Baking Soda to smooth action?

So I have this trustworthy friend who keeps telling me to use baking soda to smooth out rough action. He's recommended this on a new Ar, pistol, and my old Mauser sporter. He says to clean with solvent, protect trigger parts, dump a bunch(?) of baking soda, and cycle action a hundred or so times. Clean WELL lube rock'n roll. Sounds like it could work? But I've tried to search the net and nuttin'. Could someone more knowledgeable give me some feedback please?

At some point, you have to ask yourself how much of a part the baking soda is playing, when part of the instructions are to do something 100 times. That's my initial thought anyway.

Be more cycling the action than anything the baking soda would bring to the party.

I almost might go as far to say that the baking soda would do more harm than good.

I've hear the same thing with tooth paste, it is supposed to do a good job of polishing the contacting surfaces

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Originally Posted by Marlin

Be more cycling the action than anything the baking soda would bring to the party.

I almost might go as far to say that the baking soda would do more harm than good.

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Baking soda is a very mild abrasive, and is softer than sand or glass beads. look up "soda blasting"..

example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJguD-rbbIU

so it will accomplish in 100 cycles what may take 1000 without it... but since it's softer than steel, it's not likely to remove a measurable amount, but would remove more soft aluminum or finish, for example...

further research: baking soda has approximately the same hardness as a fingernail... not likely to mark steel at all, but abrasive enough to damage un-anodized aluminum... but it will remove dirt, deposits, etc...

Hmmm,, I just figured it would be more like fine sand,, Thus not real good.... Guess one can learn something new..

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Originally Posted by cowboykjohnson

I've hear the same thing with tooth paste, it is supposed to do a good job of polishing the contacting surfaces

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Colgate White toothpaste Only, No flavored or scented vaginal cremes will do.

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Originally Posted by jim

Colgate White toothpaste Only, No flavored or scented vaginal cremes will do.

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And you know this how???
Wait-Dont[Coffee]
I have used toothpaste on a couple of slides. Seemed to slick it a touch.
I have heard and read of instances where people will use an ultra fine lapping compound in an action. I have never seen the end result.
I would not do it myself. When an action is stone polished you address the mating/contact surfaces only.
With the compound what assurance do you have of
1-It staying where intended.
2-Maintaining precise contact edges and angles.

Lapping bolt lugs and slides ok but an action- not too sure on that.

Thanks for the opinions guys.[Beer]

Baking soda is essentially sodium bicarbonate. There might be a little grit, but the hardness of sodium and carbon are way low on the scale. You are going to get more smoothing from just shooting the thing with standard ammo. Most firearms with reciprocating parts take at least 500 rounds to really smooth out the action. Skip the baking soda and shoot more, and it will smooth out.

I've lapped in the lugs on a bolt action I was in the process of building up, but I used lapping compound. I haven't heard of using baking soda. I'd be concerned about trying to get it out of recesses in the gun.