[Dorian]

Ok now.... I bought a "NIB" USP online from someone and the oil that it was lubed with looked like the stuff you put in your engine. so I cleaned it, cleaned it again, cleaned it again, etc etc, and still couldn't get it all out. I finally took it under the faucet with the scrubbrush and solvent.

Well now all that oil is out and it's cleaned and lubed and I assume(read hope) the water has all evaporated.

But let's face it. I'm a cookie who doesn't have all his chocolate chips. Was running it under water a bad idea as far as the metal parts? Or should my pistol be fine? And if it IS fine, can I regularily use water to clean my pistol?

Better for me to ask and be laughed at a little than destroy my guns slowly :)

[Longbow]

USP's are designed to withstand "hostile environment" conditions, tap water is not even near that term, IMO. Just dry it up and lube it and your good to go.

[Mal H]

Your gun is probably fine as long as you got all the water out of all the nooks and crannies. Fiseyou, I wouldn't make it a practice to clean a gun that way. It's better to use a spray solvent such as Gun Scrubber or brake cleaner in cases where a thick preservative was used on the internals.

Someone here recently suggested placing the wet pistol with the grips removed in a warm oven (less than 200 deg F) before re-lubing it for about 1/2 hour. That should get any remaining water out of the gun.

[Dorian]

I like the oven idea.... But I don't think I'll use water again.

Thanks guys.

[clubsoda22]

you could leave a USP in a bucket of saltwater for a week, no problems with tap water, fella.

Just use solvent next time....I have issues with gun scrubber as it melted my ruger MK2 grips.

[jarhead]

Hold on, hold on... just how are you going to take the grips off this USP and place your polymer (remember, anything over $300.. plastic is called polymer) frame in a oven AND be sure no dimensions are altered by the heat on the plastic, much less melted? 200 degrees is getting pretty close to making polymers a little runny...

[sm]

I've used soap and hot water, gets the mud out real well ;)

Where is Tamara's pic of her doing this when you need it?

I used CRC Brakleen to blast all the moisture out , re-lube as usual and done. I don't have an air hose-which works well, some use a blow dryer. Ovens--I've not done this, I used to dry boots many eons ago that way--just decided to leave the oven for biscuits and such.

Brakleen is a less expensive than Gun-Scrubber--I get mine at NAPA

Edit : polymer, check first before using--I have used on Keltec, and Glocks.
When in doubt-Don't.

Zippo lighter fluid -check first-but I have used , because I didn't have anything else --and oh--we didn't know about gun scrubber years ago.(granted we didn't have polymer either, but we still used soap and hot water)

[Mal H]

Good point on the Gun Scrubber or any very strong solvent like it. The grips should be removed first. I wouldn't even want it on wood grips, not to mention plastic ones. A test on a non-visible or functioning area of a polymer frame would be a good idea. Also, be sure to use it outdoors or at least in a room with very good outside air ventilation.

[Soap]

If you use water on any type of metal surface you don't want to rust, use only steaming hot water since it evaporates off very quickly.

[clubsoda22]

only #9 for me

[P95Carry]

Little or no harm at all if well dried. but in essence .. basic rule would be .. only water as first stage if using corrosive primers ... to dissolve nitrates etc .... then dry and oil in usual way (lightly!).

Remember one simple rule of thumb ..... water will only ''deal'' with polarized substances ..... NO3 radicals are a good example ... N+ and O3- .... other compounds usually are more organic in nature and require some form of solvent ... benzenes, toluenes, xylenes etc etc.

I am not sure now whether #9 contains nito-benzene these days but .. IIRC that stuff is a cumulative and carcinogenic deal ... absorbable thru skin contact and inhalation ...... bit by bit until toxic limit reached. may be over stating here but IMO always good to clean guns with good ventilation.

[10-Ring]

You're fine, don't sweat it ;)

[CWL]

You definitely DO NOT want gunscrubber/brake cleaner on wood grips.

It'll take the varnish right off, then make the wood brittle.

[Wildalaska]

No fuss no muss no chemicals...

Hair dryer!!!!


WildmywifehatesitwhenIgrabthedryerAlaska

[sm]

A buddy of mine (balding head) got caught with daughter's hair dryer in hand...mom and daughter:uhoh: :scrutiny:

So off he goes to buy daughter a new one...he wanted her old plain jane brown one...."ain't gonna have no pink and purple one...all they got at the store...I've looked..." Mom and daughter figure out why later...just closed the door to the garage and smiling old man. "Mom- men are funny aren't they?...yes dear, that's why you don't need to date for awhile...trust me". :p

[caz223]

Get your gun cleaning trash can ready.
Put something absorbent in the bottom.
Field-strip gun.
Spray wd-40 liberally into working parts, holding over trash can.
Wait until it stops dripping.
wipe down with paper towel.
Let dry for 30 minutes.
Swab out barrel, re-oil firing control, and critical parts.
Re-apply slide glide to trigger linkage with Q-tip.
Re-assemble.
Done.
WD stands for water displacement, I think.
It's good to do that every now and then, anyway.
Gets all the gunk out, and it isn't harsh at all.

[Kharn]

re1973:
He should have bought a heat-gun. They only come in "man-friendly" colors, are sold at hardware stores, and if his daughter or wife stole it they'd have to find a fire extinguisher really, really fast. :D

Kharn

[Walt Sherrill]

Get your gun cleaning trash can ready.
Put something absorbent in the bottom.
Field-strip gun.
Spray wd-40 liberally into working parts, holding over trash can.
Wait until it stops dripping.
wipe down with paper towel.
Let dry for 30 minutes.
Swab out barrel, re-oil firing control, and critical parts.
Re-apply slide glide to trigger linkage with Q-tip.
Re-assemble.
Done.
WD stands for water displacement, I think.
It's good to do that every now and then, anyway.
Gets all the gunk out, and it isn't harsh at all.
WD-40 is a great water remover/displacer. Its a poor lubricant, and does less well at rust and corrosion resistance. It will dry and, with frequent and liberal use, leave a lacquer-like build up. The buildup can get so bad that the gun will no longer operate. (I've talked to more than one gunsmith who has made good money cleaning up inoperable guns that owners have doused with WD-40.)

If you use it to displace water -- a good use -- you should follow with something like Gunscrubber or Brake Cleaner, to get rid of the WD-40. Then relube with normal gun [oils/lubricants].

[stevelyn]

If you are going to use water, use hot water and leave it under the water long enough for the gun to reach water temperature. Give it a few shakes to get the excess off and allow to dry. Clean and lube in the usual manner and you won't have any problems.

[caz223]

Yup, I don't do the WD thing every time I clean a gun, maybe once or twice a year just to get lead shavings, old grease, dust, etc out of the fire control.
I also think WD is a crappy lube, but is good at displacing water, and a decent solvent to remove crud (Since it is petrol based.)

In a pinch I have used many, many things to clean guns, and displace water. Some worse than others.
WD seems to work well, and the residue must take a while to form because I haven't had any problems to date.
This isn't the first time I've heard about the lacquer thing, but I think you'll be alright if you don't use WD every time you clean it, and you don't actually use it to lube your gun.

[bogie]

For heavy crud cleaning, I like really hot water, followed by a displacer, followed by another cleaning with solvent, followed by the light oil of your choice.

[HKcenterMass]

One if my friends puts his beretta in the dishwasher for a good cleaning, but its stainless.

[HankB]

I am not sure now whether #9 contains nito-benzene these days Nope - they took it out a number of years ago. Should've changed the number to Hoppe's # 8 1/2 . . . . ;)

Anyway, water won't hurt a gun unless it's allowed to stay wet, or if the water isn't dried out of the nooks and crannies. In fact, the "traditional" method to clean corrosive primer resudue out of a barrel was to pour boiling water down it. The water dissolved the corrosive salts, and since it was boiling hot, the metal dried very quickly.

Most polarized oils will leave a somewhat rust-resistant residue on the metal anyway - otherwise think of all the wet-weather hunters who'd be coming home from the woods or duck blind with lumps of rust.

[BevrFevr]

unless you like getting lead all over your dishes. It's just a bad idea and lazy as hell to boot.

WD40 combines with gunpowder residue to form a nasty gummy ick. It should be removed before any serious use. I don't really like it.

-bevr

[Navy joe]

Water is fine. Clean with dishsoap then oven dry at 200 deg. Oil with CLP while still warm I've done this many times, no problems.

Now, as to the mythical USP.

"hostile environment"
you could leave a USP in a bucket of saltwater for a week, no problems with tap water, fella.

Now, I know that the little German elves made these things indestructible, but I disagree. I had a buddy with a USP40 who dishwashed his. He did not oven dry or oil. Further, he could not figure out how to tear the slide down. He brought it to work, I tore it down for him and discovered that the firing pin spirng was rusted to the point of non-functionality, as in it had rusted into two pieces. So, I'd hate to see the saltwater for a week program. This was entrapped dishwater for a week. There are no magic guns, they all need to be maintained.

[Coltdriver]

Water is a non issue as long as you get it out when you are done.

Easiest way to do that is to liberally squirt CLP Breakfree into all the nooks and crannies. It will displace the water and it will not gunk up the working parts.

There are easier ways to clean the gun.

Another suggestion, which is a technique that I use with black powder guns which are scrubbed with soapy water is to run the gun under really hot water. Then give it a good shake and most of the remainder will evaporate off. Then give it a light coat of CLP.

You could also use straight alcohol but that will leave everything "dry". You'd want to apply some CLP to the smaller parts anyway.

[Joe Demko]

Re: Guns in the dishwasher

Dishwasher detergent contains abrasive particles along with the ususal surfactants and detergents. They give an extra "sandblasting" effect to the dishwasher's cleaning action. While this is desirable for getting burnt-on lasagna off a baking dish, I strongly question whether it will do a gun any good, in the long run, to be blasted full of diatomaceous silica.

The water, itself, is a non-issue. I've used scalding hot water to clean all manner of guns over the years. As long as the water is good and hot, the gun retains enough heat to dry itself. Scalding water and ivory soap works great on blackpowder. Scalding water and Dawn dishwashing liquid does a fine job of cleaning preservative from modern guns.