brake fluid for cleaning?

[Pancho]

Interesting subject. Dot 3 and 4 brake fluid is a glycol-ester and is "hygroscopic" meaning it absorbs water. This is a good thing when you consider cleaning your firearm and it is not corrosive to ferrous metals in the short term because brake fluid also includes rust inhibitors to prevent corrosion to the insides of master cylinders,slave cylinders,and brake lines. The down side is that brake fluid is the devil on coatings such as paint and even polyurethane (don't get it on your gunstock). I don't know what it would do to bluing because bluing is not just a paint it is a chemical reaction with ferrous metal and I don't own a gun that I'd want to experiment with.
I think the bottom line is that brake fluid might work but unless you have an extreme problem like Sonier had I'd stick with Balistol or anything else you have experience with and faith in.

 

[sonier]

I have some blued parts im going to submerge in brake fluid for a test, but interesting info on the dot 3 and 4 fluid.

 

[Chasing Crow]

I am from a different school htan you fellas. I always "Break in" my barrels shooting with wonderlube only. I never clean with anything but water. My guns clean easy and barrels are bright as can be.

 

[R.Clem]

Off subject to a point: My son needed to clean a gas tank, used brake fluid, it came out spotless.
He thanks you all for the posting.

Ray

 

[sonier]

awsome i think brake fluid is a very interesting liquid. i used it on my savage 30/06 and I looked at my rifling and there is copper coloring in between my rifling im thinking its copper fouling if it dosnt come out with solvent i think it may be some corrosion or brake fluid intereacting with transmission fluid.

 

[BCRider]

On it's own brake fluid will not etch steel. The reason a lot of cars are using SS brake lines is two fold. Reduced rusting from external exposure to the elements and reduced rust from internal exposure to OLD WATER SATURATED BRAKE FLUID. Brake fluid is highly hygroscopic. Sucks water out of the air like a sponge. Unless brake systems are flushed on a regular basis the water in the fluid can attack the steel lines and other components. There's also the fact that it greatly lowers the boiling point of the fluid as the percentage of water rises. But this last part has nothing to do with it being used for our guns.

It's also excellent at ruining paints or varnishes. But I'm not sure about blueing. I'd have to try it.

The point is though that unless the brake fluid is left on the gun in place of an oil then it'll be fine for short term use such as cleaning. Only if left on the metal long term will it soak up water from the air and cause a rust friendly setting. But used for short term applications such as cleaning away deposits where you may let it sit for an hour is nothing.

 

[MachIVshooter]

Most of the downsides have already been pointed out, but I feel I should add that, when left on the surface long enough, brake fluid will absorb into the steel and make refinishing a nightmare, if not impossible. This may not be so with bluing (never tried to reblue brake fluid saturated steel), but it's true for paint.