On the topic of cleaning your guns...N00b Question #2

[TheGrey]

I realize that this question might pertain to any type of firearm; I chose the 'handgun' section at random.

As a new gun owner, I've noticed there are any number of gun cleaners and lubricants out there on the market. When it comes to the care anf feeding of firearms, I'd like to make sure I don't use something that may cause damage or buildup or attract dirt. I've already learned some terrific information as far as Windex/water and ammonia from people on this forum.

I've also noticed the Great WD-40 Debate. This led me to wonder if there are products I should be wary of, or hard-to-find items? I've noticed some people are using synthetic motor oil; does this do the same job as gun oil?

Are the gun cleaning kits and gun lubricants that I see in the stores worth it, or is there something the more experienced people can share?

Please weigh in with your opinion: what do you use to clean and lubricate your firearms with? Does it matter if it's a handgun or a rifle or shotgun?

[cstone]

BP Tactical will be along at some point and I defer to his wisdom:

In the meantime, good and inexpensive cleaners:

non-chlorinated brake cleaner
Hoppes #9
mineral spirits

wipe dry and lubricate with:

Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil
white lithium grease

There are hundreds of great products on the market. Everyone has their favorites and a budget. Use what works for you.

Be safe.

[ray1970]

Yep. Opinions will vary widely on this subject. I don't think there is really a right or wrong answer. Just different strokes for different folks. I've sat through several presentations from various people in the petroleum and lubrication industry. I can tell you that different lubricants are made with different properties and chemicals depending on their intended uses. Personally, I don't use products designed for automotive, marine, diesel, or industrial engines on my firearms. I use products specifically engineered for the lubrication needs and requirements of firearms.

But that's just me.

[zachnelson]

I use Breakfree CLP, white patches, q-tips, tooth picks and a boresnake. Works well.

[ChadAmberg]

Hoppes cleaner and oil worked great for me. Then I moved to CLP and that worked great too. Finally, I've converted to froglube on everything (made with real frogs?) and I've been very happy with that too, especially on my parkerized guns.

[SideShow Bob]

Per Bert at BP Tactical: if it rotates, oil it (your choice of product). if it slides grease it (again, your choice of product).
He had this in a similar post awhile back, and no I am not going to search for it and post a link.

[USAFGopherMike]

As stated above: CLP, Hoppes solvent & oil, white lithium, and windex down the barrel right after done shooting on surplus weapons if you shoot corrosive surplus ammo until you can home and clean properly. All comes down to personal preference and budget.

[BPTactical]

DO NOT USE WD-40! (will explain in a minute)

There are as many differing opinions on cleaning and lubrication as there are on barrel break in, who killed Kennedy and if blondes really do have more fun.

My thoughts-
Cleaning- I clean my personal items well enough to keep them functioning reliably. This does not mean after every trip to the range or surgically clean. I keep debris out of the mechanism and heavy fouling out of the bore, paying particular attention to the chamber and throat (next to the crown of the muzzle the chamber/throat area has as much to do with accuracy).
Typically after a range session the item will get field stripped with the action getting blown out with the compressor, the barrel swabbed to get the powder fouling out followed up with a couple of dry patches and an oily patch to seal the deal. A light lube and I am done. On my carry items I pay frequent attention to them, usually a weekly blast of air to get the dust bunnies out.
Usually no more than a field strip is required unless the item was exposed to water, dirt/dust etc. Hordes of firearms are damage by improper dis-assembly/ assembly as opposed to damage from debris.
Cleaning the bore- always clean from the breech forward whenever possible, if you have to clean from the muzzle, use a muzzle protector to prevent damage to this critical part of the barrel. Invest in a one piece stainless or teflon coated rod- shitcan those 3 piece aluminum rods.
No need to scrub the bore surgically clean and as a matter of fact a touch of fouling is a good thing, it helps create a better gas seal on the projectile. Most distance shooters will not clean the bore too much until they see groups changing.
Never use a stainless brush and be damn sparing with any brush.
More barrels are ruined by improper cleaning than are shot out.
BoreSnakes are OK for a quick after range session but do not use one for a dedicated cleaning, they hold debris in the weave and dragging that through your bore is on the list of bad things to do to your bore. When the Snake is showing a bit of wear replace it, you dont want to have it break in the bore or you will say bad words and have to come see me.
Ultrasonic cleaners- DO NOT PUT AN ASSEMBLED FIREARM IN AN ULTRASONIC! The ultrasonic vibrations are not healthy on finely fitted components, it will cause any mating surfaces to "fret" causing undue wear. Think I am kidding? Put a precision bearing in an ultrasonic cleaner and feel how it degrades.

Solvents-
While the recent trends in "All in one" products may seem like timesavers and are acceptable for combat conditions you can do better. Just like the "All in one" Smithy shop tools and the like may do multiple tasks in a fair manner they will never be as good as the properly designed tool for the job.
In my shop the only thing CLP is used for is "ArmorAll" for guns, it really nourishes a finish, especially parkerized finishes.
Use a dedicated solvent for cleaning and a dedicated lubricant for said purposes.
Everybody has their favorite be it Hoppes, Shooters Choice (one of my favs), M-Pro 7, Smith and Wesson etc. For really heavy fouling I like Tetra bore gel, nothing else I have found cuts copper like it.
Quite a few folks use a home brew called "Eds Red" and it works well. It is a combination of automatic transmission fluid (great detergent qualities), mineral spirits, ammonia and if you are a shotgunner, acetone (cuts plastic wad fouling well) In bulk it is cheap and works well, use your "Google fu".
Windex is great for a quick clean after shooting corrosive primered ammo, just buy the cheap stuff with ammonia in it. The ammonia neutralizes the corrosive salt compounds well. Follow up with a good hot soapy water scrub and rinse when you get home from the range.
Hot soapy water? Are you nuts?
Nope, it has been used for hundreds of years on black powder, which is extremely corrosive and nothing cleans corrosive salts better. Just follow it up with a boiling water rinse (it will flash dry instantly) and oil immediatley.

WD40- A great thing to have if you are a hunter, dunk your gun in the drink and it will chase out the water and prevent rust in the short term until you can perform a dedicated cleaning and proper lube.
The problem with it is once the carrier (Kerosene) evaporates it leaves a residue. Enough residue and it turns into a gummy sludge that only an overnight soak in Berrymans carb cleaner will remove.

Lubes-
While at one time items such as 3 in 1 oil and Lubriplate grease were the norm we now have modern chemistry and lubricants have made huge leaps. The modern synthetics are superior in most cases to petroleum based lubricants. They maintain their viscosities better through a wide range of conditions and temperatures and do not tend to break down or turn to SuperStickumPucky as readily. It also resists burning off and turning to carbon. I have had good luck with the Tetra brand as well as Magnalube. I don't have any experience with "Froglube" but it does seem to have a good following and those folks are happy with it.
Some reports from the Sandbox have shown that MobilOne holds up well.
K-Y does not do well for firearms.
As SideShowBob mentioned I feel that the mantra "If it rotates oil it, if it slides grease it" holds true. Visualize the loading on the components, a sliding component is under shear loading and grease resists displacement under shear loads. For lightly loaded rotational assemblies oil works well. Keep the back of your bolt on your AR oiled, it helps keep the carbon easier to clean off.
You want just enough lube to see it is there but not enough to where it drips, sags or runs.
Too much is just a problematic as too little, you don't want to attract dirt.
Hope this helps.

[spqrzilla]

A great post but for a nit or two:
Quite a few folks use a home brew called "Eds Red" and it works well. It is a combination of automatic transmission fluid (great detergent qualities), mineral spirits, ammonia and if you are a shotgunner, acetone (cuts plastic wad fouling well) In bulk it is cheap and works well, use your "Google fu".
There isn't any ammonia in Ed's Red. It consists of ATF, low vapor mineral spirits, acetone and kerosene.


Windex is great for a quick clean after shooting corrosive primered ammo, just buy the cheap stuff with ammonia in it. The ammonia neutralizes the corrosive salt compounds well. Follow up with a good hot soapy water scrub and rinse when you get home from the range.
I still disagree with the Windex recommendation. The ammonia really does not do anything to the potassium choride residues that ordinary water wouldn't. But it does not hurt any, except on plated guns.

[rustycrusty]

Automatic Transmission Fluid...

and if you want a dedicated lubricant use whatever motor oil you like in your car.

As someone I trust asked me,

"Who has more funding to their r&d department; a small gun oil manufacturer, or a multi billion dollar oil company?"

the two products do identical things- lubricate a high temperature, high pressure action.

[TheGrey]

All of the responses have given me a lot of food for thought. Thank you for the time you've taken to post, and for the education.

[yz9890]

Keep the back of your bolt on your AR oiled, it helps keep the carbon easier to clean off.

You mean aft of the rings or everything after the bolt face or lugs?

[cofi]

You mean aft of the rings or everything after the bolt face or lugs?
Aft of the rings on the tail of the bolt

And fwiw here's my 2c
Spring summer fall when I'm shooting a lot all my guns get a mix of 75% castrol syntech (or mobil delvac) and 25% atf

Winter time my carry pistol gets synthetic wheel bearing grease because I don't shoot really in the winter and it sticks to the rails

[funkymonkey1111]

i read an article that ballistol works well on the corrosives. i've been using it as an all purpose cleaner and lube. i also have a collection of all the other new great stuff, froglube, mpro 7, etc. i don't know if any of them work better than hoppe's and outer's gun oil--but at least they cost alot more.

i've used ed's red, too, and it's good stuff--just watch it on your wood stocks.

for copper i've used the hoppe's bench rest. i'm going to try Bert's Tetra, as i've always seen him use that at the shop.

[Great-Kazoo]

. i'm going to try Bert's Tetra, as i've always seen him use that at the shop.

stick or flake?
https://sp2.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.607986679937305606&pid=15.1
https://sp2.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608031618181565370&pid=15.1

[Jeffrey Lebowski]

BoreSnakes are OK for a quick after range session but do not use one for a dedicated cleaning, they hold debris in the weave and dragging that through your bore is on the list of bad things to do to your bore. When the Snake is showing a bit of wear replace it, you dont want to have it break in the bore or you will say bad words and have to come see me.

Any thoughts on washing boresnakes out?

[BPTactical]

Any thoughts on washing boresnakes out?

Absolutely, wash them frequently otherwise you are just dragging the garbage that gets caught in it back through the bore.

Just keep a tight eye on the pull cord and especially where it meets the Bore snake. Seems to be the weak point.

[funkymonkey1111]

Bert,

what's your position on using motor oil in guns instead of a designated gun oil?