LiveLife
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Didn't want to hijack Potatohead's thread on 40S&W loads so starting a new thread - http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=10319978#post10319978
With my limited one year knowledge as Biochemistry major in college before I changed majors, I reread the article with interest, particularly comments by Glen Fryxell, a PhD chemist and author of excellent ebook From Ingot to Target, who essentially did not endorse mixing of cleaning solvents and to avoid anything that has chlorine because ammonia reacting with chlorinated solvents form ammonium chloride salts and chloride ion is very corrosive to steel.
The article concludes with cautions of not using harder than barrel bore brushes (like stainless brushes) and not using solvent(s) that may corrode steel surface with prolonged contact.
So, here are some questions/discussion points:
1. I have been using Hoppes #9 solvent to clean and BreakFree CLP/motor oils to lube my guns for the past 25+ years. As I responded to Potatohead, I soak my barrels with Hoppes #9 and scrub with copper bore brush and run patches until clean. Hoppes #9 is used to clean the rest of firearm and residual solvent is left on parts surface. Drops of BreakFree CLP/motor oil is used to lube metal to metal contact points.
Hoppes #9 solvent contains ammonia but since I am not using with chlorinated solvent, there shouldn't be ammonium chloride salt concern. But is there concern for prolonged ammonia contact with steel?
2. While many shooters may not readily mix different solvents, they may use different solvents over time. Let's say the firearm was cleaned with Hoppes #9 solvent for one range session but after several sessions that really gunked up the firearm, chlorinated solvent was used to clean. And if Hoppes #9 was used on subsequent cleaning, there would be mixing of ammonia and chlorine to form ammonium chloride salts that may not be wiped off completely.
So, how come we are not seeing more threads that report, "Wow, my guns are corroding away after being cleaned with Hoppes #9 and brake cleaner"? Is the corrosion amount small enough that most shooters are not aware of it and/or unintentionally accepting corrosion as normal bore wear from friction with bullet's bearing surface coupled with fouling residue?
Potatohead said:how clean is clean for a bbl? Seems like I can never get to the point where I put a patch through and it comes out white...or even almost white...or whitish. Frustrating.
And Walkalong posted a link to Schueman Barrels article which I remembered reading in past years but filed away in my mind as I did not use chlorinated solvent (brake cleaner) with my firearms at that time - http://www.schuemann.com/Portals/0/Documentation/Webfile_Barrel_Cleaning.pdfWalkalong said:That's too much IMHO. Clean them reasonably well. No need for squeaky clean.bds said:I was taught in the Army to clean the barrel until patch cloth came out clean.
Then of course is the no cleaning pistol barrels at all theory.
With my limited one year knowledge as Biochemistry major in college before I changed majors, I reread the article with interest, particularly comments by Glen Fryxell, a PhD chemist and author of excellent ebook From Ingot to Target, who essentially did not endorse mixing of cleaning solvents and to avoid anything that has chlorine because ammonia reacting with chlorinated solvents form ammonium chloride salts and chloride ion is very corrosive to steel.
The article concludes with cautions of not using harder than barrel bore brushes (like stainless brushes) and not using solvent(s) that may corrode steel surface with prolonged contact.
So, here are some questions/discussion points:
1. I have been using Hoppes #9 solvent to clean and BreakFree CLP/motor oils to lube my guns for the past 25+ years. As I responded to Potatohead, I soak my barrels with Hoppes #9 and scrub with copper bore brush and run patches until clean. Hoppes #9 is used to clean the rest of firearm and residual solvent is left on parts surface. Drops of BreakFree CLP/motor oil is used to lube metal to metal contact points.
Hoppes #9 solvent contains ammonia but since I am not using with chlorinated solvent, there shouldn't be ammonium chloride salt concern. But is there concern for prolonged ammonia contact with steel?
2. While many shooters may not readily mix different solvents, they may use different solvents over time. Let's say the firearm was cleaned with Hoppes #9 solvent for one range session but after several sessions that really gunked up the firearm, chlorinated solvent was used to clean. And if Hoppes #9 was used on subsequent cleaning, there would be mixing of ammonia and chlorine to form ammonium chloride salts that may not be wiped off completely.
So, how come we are not seeing more threads that report, "Wow, my guns are corroding away after being cleaned with Hoppes #9 and brake cleaner"? Is the corrosion amount small enough that most shooters are not aware of it and/or unintentionally accepting corrosion as normal bore wear from friction with bullet's bearing surface coupled with fouling residue?