compresser. do this out side in the garage, and wear some gloves. the fuel is tough on hands plus the smell. but deisel has the oil for lube and a film that stays, and its not gummy. its worked for me for years, got it from an old gun smith. he said ya never see any rust on a deisel do ya!!
 
If I clean the pistol right away, I use "Break-Free" spray and the standard patch. If I have to wait a day before I can clean it, I use the good ole #9 and then some Browning lube afterwards.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by JNewell:
I just don't think that using the brush proves anything[/quote]

Well, some time at the range this p.m. gave me a good excuse to test that (again). I think I will eat those words. There was fouling along the edge of the lands in the barrel that didn't come out with Hoppe's BR (soaked for about 1/2 hour) or with MP7. So, I brushed it with a bronze brush and that did the trick, which means (I guess?) that it must have been powder fouling, since (a) it wasn't green and (b) I don't think a bronze brush would scrub out metal fouling anyway. So...next time I will try with the softer bristle brushes. They might do just as well and would be more gentle. You'd think I'd know how to do this stuff, after 30+ years shooting? <g>
 
I wear my Glock in a Kydex holster in the shower. A little "Head & Shoulders" and we both feel fresh and clean.
And with this layer of fat it is always concealed, even in the shower.
 
Hi bcsd372:

I use a Branson Ultrasonic cleaner on several of my pistols and it has not removed the white dots on my P7M8 sights or the sight paint on other guns. I suspect variables include the composition of the sight paint and the particular cleaning solution. I use MPRO7 but have also tried Crests' ultrasonic cleaning solution.

JH
 
Catman,

I would think diesel would do damage to the hammer return spring housing on a SIG. Is yours plastic or metal?
 
For you Simple Green users, which SG product do you use? There is a Bike Cleaner/Degreaser that sounds promising. The ad says: "Simple Green Bike Cleaner/Degreaser is a non-toxic, biodegradable, non-corrosive and non-flammable cleaner specially formulated to meet the cleaning and maintenance needs of today's riders. The new foaming formula sticks to vertical and horizontal surfaces while removing grease, oil, dirt and road grime from chains, derailleurs and other components. The non-toxic formula won't harm delicate, painted surfaces, finishes, rubber or plastic parts."

Sounds interesting firearm use. They also have a SG-impregnated "scour" pad, that might be the ticket for cosmoline/grease/gunk encased stuff.

Thanks.

Scott
 
I use the plain general duty Simple Green. The bike stuff sounds ok. I like foaming cleaners anyway. Is it an aerosol?

I'd stay away from the pad on gun finishes though.

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The Glock freak formerly known as Chris...
 
I'm surprised not to see any mention of the Tetra-* products. Did I just miss it in the posts above?

I am a relatively new shooter (about five years) but practice with a very experienced and long-time shooter, rifles and pistols. (No Glocks, though!) I believe the TetraGun, TetraLube, TetraSpray (don't know the exact names or the overall name of the company, but they were at the NRA convention) products were recommended to him by Norm Chandler (of Chandler and Chandler, _Death from Afar_ etc.) but don't hold me to that. What I am sure about is that my 'coach' feels these products are the best he's ever used. The good effects seem to be cumulative.

These are the only products I use (then again they're the only ones I've ever used), and I believe they might be worth a try for some of the rest of you.

Not affiliated, just a satisfied customer.
 
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