Weapons cleaning questions for the gunsmiths on the board

[RangerX]

So I am at the range the other day, and a guy I am talking while cleaning proceeds to pull a drill out of his range bag. I watch him chock up a cleaning rod section with a copper brush on it followed by spraying the brush with cleaning solution. He then proceeds to "drill" the brush back & forth through the bore. The stuff that came out of the barrel was impressive, and I took a look and it was like polished glass when he was done.

He then proceeds to tell me he uses brake cleaner to do a lot of cleaning tasks, as long as it doesn't touch stock materials (wood/plastic/resin/etc.).

This is on a pistol by the way.

So, is this a fast way to fuck up a gun, or is there any merit to this? The drill was the most intriguing part, as it took him about 30 seconds to get a spotless barrel.

[C-MAC]

Many guys I know use brake cleaner since it is cheaper than some other solvents. But you need to be extremely careful. It should not be used on polymers, can damage rubber, can remove paint on sights and sometimes damages the bluing. That said, from what I have seen it seems to work pretty well provided it is non-chlorinated/non-MEP- which I don't believe is a problem with recent manufactured products.

Ditto the drill, although some gun owners feel it damages the bore and may cause excessive wear if used improperly. Part of the rub, so to speak, is the drill can potentially be used in a way which unevenly applies pressure to different parts of the bore. In theory, that creates uneven wear/potentially marking. Also, if overused it can also prematurely wear the inside of the barrel. Again, this is theoretically. I have never seen it happen.

I can't vouch for the complete brake-cleaner-drill method since I probably clean my guns the same way Teddy Roosevelt did. But it seems like if done properly and not to excess it is a relatively sound method.

[Flesh Thorn]

I know several who use brake parts cleaner and I have used it myself on my carbines. The drill seems a little over kill :? Of course brake parts cleaner can have some safety issues under the right circumstances : Article

[Baseplate]

I am under the impression that some carbon is good for your gun

[C-MAC]

I know several who use brake parts cleaner and I have used it myself on my carbines. The drill seems a little over kill :? Of course brake parts cleaner can have some safety issues under the right circumstances : Article

To hell with brake cleaner. I want one of those fancy hats like the one in your avatar.

[VIPER--00]

I have done the drill rod thing on guns that the Army owns. None of my own. lol

[Sleepy Doc]

This reminds me... I've been trying to find that stuff the Pastor used to clean the pistols at the Ranch. It came in a can and sprayed out foamy and pink. For the life of me, I can't remember the name of it, but the shit was awesome!! To be honest, I haven't had to clean or lube the pistol in the three some months since I cleaned it at the Ranch. Just wipe it down and done. If anybody can help a brother out, it'd be appreciated.

[Black 6]

It is not just the bore that the drill method can damage. The rifling is the main concern, being worn prematurely. Think of this, a slight imperfection in the crown can cause massive accuracy issues. Now imagine a slug traveling down a barrel that is becoming more like a smooth bore.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

[Flesh Thorn]

This thread over laps what this one is about : viewtopic.php?f=124&t=50388" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[abnhawk]

Ranger The Sleepy Doc,
Its called "Gibbs". http://www.gibbsbrandlubricant.com/

Gibbs is good stuff. A couple of old timers had a booth set up during the vendor shoot day at the 2008 Sniper Comp at Benning. Those guys were a riot, so I picked up a couple of cans. I used it alot until I wasn't able to ship it home from A-stan.

[twitch]

Brake and parts cleaner/ PB Blaster does some great work; especially with a piston sys. that doesn't need any lube (use it on my M1A everytime I'm done shooting).
That using a drill really makes me want to cringe; just thinking of all the possible micro burrs/ scratches you would put in on the lands and grooves. Although I would like to push a bore scope through a barrel after that process just to see the possible benefits and/or damage left behind.

Would any of you Rangers possibly have any history using Slip2000, Carbon Killer, or EWL? I've heard great reviews and wanted to get any insight before I bought a batch of that stuff... thanks!

[abnhawk]

Would any of you Rangers possibly have any history using Slip2000, Carbon Killer, or EWL? I've heard great reviews and wanted to get any insight before I bought a batch of that stuff... thanks!

I've had good experiences with those products. The carbon killer that comes in the jar is a pretty handy item to drop your bolt into while you work on other things. Mine came with a wire to hold the bolt suspended in the solution. I think I usually let it set for around 10-15 minutes, and the carbon came off much easier. I don't think mine ever "wiped clean" as advertised, but overall was a big help. My pistol barrells fit in there as well. Thumbs up on the EWL also. If you're going to order, also check out their 725 degreaser. That stuff is awesome. Their online store prices seem to be about the same as retail prices in my area.

[twitch]

Sounds good thanks Ranger abnhawk, I'll give it a go around. I'd like to find something to get that star-chamber cleaned out good so I dont have to get into an hour of dental picking and get something a bit more easy to use.