CLP and plastics.

Not polymer grips; I know CLP doesn't much bother anything Glock or Magpul.

I'm a fan of keeping everything needed to keep a gun running in an emergency where you'll always have it. Dad kept cleaning tools in his hunting jacket, for instance. Cleaned out mud or a split shell more than a couple times. But I don't have a hunting jacket.
My new AK does have Magpul MOE furniture on it. Not exactly how I'd set it up if I was building it, but it's what I got. The furniture has storage compartments in it.
So I could spend $20 for a purpose-made bottle that fills the grip and replaces the cap, and end up with another loose part in the spares box... or I could fill one of the little LDPE bottles I've got laying around with CLP and fit a brush, roll of patches, general-purpose tool and chamber flag.

So does anyone know if CLP will melt through common LDPE before I make an almighty mess?

Heck, let's open this up to any common cleaners and plastics so it's not just a yes/no and closed.
What common cleaners, oils and plastics shouldn't be mixed?

bassjam said:

CLP is fine for ldpe. Also, all plastics are polymers.

Click to expand...

Well, yeah, but they're different polymers.
And since they bring to mind different materials, that's why I specified.

Anyway, I also generally use 10w30 or 5w20 or whatever my car uses at home. But CLP covers just about every problem.
The cleaning kit is just if I shoot something corrosive and forget the proper kit, or if I'm out somewhere and drop it in the water or need something to knock a broken shell out or cram the muzzle into sand.
I mean, the AK needs a cleaning rod to look right, there's no point to not having the stuff on hand if I can.

Also I have a big bottle of CLP I'm never going to use up so I'm distributing some out.

lysanderxiii said:

The standard quart bottle CLP comes in is the usual LDPE plastic

Click to expand...

See, I wasn't sure about that. It's definitely some different strain than the soft translucent bottles I have.

1MoreFord said:

I've never had any trouble with Breakfree CLP but I once watched a guy "clean" his flip phone with plastic safe electrical contact cleaner. It melted in his hands while we all watched. The look on his face was beyond priceless. It is a good idea to be careful.

Click to expand...

And that's why I ask. I have containers from the garage that are good with one solvent but not others, have cleaned things with mineral spirits that marked up with alcohol and vice versa, and even if it's advertised as safe they can't account for everything.
I'd check an MSDS sheet or something, but I'm not a chemist.

Ah, sorry. Breakfree.
That's the only one I see locally, so it's kind of a given here.

rust collector said:

So far, I've had good luck with these for gun oil, mobil 1, air tool oil and other lubes.

Click to expand...

Those are identical to what I have. Turns out a little arranging fits a 10ml bottle, my chamber flag, and a jag perfectly into my MOE grip.
The cleaning kit and a roll of patches fits perfectly in the compartment in the matching stock. Since my kit came with my since-sold Saiga and those all got kits that are threaded different, I'll switch the jag for a thread adapter or something. The opposite side of the cleaning rod makes a passable jag.

Considered buying a tiny bottle of CLP, but I've got a big bottle and it only gets to the range in case of problems. I usually use separate solvent and oil.