[DrDenby]

Got home from the range again.

Did thorough clean, including Qtips on the rails of slide and frame til came out clean.

I have some pure silicone I wanted to try on the rails.

Took Qtip, dipped in silicone and started putting it on and a drop went into one of the frame guides and dripped a dark color.

Puzzled, I took a toothpick and ran it under and there are "lips" on the rails or whatever it is, and tip came out black.

Soaked a patch in CLP, put it on end of a toothpick and used the point to get in the rails this time.

NINE yes NINE patches later, hmm maybe it was 8, on frame and slide, patches finally came out clean!

Those of you that everyone said use Qtips on it to "get in there" , forget about it.

My old semi autos had simple square rails, easy to clean. Don't know if this is an FN/FNS thing or part of the new plastic guns, but when you see your qtips come out clean, there is still a whole mess of crap in the "lips" or whatever.

Doc

 

[WaltSherrill]

You're treating your weapon to surgical suite cleanliness but I wonder if it's really necessary?

I'd argue that unless there are particles evident in that colored presence, it really doesn't matter that much.

Hard grime (visible particles) is what is most likely to cause wear and damage -- but even that, if it's just residue from fired rounds, isn't likely to be a problem. Dirt or grime from having let the weapon come in contact with the ground, etc. is a much different issue.

Many of us learned weapons maintenance and cleaning from our fathers or grandfathers, some of whom were WWII vets. Those guys had to deal with universally corrosive ammo which would lock up a weapon if not attended to quickly and old habits are hard to break. Some of those old habits are sometimes passed on to others.

Nowadays, unless you're shooting really dirty ammo, you can shoot thousands of rounds over a long period without problems; frequent cleaning isn't needed. Modern ammo typically is no longer corrosive. And even G.I.s in combat zones nowadays don't worry about the level of cleanliness you are addressing -- and their lives are at risk!!

That said, it's your gun and your peace of mind, so you should do as you feel you must. .

 

[DrDenby]

Old habits are indeed hard to break.

Been using Hoppes 9 for 40 years for example.

I can't imagine not having that distinct smell in the garage.

Now FNH says these new plastic guns aint supposed to get the ol Hoppes, recommends Breakfree CLP when I called.

Never had a gun I didn't scrub down after a day at the range. Would never have dreamed of letting gunk build up in the slide rails.

Guess I better start adapting.

Doc

 

[Bluemonday]

That's what Brownells pointed G-Tip is for. Works great.

Also, use clean burning ammo and FireClean to condition the gun and you will not have to spend so much time and effort.

 

[r.tenorio671]

...SimpleGreen, toothbrush, baby bottle brush, hot running tap water, hair dryer (or compressed air), done! :th_noproblem:

 

[Dizzy82]

I use Tetra Gun cleaner on all my guns. Completely safe for every component. I love this stuff!

Tetra Gun Care Action Blaster Synthetic Safe 10 oz. aerosol spray cleaner cleaning solvent

 

[WaltSherrill]

Never had a gun I didn't scrub down after a day at the range. Would never have dreamed of letting gunk build up in the slide rails.

I wouldn't really advocate that, either -- but I also won't be doing a miniature "white glove" inspection of the frame and slide rails each time I clean the weapon. (I saw enough of that many years ago, when I was in the military.)

I once let my CZ-85 Combat go about 6,000 rounds before I cleaned it -- just to see what would happen. (I was shooting a LOT back then.) I eventually was so disgusted/ashamed of how it looked, I cleaned it -- but it had just kept chugging along without problems. It was nasty.

 

[Digitalis]

Old habits are indeed hard to break.

Been using Hoppes 9 for 40 years for example.

I can't imagine not having that distinct smell in the garage.

Now FNH says these new plastic guns aint supposed to get the ol Hoppes, recommends Breakfree CLP when I called.

Never had a gun I didn't scrub down after a day at the range. Would never have dreamed of letting gunk build up in the slide rails.

Guess I better start adapting.

Doc

The Hoppes isn't really an issue for the barrel (I use it myself) just be sure it doesn't come in contact with the polymer and you should be good to go.

 

[thenihipali5]

You're treating your weapon to surgical suite cleanliness but I wonder if it's really necessary?

I'd argue that unless there are particles evident in that colored presence, it really doesn't matter that much.

Hard grime (visible particles) is what is most likely to cause wear and damage -- but even that, if it's just residue from fired rounds, isn't likely to be a problem. Dirt or grime from having let the weapon come in contact with the ground, etc. is a much different issue.

Many of us learned weapons maintenance and cleaning from our fathers or grandfathers, some of whom were WWII vets. Those guys had to deal with universally corrosive ammo which would lock up a weapon if not attended to quickly and old habits are hard to break. Some of those old habits are sometimes passed on to others.

Nowadays, unless you're shooting really dirty ammo, you can shoot thousands of rounds over a long period without problems; frequent cleaning isn't needed. Modern ammo typically is no longer corrosive. And even G.I.s in combat zones nowadays don't worry about the level of cleanliness you are addressing -- and their lives are at risk!!

That said, it's your gun and your peace of mind, so you should do as you feel you must. .

Never would I think about stripping my rifle down and freaking out this much about black hidden somewhere while I was in Iraq. I was trying to keep it cool, and barrel/chamber debris free... But good for this guy getting all the junk out

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[graylon]

I swear by G96... it works great and smells good too

 

[MO_Shooter]

I swear by G96... it works great and smells good too

That's what I've been using too, quick, easy and seems to work better every time. Smell can't be beat either.

 

[BlackCloud0351]

Like stated before, old habits are hard to break. I still clean my firearns using hot, soapy water, then CLP to lube after it drys.

 

[GunRover]

I buy pipe cleaners by the hundreds on ebay -- good for cleaning under rail guides... and other crevices... foremost, the inside of the hook on the extractor...

I still clean the guns fairly well but without being OCD about it. I agree with the other posters that immediate and intensive cleaning is not required anymore. The one thing I pay a lot of attention to is the barrel, since learning that lead and or copper can build up in the lands and grooves and act to slow the bullet down (and thus increase pressure behind it). As a hand-loader, that is one variable I don't want -- not that I hand-load rounds anywhere close to max.

 

[SeaMac]

Yeppir Simple Green is awesome for cleaning gunk out of just about anything. What could've been black might have been the cosmoline from factory packaging, if most gets removed you should be fine.

...SimpleGreen, toothbrush, baby bottle brush, hot running tap water, hair dryer (or compressed air), done! :th_noproblem:

 

[SeaMac]

Save yourself some money here, Google Fran Wilson Eye Tees and Nail Tees, the Nail Tees are identical to G-Tips and the Eye Tees have a wider swab on one end. The Li'l Lady uses them for make up and manicures. They come in plastic boxes of 120 for Nail Tees and 80 for Eye Tees, believe me, they're worth it that along with some very good Otis tooth brushes, nylon, brass and bronze.

That's what Brownells pointed G-Tip is for. Works great.

Also, use clean burning ammo and FireClean to condition the gun and you will not have to spend so much time and effort.

 

[0119]

Yeppir Simple Green is awesome for cleaning gunk out of just about anything. What could've been black might have been the cosmoline from factory packaging, if most gets removed you should be fine.

I used Simple Green to clean the brake dust off the rims of my wife's SUV. The Simple Green ate at the anodizing on the aluminum taking the glossy sheen off. I won't use it on anything metal anymore. It seems that to make it safe you have to cut it down to such a weak level, its pointless to use over anything else.

 

[Digitalis]

I used Simple Green to clean the brake dust off the rims of my wife's SUV. The Simple Green ate at the anodizing on the aluminum taking the glossy sheen off. I won't use it on anything metal anymore. It seems that to make it safe you have to cut it down to such a weak level, its pointless to use over anything else.

It's safe enough for most metals, but strong alkaline cleaners should never be used on aluminum...most say so right on the package.

 

[Helix]

I have also used Hoppe's for decades and still do on most of my guns and all gun barrels except nickel plated. Recently I have started using Ballistol on my polymer handguns. Works fine for them and also any nickel plated guns you might have where using Hoppe's is not recommended.

Over the decades I have used I don' know how many different "new and wonderful" gun oils and greases. Even occasionally use Mobile 1 on my AR rifles. What I have concluded is that it really doesn't much matter what you use, as long as you do a good job cleaning and lubing. That said, I would never use Simple Green or citrus cleaners on my guns. I do use citrus cleaner to clean my bicycle chains and gears but they are thoroughly rinsed with water afterwards. Just a personal preference.

 

[WaltSherrill]

I have also used Hoppe's for decades and still do on most of my guns and all gun barrels except nickel plated. Recently I have started using Ballistol on my polymer handguns. Works fine for them and also any nickel plated guns you might have where using Hoppe's is not recommended.

You may find that Hoppe's can be used on SOME nickel plated weapons, too. Many gunmakers, as is the case with my CZ-85 Combat, don't use a copper base under the nickel -- in which case Hoppe's and other brands that can attack copper (through micro-cracks in the plated finish) are safe to use. A quick email to the gunmaker will probably tell you whether they use copper.

 

[Helix]

You may find that Hoppe's can be used on SOME nickel plated weapons, too. Many gunmakers, as is the case with my CZ-85 Combat, don't use a copper base under the nickel -- in which case Hoppe's and other brands that can attack copper (through micro-cracks in the plated finish) are safe to use. A quick email to the gunmaker will probably tell you whether they use copper.

I believe you are correct that some gun makers don't use a copper base for their nickel guns. My only two nickle ones are older, and show room perfect, Smith & Wesson revolvers so I baby them. I'm pretty sure they do have the copper base. If a person has a nickel gun and is not sure if Hoppe's is safe, then it seems to make sense just to use something that is known to be safe. Something like Ballistol, which can be used on guns, knives, leather, plastic and your ingrown toenails.

That said, I hope never to have to give up Hoppe's for most of my guns. No other smell says "Guns" like Hoppe's. Ballistol, on the other hand, doesn't have a distinctive smell but, it doesn't stink like some gun cleaners/lube do. Tetra Gun is a very fine lube and I use it some on my AR rifles, but I think it smells awful.