[Tman]

I have only 1 stainless steel handgun, the rest are blued. Why? I'm having a hard time keeping the stainless clean and shiny (actually I hate cleaning). Any easy tips for cleaning stainless, or should future guns all be blued?

[Shane]

I find stainless MUCH easier to clean. A lead-away cloth or similar product works wonders to get lead off stainless, but such a cloth can hurt blued finishes.

[BamBam]

Tman,
My stainless guns hold up much better than my blued. In fact, I paid an extra $50 today to get a 10/22 in stainless rather than blued. Try an eraser on tough stains or a metal polish like Semichrome.

[Spackler]

I find stainless MUCH easier to clean, so much so that most of my guns are stainless. I hate cleaning my blued guns. No special tips or tricks. I use Break-Free, Rem-Oil, and Hoppes or Shooter's Choice. I like Gun-Scrubber, too. Blasts away all of the gunk. Lead-away cloth is a good idea as Shane says, and as he says, keep it away from your blued guns.

[10-Ring]

I like both & have a few examples of both. I have a tough time making up my mind sometimes ;)

[seeker_two]

After you use the solvent (but before you lube it) try a stainless steel polish like Flitz. Works well on mine...:D

[JohnKSa]

LOL!

You just can't tell that the blued guns are still dirty!

[rick458]

use a cotton diaper and some flitz and it will clean up nicely.
blued guns will HIDE fingerprints a little better, but that is not such a good thing, as the acids and such will eat the blue and start rusting the firearms.:eek:

[SteelyDan]

When the stainless first came out, I really thought they were the cat's meow. But now, just for looks, I seem to prefer the old blued ones. As far as cleaning, I've never noticed a difference one way or the other.

[Standing Wolf]

I've always preferred the look of blued steel, but have accommodated myself to stainless, and carry a (pre-agreement) Smith & Wesson model 60. I find it helps to have stainless bead-blasted. I've been happy with Magnaport's "velvet" style.

[Skunkabilly]

I think the stainless is easier to clean cuz it's easier to see the dirt.

I end up thinking I cleaned the blued ones well, and oops. Got some gun poop on my clothes and bed.

[WhoKnowsWho]

You take your gun into bed with you?! :)

I only have one stainless gun and haven't really noticed that it is harder or easier to clean. Maybe because it is a dull stainless steel to begin with, I don't really notice less shine.

[Kahr carrier]

Stainless -Lead away cloth or Flitz is cool.:)

[Skunkabilly]

You take your gun into bed with you?!

No, but my apt is so small my bed is the only place for me other than the floor to lay out and organize my stuff when I pack and unpack for a range trip ;)

[rick458]

My kid has one of those Playskool tables, that is about 20" off the ground. I throw an old towe,l or sheet, over that and sit on the floor, and it is perfect for cleaning pistols, not so much so for rifles.:D

[redneck2]

you haven't tried lead away cloths

exceptional pain to clean without

breeze to clean with...one wipe and it's clean

[cratz2]

Well, I prefer the look of a nice blue far more than stainless but the gun I currently shoot the most is a stainless 1911.

Here are my two stainless guns The 45 currently has over 4,000 rounds through it. When I took this picture it had about 1,000 rounds through it and have carried it quite a bit in the last 6 months or so. The only thing that's ever touched the exterior is FP-10. The 9mm was bought used and I put about 1,200 rounds through it. Again, only FP-10 was used. A soft cloth applies and removes the FP-10, every once in a while, I'll use a tooth brush on those hard to reach places.


http://photos.imageevent.com/cratz2/guns//9mmSpringfield3.jpg

http://photos.imageevent.com/cratz2/guns//SSSpringfield3.jpg

[rick458]

Beautiful pistols you have there, Q-tips work great as well
I switched to FP-10 a few months ago I like it much better than the Break Free I was using, it has better lubricity and does not tend to cone off/ evaporate as fast.

[jem375]

Butch's Bore Shine takes the powder burns off very easy.....put some on and wait 5 minutes and wipe off........

[rick458]

Butches Bore Shine, works like a scalded dog on Barrels as well great stuff, I would still treat it like Sweet's 7.62 and inert it with FP-10, Break free, Rem Oil etc...

[Ala Dan]

Greeting's All,

T-man, as you might have already heard brushed stainless
won't ever shine really pretty like nickel finished handguns.
But, there are several makes and models that come in what
is known as bright stainless. However, I'm from the old
school, and prefer blued weapons to stainless steel
ones; in almost every instance!:what:

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

[Tman]

I haven't gotten the Flitz, but thats on my shopping list. Cleaning a stainless revolver (all the powder marks around the cylinder, etc) is kinda a pain. The eraser I've tried and it works well. Say, does the Flitz have any significant amount of abrasive that might hurt the finish after repeated use?

[Double Naught Spy]

Blued guns are not easier to clean. They just don't show the dirt near as bad! :D

[JohnKSa]

I used a stainless steel brush around the forcing cone and on the front of the cylinder--very quick--but you can't do that with blued guns or you'll take off the finish...

[twoblink]

Flitz really is the secret. Flitz, a cloth, rub rub rub, shine shine shine!

So much so I now wished my Ruger 22/45, I had bought the stainless instead of the blued..