i dont wanna mess anyone's guns up, but so far i've had excellent luck with this strategy to cleaning my guns...
since i tend to take most or all of my guns to the range, i have the daunting task of cleaning most or all of my guns after every range trip!! at the beginning of the collection, it was fun for me to clean one or two guns meticulously with q-tips, multiple passes thru the bore, etc... now it's just like "UGH!! when do I get to go back to living my life!?"
i found that the QUICKEST way to get a gun clean is now my favorite.
you will need the following materials:
1) Breakfree CLP - the original formula, not that long term storage version, and not that terribly expensive powder blast stuff. just the $3-4 a can stuff from wally world. using my method, you can clean about 10 handguns with the 4oz spray can.
2) NON-CHLORINATED Brake parts cleaner. check the automotive section of wal-mart. they have stuff for as little as $1.69 a can, and one can lasts long enough to clean 6-10 guns, depending on how liberally or conservatively you apply it
3) bronze bore brush of your choice, in the caliber/gauge of your choice
4) plastic-bristled tooth brush
5) towels that you dont mind getting filthy! i use one for dry-dirty parts, one for laying out CLP-soaked parts, one for wiping down "cleansed" parts, and one for dried parts to be reassembled
6) lubricant of your choice, if you dont use CLP to lube your guns (i dont. i am only half way through a 2oz bottle of Militec-1 that i've had for a couple years)
method for cleaning handguns. adapt as necessary for long guns, etc. you better love getting messy, or at least dont mind being temporarily disgusting
1) field strip your gun. i dont detail strip anymore, unless i need to replace a part, cuz this method is so effective!
2) soak barrel/bore with CLP, scrub with bronze brush a couple times just to make sure the CLP is working its magic on all of the inside. set your barrel aside
3) hose down your slide and frame with CLP. spread it around with your fingers and brush rigorously with the tooth brush (i hope you're using an old brush) this should take 2-3 minutes to get in all the important places. dont worry about getting CLP in your lockwork and trigger. make sure everything is soaked, cuz the fun part is comin up
4) GO OUTSIDE (unless you love noxious fumes from brake cleaner). affix the straw that came attached to your brake cleaner can, and proceed to hose down your gun's frame and slide until the run-off is no longer black. shake out the parts so they're not dripping all over your floor when you re-enter the house.
5) wipe down the rinsed parts with a towel. i prefer microfiber towels cuz they're super-absorbant and super soft. set your parts aside.
6) the crud in your barrel is ripe for the scrubbing by now... go at it! take your barrel outside and hose it off with your brake cleaner. watch the filthy run-off. stop when it's coming out clear.
7) check out how shiny your barrel is by holding it to a light! CLP doesn't work too well on copper fouling, so if you are obsessed with having a like-new barrel after every cleaning session, you may want to do a 2nd go with your favorite copper solvent.
8) lube and reassemble your guns. check your stopwatch, cuz you just beat your previous record
be careful with brake cleaner on untreated plastic parts. it will bleach them white. if you're not sure, try spot testing somewhere inconspicuous. brake cleaner will not harm any part of a Glock, just as an example. brake cleaner will ruin fiber-optic sights and probably the lenses of non-glass optics (havent been ballsy enough to try that, not when EOTechs and the like cost hundreds of dollars!)
if you see streaks in the finish of your gun (on non-plastic parts), done fret, just wipe them off with your finger or an oil-soaked cloth. brake cleaner tends to leave a residue on the parts that you dont dry quick enough.
anyone use a similar method?
since i tend to take most or all of my guns to the range, i have the daunting task of cleaning most or all of my guns after every range trip!! at the beginning of the collection, it was fun for me to clean one or two guns meticulously with q-tips, multiple passes thru the bore, etc... now it's just like "UGH!! when do I get to go back to living my life!?"
i found that the QUICKEST way to get a gun clean is now my favorite.
you will need the following materials:
1) Breakfree CLP - the original formula, not that long term storage version, and not that terribly expensive powder blast stuff. just the $3-4 a can stuff from wally world. using my method, you can clean about 10 handguns with the 4oz spray can.
2) NON-CHLORINATED Brake parts cleaner. check the automotive section of wal-mart. they have stuff for as little as $1.69 a can, and one can lasts long enough to clean 6-10 guns, depending on how liberally or conservatively you apply it
3) bronze bore brush of your choice, in the caliber/gauge of your choice
4) plastic-bristled tooth brush
5) towels that you dont mind getting filthy! i use one for dry-dirty parts, one for laying out CLP-soaked parts, one for wiping down "cleansed" parts, and one for dried parts to be reassembled
6) lubricant of your choice, if you dont use CLP to lube your guns (i dont. i am only half way through a 2oz bottle of Militec-1 that i've had for a couple years)
method for cleaning handguns. adapt as necessary for long guns, etc. you better love getting messy, or at least dont mind being temporarily disgusting
1) field strip your gun. i dont detail strip anymore, unless i need to replace a part, cuz this method is so effective!
2) soak barrel/bore with CLP, scrub with bronze brush a couple times just to make sure the CLP is working its magic on all of the inside. set your barrel aside
3) hose down your slide and frame with CLP. spread it around with your fingers and brush rigorously with the tooth brush (i hope you're using an old brush
) this should take 2-3 minutes to get in all the important places. dont worry about getting CLP in your lockwork and trigger. make sure everything is soaked, cuz the fun part is comin up4) GO OUTSIDE (unless you love noxious fumes from brake cleaner). affix the straw that came attached to your brake cleaner can, and proceed to hose down your gun's frame and slide until the run-off is no longer black. shake out the parts so they're not dripping all over your floor when you re-enter the house.
5) wipe down the rinsed parts with a towel. i prefer microfiber towels cuz they're super-absorbant and super soft. set your parts aside.
6) the crud in your barrel is ripe for the scrubbing by now... go at it! take your barrel outside and hose it off with your brake cleaner. watch the filthy run-off. stop when it's coming out clear.
7) check out how shiny your barrel is by holding it to a light! CLP doesn't work too well on copper fouling, so if you are obsessed with having a like-new barrel after every cleaning session, you may want to do a 2nd go with your favorite copper solvent.
8) lube and reassemble your guns. check your stopwatch, cuz you just beat your previous record
be careful with brake cleaner on untreated plastic parts. it will bleach them white. if you're not sure, try spot testing somewhere inconspicuous. brake cleaner will not harm any part of a Glock, just as an example. brake cleaner will ruin fiber-optic sights and probably the lenses of non-glass optics (havent been ballsy enough to try that, not when EOTechs and the like cost hundreds of dollars!)
if you see streaks in the finish of your gun (on non-plastic parts), done fret, just wipe them off with your finger or an oil-soaked cloth. brake cleaner tends to leave a residue on the parts that you dont dry quick enough.
anyone use a similar method?
