Cleaning Your Firearms

Maj. Boom Boom

Maj. Boom Boom

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Hey peeps,

I would like to hear what you use for cleaning your firearms. What do you think is the best stuff to use and what would you stay away from.

I have a couple of cleaning kits. However i find myself using bore snakes with a combo of Break free CLP for cleaning, Hoppes #9 Gun Grease for the barrel and then Gun Butter for lube on moving parts. Although sometimes depending on where i am cleaning and the supplies i have with me, i`ll use the CLP for the barrel also.

Other items i have but have not used much are Rem oil, Gun oil wipes, Hoppes #9 lube oil, Tuf Glide (i have only used this on my knives), and Rem Brite Bore.

Does that sound reasonable or do you consider what i am doing wrong in some way?

Thanks for your imput!
 
For my 1911,

Patches soaked with hoppes #9 solvent, everything wiped down scrubbed with nylon brush (barrel-->brass brush and run with patches until clean)
Follow everything with light coating of CLP, CLP patch down barrel a few times, leaving a layer on. Reassemble, drop of clp on barrel, rack 10-15 times and function test.
 
fox5 said:
For my 1911,

Patches soaked with hoppes #9 solvent, everything wiped down scrubbed with nylon brush (barrel-->brass brush and run with patches until clean)
Follow everything with light coating of CLP, CLP patch down barrel a few times, leaving a layer on. Reassemble, drop of clp on barrel, rack 10-15 times and function test.
Click to expand...

Pretty much the same, but I use bore snake first, then run patches thru the barrel until perfect, then break free everything, wipe down, lube, and good to go... I use a silicon wipe for the slide, make it purty. function test/rack a few times to get the lube flowing.
 
I've fallen in love with M-Pro 7. Fantastic for those quick cleans. For the really tough stuff, out comes the Hoppes, and a respirator.

Basically, whatever floats you boat.

The only caution I would give is to make sure anything you are using won't eat plastic, or etch the metal if left on too long.
 
I use a few different items but my main cleaning gear consists of:

bore-snakes
brushes
patches
Hoppes
Breakfree
M-Pro 7

I have found a kit consisting of the above items will just about clean everything I got.
 
Some people have been singing the praises of Simple Green for cleaning. Cheap and effective. Prolly have to oil it up after the simple green though.

I use M-Pro and Bore Foam.
 
Sir_Macadoo said:
Some people have been singing the praises of Simple Green for cleaning. Cheap and effective. Prolly have to oil it up after the simple green though.

I use M-Pro and Bore Foam.
Click to expand...

The AGI videos talk about using Simple Green as well. It works great for getting rid of oil/grease, but a brush an Hoppes are one of the more effective things in getting rid of carbon/lead buildup. Boresnakes are also a great thing to have..
 
Rob said:
I've fallen in love with M-Pro 7. Fantastic for those quick cleans. For the really tough stuff, out comes the Hoppes, and a respirator.

Basically, whatever floats you boat.

The only caution I would give is to make sure anything you are using won't eat plastic, or etch the metal if left on too long.
Click to expand...

M-Pro 7! Works great if you clean them fairly soon (w/in a day or so). Leave the crud to harden and you're going to have to soak and scrape.

Love the M-Pro though! Spray on, let sit about 5 min and it comes right off.
 
M-Pro 7 for most cleaning. Got the big bottle and just hose everything down.

Have an Otis pull though kit as well as rods. Normally just use patches unless things are really fouled, then the borebrushes come out.

Militec for lubricant.
 
I used to be all in favor of boresnakes until I shot corrosive ammo. Since the residue stays on the boresnake, it will (and did) rust my gun. So for that patches win hands down because you can actually visually check if there is still any powder inside the barrel. It's time consuming but it really is the best method. Although with the newer ammo, you don't really have the chance of ruining your gun if you don't clean properly, it's more of a procedure to keep it looking nice and shiny new
 
I use Hoppes #9 to clean all my guns except the nickel plated revolvers. For lubrication on the Glock's/S&W M&P's or similar plastic framed guns I use Tetra Gun grease on the rails all year long. For the 1911 types i use the Tetra grease in the summer and rem Oil in the winter. For the revolvers it's Rem Oil all year long.
 
I'm a HUGE FAN of Gun Butter. I ended up buying about 12 bottles of that stuff when Waller was closing.

I've been using the same Hoppe's Kit that I've had since I was 10. The only difference is I've bough a few more rods and the like.

I keep all my old t-shirts to cut up for patches. I only use my boresnakes for when I'm at the range...and like Marcus said, I you have to be carefull with corrosive ammo.

I also keep all my old toothbrushes when I get a new one from the dentist. They work great for cleaning guns.

But pretty much just use Hoppes #9
CLP
Gun Butter
Hoppes Oil
Rem Oil

It's all cheap and it all does a great job.
 
Re: bore cleaning

http://www.schuemann.com/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=3zZ4oir3t50=&tabid=67&mid=445

This has probably been posted before. It's an interesting and informative read. I've got three of his barrels in the different pistols. I don't clean the bores, chambers yes, but not the bores. I went to the range yesterday afternoon (between rain showers) to sight in one of them. Off a sand bagged rest I shot three groups 1.394", 1.510", and 1.8" center to center at 50 yards - I'm no bulleye shooter either. My point is that a clean bore is not necessary for accuracy, it may even hurt accuracy. BTW: Schuemann really was/is a rocket scientist.

As far as general cleaning I use nothing except elbow grease and keep the parts lubed with any brand name full synthetic 10-30W motor oil. I usually clean everytime I shoot or practice. If I need some chemical help I like MP-7 or Simple Green (I would not use SG if I didn't have compressed air to dry out the parts really well).
 
I don't know what my husband uses to clean my gun. Lol
(I can clean it, but I choose to let him do it)
 
C-pher said:
I'm a HUGE FAN of Gun Butter. I ended up buying about 12 bottles of that stuff when Waller was closing.
Click to expand...

I know it is not the same thing, but that just reminded me of Apple Butter.

I haven't seen it in years! Anyone know where I can find it?

(think wicked thick/heavy/brown applesauce used like a jam)

ETA: Simple Green, Hoppes #9, whatever gun oil is kicking around on the bench.
 
Hoppys to clean most everything after a clip of jacketed to get rid of the lead in the barrel. I hate cleaning my 1911 as it shoots and functions better dirty so I just brush the big stuff off and lube it good. CLP or grease to lube the other guns, beer to lube me and a smoke to kill the smell of Hoppys
 
namedpipes said:
I know it is not the same thing, but that just reminded me of Apple Butter.

I haven't seen it in years! Anyone know where I can find it?

(think wicked thick/heavy/brown applesauce used like a jam)

ETA: Simple Green, Hoppes #9, whatever gun oil is kicking around on the bench.
Click to expand...

LaGourmet Chef Outlet in Wrentham has it..
 
namedpipes said:
I know it is not the same thing, but that just reminded me of Apple Butter.

I haven't seen it in years! Anyone know where I can find it?

(think wicked thick/heavy/brown applesauce used like a jam).
Click to expand...

My DW makes homemade apple butter: De-lic-ious.
 
Last edited:
namedpipes said:
I know it is not the same thing, but that just reminded me of Apple Butter.

I haven't seen it in years! Anyone know where I can find it?

(think wicked thick/heavy/brown applesauce used like a jam)

ETA: Simple Green, Hoppes #9, whatever gun oil is kicking around on the bench.
Click to expand...

If you're in Western MA, Judy's in downtown Amherst sells it. It's really good as is most of the stuff on their menu. The popovers with apple butter can't be beat. [bow]

</thread hijack>
 
knuckle dragger said:
Took a page from my wife's play book did you?

Do you ever pull the "Give me a 20, I want to get a Starbucks" and then never give him the change? I lose a lot on that one.
Click to expand...

no, do you ever give her the "I didn't get you a coffee, because I bought this hours ago", as the steam rises from te cup??
 
For semi's, I start out by taking the grips off and break the gun down. I use a tooth brush, Hoppes 9, patches, a long thin steel rod and a brass brush for the bore.

I use the long thin steel rod to push, half a patch through the firing pin hole, wipe the pin,spring and ejector with a light coat of oil and reinstall.

Then I clean the frame, slide, recoil rod and spring and inspect the gun for peening, I replace the recoil spring every 1000 rounds. Run some patches down the barrel. Put some oil on the lugs, assembly the gun with a long thin ribbon of grease on the inside of the slide rails then I put some oil on the end of the barrel and the recoil rod, work the action back and forth, then lock back the slide and flip it over and put some oil on the underneath of the slide flip it back over, close the slide and put some oil on the top of the barrel where you see it in the ejection port and work the action again.


For revolvers I take off the grips wipe down the whole gun with hoppes 9 and clean every thing and take the cylinder off and clean that, make sure the strain screw is tight and then I oil it.

Before I take a gun to the range I lube it all over again.

Every couple of months I wax all my SS guns completely with Mothers Mag wax.
 
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