Carb cleaner yes or no

[lbs]

Since the wd-40 thread was so much fun.....

 

[CZ9shooter]

I'd keep it away from polymers.

 

[Omaney]

Funny

 

[Jwilson904]

I have used it after taking the stock off of rifles.

 

[Shimitup]

Great for taking varnish off guns you forgot you left soaking in gas for a couple of years.

 

[C5rider]

I use brake cleaner to deep clean mine. Remove the grips and not much in the way of polymer here. Not sure if it would or wouldn't mess it up.

Afterward, I have a micro-fiber cloth that has been oiled. I wipe the firearm down with that and then final wipe it with another micro-fiber. Takes enough off that its not wet, but leaves enough on that it is now protected. Use what you want, and if you're open to hear what others are using, then consider it. If you're not, then it doesn't matter what anyone else uses.

 

[Twiki357]

Never tried carb cleaner, but I’ve been using brake cleaner for years. I don’t think there’s much difference.

 

[Shawn Dodson]

Non-chlorinated brake cleaner.

 

[RX-79G]

Too much preoccupation with products and cleaning. Not enough common sense about the effects of chemicals and hosing down hidden mechanisms without really being able to remove the gunk or replace the lube.

I clean and lube with oil. If something requires deeper cleaning, I take it apart.

 

[DeepSouth]

I have used it on guns, but not ones I really care about... But then again I've used it for wasp spray to, so maybe I'm not the one to ask.

 

[hdwhit]

I clean and lube with oil.

In general, same here. I will use other cleaners when I feel they are warranted, but my principal solvent is penetrating oil and my principal lubricant/preservative is 3-in-1 household oil (as sold under the Sears name). I will occasionally use motor oil for things that are inaccessible and need the extra protection when they are going to sit for a while, such as the barrel of a rifle underneath the hand guard.

 

[Swing]

Nope.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I've used both Carb and Brake cleaner as a substitute for Gun Scrubber; the big difference is that it is a lot less expensive...be sure to get the Non-chlorinated one

Be aware that Carb/Brake cleaner don't play well with polymers

BTW: if this thread goes down the same path as the WD-40 one, I'll be shutting it down much sooner

 

[AZAndy]

I'm a fan of brake cleaner.

 

[I6turbo]

Keep it off of plastics and be aware that it evaporates very quickly. The rapid evaporation causes water to condense in droplets on the surface of the metal. Those water droplets can become an issue (rust) if you are spraying the quick-evaporating cleaner down into trigger group, barrel, or other places where you can't/don't remove the resulting water and re-coat with a protective film such as oil.

 

[Deanimator]

I used to use it on M16A1s in the Army. It worked great, but would dull the finish on the furniture.

 

[Mauser lover]

It will hurt quite a few finishes. Be careful around paints, plastics ("polymers"), wood, etc. I use it as a rinse, essentially. Simply because I can get lazy about wiping off everything after I scrub with my toothbrush. I always oil afterward. The hint of Hoppe's under my toothpaste is amazing the first few times I brush my teeth after a cleaning session.

Oh, it seems to me that it works really well in a .22 bore with all that wax. I don't know if it is actually dissolving it, or just the action of doing anything at all though. Overall, guns aren't that tough to clean...

 

[bang_bang]

I have used it to clean reloading dies. Never used it on firearms.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I have used it to clean reloading dies.

That makes sense, I hadn't thought about that for deep cleaning.

What do you use to protect you dies, from corrosion, with afterwards?

 

[bang_bang]

WD-40 before I pack them away.

 

[Sunray]

"...WD-40 before I pack them away..." WD runs off. Short term, it's ok.
Carb cleaner cleans off carbon, 'gum'(not Wrigley's) and varnish(cooked oil). If that's what you're doing, it's fine. Don't think it'll clean copper, etc. off though.

 

[Arizona_Mike]

Yes. Carb cleaner is great for removing WD40 residue.

Mike

 

[bang_bang]

Carb cleaner cleans off carbon, 'gum'(not Wrigley's) and varnish(cooked oil). If that's what you're doing, it's fine. Don't think it'll clean copper, etc. off though.

All I'm doing is removing excess lube, including the WD-40. I check the dies often, but WD-40 is about the only thing that doesn't leave it cruddy. Carb and brake cleaner both work well to remove moisture as well, blowing out any carbon, copper, brass, etc in the die.

 

[danez71]

Carb cleaner yes or no

No. There is so many other effective products that aren't nearly as nasty as that stuff.

As far as the cost argument goes, for about the cost of a box of ammo, you can have a near lifetime of supply of effective cleaner that's a heck of a lot nicer to work with.

Heck, if you're just removing oil and grease you could get some citrus based engine degreaser. You don't have to worry about plastics and can be just wiped off wood with out harming it.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I've been using Hornady's One-Shot Cleaner/Lube and it works pretty well.

Was just thinking about cleaning out buildup in dies and seeing if there was something better to protect with afterwards. Looks like I'll just give them a light spritz with the One-Shot after deep cleaning