Are there any damaging effects by leaving Hoppe #9 on your gun?

[WingOfWar]

Just went shooting, started cleaning, and I noticed brown spots on my guns - it doesn't seem like rust, but more like a stain. It seems like a Hoppe-ish color, so I got quite scared.

We never shot any corrosive stuff out of it ever, but we still drowned it in H #9, but we never, ever wipe it down (just go over with some 3-n'-1).

Is this a bad thing, and can it damage my guns?

 

[GCBurner]

I've never had regular Hoppe's #9 hurt anything. I'm not sure about the formula for removing copper and lead, but the regular powder solvent seems harmless.

 

[oldbear]

From my reading I understand that Hoppies should not be left on nickel finishes. My question is why would you want to leave Hoppies on any firearm?

 

[cyclopsshooter]

yup, no nickel guns and i hear that the coating on smiths m&p pistols can get blotchy from it

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I'd say if you left it on a metal surface long enough, it would dry and stain in a "Hoppes color". I would also guess that stain would come off with the right type of cleaner.

 

[J-Bar]

...the right kind of cleaner...

...like, maybe, Hoppe's #9?

 

[ColtPythonElite]

No, I'd guess something more of a solvent, like lighter fluid, mineral spirits, ect.

 

[Neo-Luddite]

Worry a wee-bit after your stocks/grips/polymer frames especially if delicate/vintage so on. Recall, too (here I'm stretching) that bottle ends up getting some contaminants in it from most common cleaning habits (dipping the tip of the brush/rod in). Something to worry about during that daylight saving 'extra hour' we get tonight.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

Why would you leave it on in the first place? I thought it was common sense to wipe off the excess with a rag.

 

[303tom]

Don`t leave it on, swab your bore & action parts down, wipe it off & oil, you are done !!!!

 

[ROGER4314]

I've noticed that a residue of Hoppes on my cleaning rods turns sticky so I clean the rods before I hang them up in their rack. Hoppes leaves a rust preventive coating in the bore in contrast to Butch's Bore Shine that takes every bit of oil out of the bore. When I use Butch's, I put a patch of Hoppes through the bore as a rust preventive before I pack it up.

Flash

 

[Hanzerik]

By chance, were you ever bleeding a little while handling your guns? Blood will mess with blueing .
Never had any issues with Hoppes

 

[The Bushmaster]

Hoppe's "Nitro Powder Solvent" #9 is to be wiped off and a thin coat of Hoppe's "Gun Oil" #9 applied to exterior of metel parts and bore. Hoppe's "Benchrest Copper Solvent" #9 should only be used in the barrel to desolve and remove left over copper and followed by a thin coat of Hoppe's "Gun Oil" #9. All of this includes the liberal use of patches.

I've been using Hoppe's products for over 40 years. Never heard of the various gun products ever leaving a "stain" on the metel. It will obsorb into the wood and darken it though.

 

[Retcop]

delete

 

[tightgroup tiger]

I've also been using it for 40yrs+ on blued finished guns. The only thing I have noticed is if you leave any hoppes in the cylinder of a revolver is will certainly dis-color a brass cartridge after re-loading it.

On revolvers Hoppe's get under the ejector and is hard to get back out. It will leach back out from gravity and get on the shell cases. This always concerned me since it will ruin gun powder and primers if it get's into it.

I really dry my guns off after cleaning them because of this.

tt

 

[jchico28]

Slightly off topic but relevent I think.
I quite using Hopp's #9 after my hands were burning from exposure (longer than usual cleaning session). Now I use non toxic solvents and wear rubber gloves.

 

[BADUNAME37]

I have used Hoppes 9 for over 40 years. I used to clean the gun, thoroughly, then wipe the entire gun down with a coat of Hoppes. It worked at keeping a thin film of oil on the gun for protection against rust.

Well, about ten or so years ago, I noticed if I do as I have been all along, after a few days, instead of having a thin oil-type protection, I would end up with a dried, sticky, gunky-type mess on the gun metal. They obviously changed something in the formula, as I certainly never changed the way I was using it! Now, I must finish the cleaning with a light coating of gun oil over the entire gun.

Will it ruin the gun? I don't think so, as even when I have the sticky mess, an oily-rag with gun oil on it will wipe that mess right off and then put a thin coating of oil on the gun metal.

 

[JohnBT]

I don't know offhand when they took the nitrobenzene out of #9, but it was probably 10 or 20 years ago. It's carcinogenic.

Starting in the '50s I wiped down rifles and shotguns with the original formula #9 and it hasn't caused them any harm so far. I haven't used much of the new #9 though.

John