The Ultimate Cleaning Thread

Hi. Im new and I was actually looking for a little advice on maintaining a firing pin. Its to my understanding that you are supposed to keep the firing pin dry. no lubricant. So is it a bad idea to use Break Free CLP on it and wipe it dry? should I just use a cleaning solevant on the firing pin?

Welcome to THR IPF. I treat the firing pin as any other part, clean in solvent or soapy water and use light oil for rust prevention. I NEVER use grease on any bolt parts(internally) especially the firing pin.

The firing pin doesn't have to move a great distance, and it's not in a tight channel. (In most guns I can think of.) It doesn't need lube to give it ease of motion, it's not in a high-friction place. The main idea is to keep that channel free of all goop and debris.

Leaving a residual amount of a preservative isn't a bad idea, especially if you are in a humid or marine environment.

I see. Well thank you for the advice guys. Much appreciated.

Only time I use a dry firing pin/spring is during Winter. Oil turns to glue at ultra low temperatures. You can get light hits and failure to ignite primers from too much oil in the cold.

I've only ever needed Hoppes for a solvent. It dissolves fouling. Will also remove leading if allowed to soak in the barrel. It is not instant action.

I use Outers oil because of its thickness. Outers is easy to obtain but I will use any oil that is thick enough. I don't like thin oils. Thicker is better for long term storage and it prevents metal on metal wear.

I also use grease on the exterior and large bearing surfaces (not just for storage). If I am going to be hunting in the rain it gets wipes on prior to the hunt and wiped off after the hunt. I am not particular about grease brand name, grease is grease. I don't use it on any moving parts in Winter.

I don't do anything special for wood or plastic. Hasn't been a problem. I clean the barrel before shooting if a gun has been stored a year or longer since last use.

I recently discovered a way to clean Rubber Parts like Grips Houge and others. Soap and hot water of all things! Then Dry throughly and reinstall. Who would have thunk it!

Oh dont forget to clean your Cloth assesories like Slings and such, again Soap and water

Cleaning-Plastic parts (grips, mag followers, recoil spring guides, etc): Dawn (hand) dish washing soap, hot water, toothbrush.

Cleaning-Metal parts: Wipe as much gunk off with microfiber cloths (see lessons), then BreakFree CLP (spray) and work it in with a toothbrush. TIME. Let it sit 6-12 hours (see lessons). Toothbrush again and wipe down. Barrels typically only need two hits with a cotton square (jacketed ammo here only)

External treatment of carry guns: Wipe down exterior with CLP, place parts in a small oven/toaster for several hours at 120-150 degrees. Cool and wipe down.

The oven/toaster trick might be overkill. I switched to CLP and this technique at the same time and haven't had an iota of rust or corrosion on any guns since. Prior to this I had a lot of issues with even stainless guns -- rust in cocking serrations, etc in the areas in contact with my skin.

Lubrication: I strongly prefer grease when possible (locking lugs, slide rails, etc). Preferred grease is Lubriplate FGL-0 (L0230-001). It's a pure-white aluminum based grease, food safe (YUM). Read more at http://grantcunningham.com/lubricants101.html

Lessons learned over time:

Those blue microfiber cleaning cloths at Sam's Club are awesome. Super absorbent and lint free.

How do I avoid a mess and keep the house from stinking? If you're spraying stinky stuff, do it outside, let the VOC's evaporate off and bring it back in. I use a $1.99 kitchen tray from IKEA. It's made of white plastic (like a cutting board) and has a lip to keep parts from sliding away and molded handles. It's about 18" long, oval shaped. Part # 501.326.25. I have several of these so I can work on more than one gun at a time. Cleanup is easy... Dawn detergent and hot water. This is really the perfect cleaning station for pistols!

I have noticed the C in CLP is not for the rushed. If you let parts sit, the C does an excellent job... if you can't let the parts sit for a few hours, find something else.

I don't use water, it causes rust. I don't use simple green, it is corrosive to some metals. -DagoRed

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These statements are true. My father was in the Air Force and told me they evaluated Simple Green as a cleaner. If the Simple Green is not completely rinsed it causes a bacteria to attack some alloys was why they did not adopt usage of it. He told me it was because of all the small orifices and channels within the aircraft, they could not be certain the cleaner was completely removed. I doubt most firearms have such a problem.

That is why I rinse thoroughly with HOT water, then dry with compressed air, the heat causes remaining water to evaporate quickly when this is done. I immediately soak all parts in oil afterward to prevent rust. If the parts cleaned with Simple Green are left unprotected, even for a short time, they will rust quickly. This is the case for most any ferrous metal that has been decreased and cleaned with a solvent. I only use the Simple Green when I am completely stripping and cleaning a firearm. I am not talking about simply swabbing the bore and wiping the outside off, that just isn't cleaning a firearm to me.

I've cleaned black powder guns with water for years -- boiling water. If you pump boiling water through the bore with a cleaning rod and patch, the gun gets so hot that all the water evaporates. You wind up with a gun that is chemically clean, and you just oil lightly after it cools.

If hot water causes rust, I guess I better stop using it on my cookware.

I have never done this, but I could see the ease and benefit of hot soap and water. Preventing rust is probably just as complicated as preventing my metal cooking implements from rusting.

I did read a story once where cadets in a military academy could only achieve 100% white-glove oil-free white glove clean by stripping the rifles and boiling the parts. Of course, these weapons were meant to be inspected, not fired.

It was quite common in the early '60s to strip and boil rifle parts. We'd use standard GI cans and immersion heaters, with little baskets to hold all the small parts. And those weapons were fired, quite often.

The logical question is how clean does a gun need to be? If one enjoys stripping and boiling thats cool but what is the level of clean required by most?

For cleaning, I give all my hanguns a bath in diesel then blow off the excess with an air hose. I keep it in a little plastic tub with a lid. It's good for several cleanings then I change out the diesel when it gets too dirty.
It's a wonderful cleaning agent and solvent, great for bores and gives blued handguns a beautiful luster.

The logical question is how clean does a gun need to be? If one enjoys stripping and boiling thats cool but what is the level of clean required by most?

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I'm going to be a heretic here; more guns are worn out by cleaning than by shooting.

1. Bores should be cleaned when accuracy falls off. Other than that, a patch moistened with Ed's Red is fine after a day's shooting. Use the same patch to wipe the gun down to prevent surface rust.

2. Complex actions (automatics, pumps, etc.) occasionally need to be squirted with brake cleaner, drained and then a spritz of oil. As an example, I have put thousands of rounds through my Colt Woodsman, and never stripped it. My Colt Service Ace conversion kit does get a little sluggish after a thousand or so round, and I strip and clean it thoroughly -- that floating chamber is the culprit there.

3. Muzzle loaders do need thorough cleaning -- that's where I use boiling water, followed with Ed's Red.

You guys clean em?? I just shoot em till they stop, then get a new one.

how clean

I think the nessasary level of clean is related to the person, the firearm, and there intended use.
EXAMPLE: small game hunting with my brother in-law revealed that his cheapo .22lr semi-auto didnt mean much to him and he only used it a few times so he didnt care about all the misfires and "stovepipes" he got. Therefor his idea of cleaning it is a swab of WD-40, it has never been stipped.

I only get the chance to hunt a little bit and very rarely get the chance to shoot someting so i keep all my arms very clean so that i can depend on them at any time. if you are happy with being able to hit a pie plate with your $50 gun, then you prolly dont need to spent the Months (or years) out of your life in front of the gun bench with a needle trying to get that last little goop out of your action.

Now if you have a protection gun that you bank your life on, It needs to be functioning flawlessly. The only way to do that is to have a good weapon and keep it maintained.

2TransAms: were are my underpants?????

How Clean

I have firearms that are likely cleaner than the plates you eat from. Then I have those that look like the inside of a chimney but shoot accurately and function.

Yes, when not done properly cleaning can harm a firearm. Most guns, when used occasionally, don't need stripped and cleaned for many years. Just wipe them down with something that stops rust, run a patch down the bore, and wait to use them again.

It's no different than cars, some people like them all shiny and looking new, some just use them to get from one place to another and really don't care as long as they work.

Brillo pad thread update from the OP

For those of you that responded to my question about scrubbing a cylinder face with a brillo pad, thank you for your responses. I was not able to comment before the thread was closed.

For the record the pad in question was one of the thin green pads which I don't believe has metal in it. Again thanks for your replies. I appologize if this is considered hijacking the thread.