Best cleaning items?

[Mastrogiacomo]

Each time I go to the range, I'm finding it more and more of a pain in the neck to do the cleaning. I use gunslick brand: nitro solvent and gun oil. Also use the Q-tips to get in hard to reach areas, but it's still a pain. There's got to be an easier way to do this without it taking so much time and effort. I notice with the Inox gun of mine the dirt more easily and it always frustrates me trying to reach it -- not that the black one doesn't, I just can't see it well. Can anyone recommend something quick and easy that works great?

 

[Ledbetter]

Old Toothbrushes
CLP
Sharpened wooden dowels (whittle them to a chisel point with your knife.)

Most important: Wipe the insides out with a dry rag first so you don't drain gunk into the recesses of your pistol that were clean before.

 

[Mastrogiacomo]

What about the snake cleaner I hear so much about?

 

[Jim Watson]

It is just a rope you drag down the barrel. Cleans nothing but the bore. And the feed ramp if you run it up the magazine well instead of through the ejection port like they show it in the ads.

There are wire brushes about twice the size of a toothbrush... very useful, but you can still get good use from the toothbrush, too.

Try a little bottle of M-Pro 7 solvent. I don't know that it works better than Outers, Hoppes, etc. but it is a detergent mix and has almost no odor. Non flammable, biodegradeable, etc., etc., (but it will still dry your skin.)

 

[Mastrogiacomo]

Thanks for taking the time to respond guys, I appreciate the feedback.

 

[Waitone]

--Q-Tips
--Flat tooth picks
--Round tooth picks
--Old tooth brushes
--Cleaning jags of appropriate size
--Flannel cloth
--Flat cotton as found in old tee shirts
--Length of coathanger wire
--Bore snake is great for use on the range immediately after shooting. I think snakes work better when the firearm is warm from use.
--Hoppes #9 works great if you liberally apply it then give it 15 minutes to work
--Break cleaner is cheap and works like a champ to removing cleaning fluid
--Lighter fluid
--Silicon spray (not for lubrication but for protection of wood during cleaning)
--Bronze chamber brush (not stainless, it scratches)
--Bronze bore brush

If you shoot a revolver you'll note they tend to get dirty. I apply a LIGHT coat of oil to the cylinder and top strap before shooting. When I finish I whip out a rag and wipe all that crud off.

Hope this helps.

 

[matsaleh]

Sometimes it is tedious to clean your guns. I have another suggestion.

Often, I want to spend time watching TV with my wife (and she with me). But, sometimes the shows she wants (me) to watch aren't really of interest to me. So, I spread out some newspapers on the floor by the couch, or use a TV tray for small jobs, and tinker or clean away.

Since much of the actual cleaning is monotonous or automatic, I can still devote enough of my attention to the show to make and respond to comments with my wife, but I get the cleaning done to boot!

Scenes of married life...

 

[allamricn]

Easiest Clening Method So Far for Me

I have tried lots and lots of cleaners, and after trying MPro7, Breakfree, Tetra, etc., I am sold with the use of FP-10 from MPC. I believe the link I use is www.fp-10.com. Anyway, Here's what I do to make cleaning less time consuming.

At Range:
Use Bore Snake
Couple drops of Fp-10 before the bristles and pull through 1-2x.

At Home (later that same day):

Use Wet patch of FP-10, pull through and let sit for 7-10 min.

While waiting, I use FP-10 to clean the slide and frame. Remember, a little goes a long way.

Once done with that, I take a bronze brush covered with a patch (looks like a little ghost) and run it through the bore. Mine comes out pretty black. This method was suggested in the directions I got off of the FP-10 website.

Run a wet patch through after the patch covered brush and then a couple passes with the Bore Snake (I have 2--one for range bag, one for cleaning kit at home). Bore should look pretty shiny.

That's about it for cleaning. Then lube the gun and you're done.

The reason I finally stopped trying all the other products is that FP-10 is a great cleaner AND lube. In other words, I like the fact that all I have to use is one product (unless you get big time copper buildup, then use some Sweets or Butch's Bore Shine). I am all for not having bottles and bottle around when all I need is one product.

Just my opinion....

 

[Badger Arms]

The best cleaning item is to have somebody else do the work for you. Hand the dirty gun to the 13-year-old and say, "Here, let me look at it when you're done."

Just kidding, I clean all the guns myself. I use Q-Tips. If you can, find the long-stemmed type like they have in the hospitals. I have a friend who hooks me up... he works at a hospital. This is the single most valuable tool. Apart from that, I get large patches (designed for 12 GA shotguns) and use them like tiny disposable rags. I use EEZOX or Break-Free and spray down the whole gun then I take the patches, Q-tips and one of them M-16 brushes. Use them to run the patches along all of the areas you have the solvent and soak it up.

 

[P95Carry]

--Silicon spray (not for lubrication but for protection of wood during cleaning)

waitone .... not sure what exact spray you use but ... for me it'd be a no-no .... always find any silcone product seems to leave a ''slippery'' feel, even after wipe off.

Toothbrushes ...... hey ..... best thing ever .. NEVER pitch those .. save em up. I even kept the lil ones of airplane flights! As I use a btoothbrush and it gets blacker . relegate that one to ''first stage'' work .. and keep cleaner ones for when worst crud gone.

Toothpicks ... yes sir .. great aid ... including when re profiled sometimes. They for me work better than Q tips ... when I twist a morcel of patch around the tip.

Yet to find the ''do everything'' cleaner but ..... that FP-10 sounds useful allamricn ..... I am not familair with it .. make ? Availability? etc

 

[Ian Sean]

I enjoy cleaning

I try to time my cleaning with a good radio program, Rush or Savage. I really enjoy it.

Toothbrushes and plastic toothpicks come in handy. I use so many different lubes and solvents for different jobs and guns I would be hard pressed to honestly recommend any one magical elixer for all needs.

Don't make it a chore, try to keep it fun. Get kids or friends involved too, it can be good family time to boot.

My .02

 

[matsaleh]

Badger Arms
The best cleaning item is to have somebody else do the work for you. Hand the dirty gun to the 13-year-old and say, "Here, let me look at it when you're done."

Just kidding, I clean all the guns myself.

Kidding aside, I think that's a great age to get kids involved with guns if they're interested. Of course they must be properly taught and supervised. But, if they like shooting the gun, then one condition can be that they learn to clean it, and do a good job. Teaches all kinds of things, not the least of which is responsibility, manual dexterity, and attention to detail.

 

[Badger Arms]

Really, my 13 year old has to clean the guns he shoots. My 6-year-old begs me to help whenever she sees me cleaning! I usually let her have the bolt or other small parts and she sits there meticulously cleaning each nook and cranny. I don't remember ever cleaning the guns I grew up with. I'm just guessing that he cleaned them himself because they were always very clean when I started shooting. For me, there is a soothing quality to cleaning sessions. Kinda like a shower after you work out.

 

[Mastrogiacomo]

Sounds like a lot of great ideas for cleaning the guns. Wish I could get my nieces and nephews involved but they're still too young yet.... And...my family still doesn't know I have a couple of guns in the home. They'd be a tad shocked to see me cleaning them at home after a range trip... This is probably why cleaning them is so boring to me. I have to do it after I get done shooting -- while still at the range. Nothing to do but stare at what I'm missing and get frustrated. I imagine if I could spend time in front of the TV, it wouldn't be so bad.

Just had one of my guns sent off to Tripp for a Cobra Chrome finish on the slide and barrel. I had hoped for the parts too to make the cleaning easier but because I got a trigger job, I didn't want to risk hurting the work. It'll have to wait for my next set of guns... Thanks to everyone for your input. I'll look into some of the items mentioned. Much appreciated.

 

[matsaleh]

Mastrogiacomo
And...my family still doesn't know I have a couple of guns in the home. They'd be a tad shocked to see me cleaning them at home after a range trip...

Ok - I have to speak up now. I'm sorry if this sounds like I'm meddling, but how can you keep guns in the house without your family knowing about it? I don't mean how do you pull it off, I mean how can you justify it?

Two very important issues come to mind:

1. Safety. If the wife or kids ever ran across the guns, they'd better be well locked and unbreachable.

2. Integrity. I never understood how a man can keep secrets like this from his wife. I know guys who don't want their wives knowing how much they make, so they won't get ideas on what they can spend, or won't find out if the guy spends a little "on the side". This is the same thing. It's lying, plain and simple.

The institution of marriage is in great jeopardy these days, and this kind of behavior is part of the problem. Of course, this assumes the wife is sane and is not trying to undermine the marriage as well.

Sorry if I'm overstepping my bounds here, but this is a critical issue for me.

 

[Mastrogiacomo]

No apology necessary... Let me explain:

A: Single, thirty-five year old female, living with my parents. Long story, please don't ask. Just read my other posts....

B: No kids. When my sister comes up, which is rare, the guns are in my room locked, unloaded, and supervised (I stay in the bedroom when they visit. The kids are loud as Hell and frighten the cats).

C: It would freak my mother to know I have them. Not my Dad but I don't want to alarm her. He doesn't even want her to know he's planning on getting a permit to buy a shotgun. I'll tell him then...She has high blood pressure. Odd thing, she likes hearing how I shoot though. I know, can't figure it either.

If and when I find a job where I can carry, then she'll have to know. For now, it would rattle my other very anti sister (who doesn't live with us but likes to judge) and worry my mother. So as long as I keep them locked away and handle them safely, it really is only my business. It was my money after all that I used to purchase them.

 

[Mastrogiacomo]

By the way, if my living condition was very different from what it is now -- you'd be absolutely correct. I believe in safety first and no surprises. If I were to move in with a room mate that had children, I'm obligated to speak up. Even if she had no children, I'd still speak up to avoid any misunderstanding and room mate Hell stories. I'd expect her to speak up too if she hates Chinese music , Opera or foreign films. We have a big mess on our hands then. I do respect the example you set for your family but clearly, I don't have those same issues to deal with...yet.

 

[romulus]

Oh my...just yesterday I was playing Leoncavallo's "Pagliacci"...I thought I was the only firearms aficionado in the world mad about opera

 

[Mastrogiacomo]

Nooo! There's more of us! Sadly, most people seem to hate our music and keep trying to turn it down -- why do think I pack a Beretta... Can't wait to see Cecilia Bartoli when she returns here -- I've seen her now four times in concert -- and always by myself...

 

[matsaleh]

Mastrogiacomo
A: Single, thirty-five year old female, living with my parents. Long story, please don't ask. Just read my other posts....

Well, I can see now my first mistake was to assume you were male. Apologies for that for sure. Sheesh -- I should know better; it's not like female gun owners are all that rare (thankfully!).

Now that you've set me right, and established yourself as being outside the circumstance I feel compelled to speak out on, I'll just shut up.

It's just that a lot of men these days seem to go out of their way to deserve the bad rap they get in the media. I know a few good, decent, "manly" men, who love their wives and kids and put them first. But many of them seem to think all's fair that they can get away with, and I think it sucks. Whenever I get the chance, I call 'em on it. Call it a character flaw, I guess. I just think those kinds of guys indict me by gender association, and I don't like it.

Cheers, and thanks for being a good sport.

 

[Mastrogiacomo]

I don't blame you and I'm sure you're right. I don't care to hear people think it's just a right without any considerations either. Clearly, if things were different -- I'd be obligated to share the details of my hobby with the person I'm living with. I'd like to think I'd do that whether there's kids involved or not -- in case we have friends with children over. I take a lot of care in how I handle my guns -- although my anti sister is still convinced they go off on their own. You can't win all the time but you can do your part to dispell some of those myths about gun owners. And you're not the only person to assume I'm a man -- people do that A LOT on these forums. Go figure... But then, I like to think I shoot like a man...

 

[KarlG]

Best Cleaning Item !

Mastrogiacomo,

My wife was throwing out some eyeliner applicator thingies. Something compelled me to salvage them and use them as I would use a q-tip. I have stopped using q-tips now because these things work so well and are cleanable and reusable.

I am talking about the little plastic handled thingie with a flat sponge on the end of it. I use them to clean and lube. The sponge will hold lube and allow an even and thin layer to be applied exactly where it needs to go. The design of the sponge helps to get in thin notches and nooks in the gun because the sponge is very thin. There is a thin piece of plastic in the sponge to give support for scrubbing. I put a dab of liquid soap on the thing after use and rinse it under water to clean it. I can get several uses out of one.

I know it sounds weird, but try it. I have gotten two of my friends hooked on them for gun cleaning as well.

P.S. My wife knows about all of my guns. Even though she may not back all of the purchases, she is aware and able to express objections if she deems necessary.

 

[cdbeaver]

classical music

Hey, folks. We shooters aren't all country music fans. I like Brahms, Beethoven and Dvorak, as well as nearly all opera. I've got about 3,000 LP's on hand, stereo and mono, and nearly all of them classical.

I also like to shoot guns. Will trade LP's for guns.