Cleaning grungy guns with water, then placing in oven?

[NavajoNPaleFace]

Quite often I will spray my handguns down with Simple Green and scrub them after shooting.

I then put them in a WARM oven of around 120-140 degress for a reasonable period of time to help them dry out.

For those concerened about case hardening, etc. the oven setting I use is actually cooler than the inside of my parked truck in July and I have a handgun in there all the time.

 

[blackguns]

I have learned a lot from this thread. I never have heard of or thought of using water to clean a firearm.

I am not any kind of expert so i'm gonna ask....why is water better than say a strong solvent for cleaning?

I use the GunSlick products, they have a spray cleaner that is very similar to brake cleaner. It cuts EVERYTHING besides metal fouling and it evaporates very quickly. This stuff will degrease and de-gunk your actions and I even like using is on bolts and trigger groups because you can spray it in without having to take everything apart.

Then you lightly relube and your good to go.

Why use water vs. something like that?

Just trying to learn.

 

[benEzra]

Regarding Simple Green--I have read that Simple Green is NOT for use on aluminum.

 

[Geno]

Actually, metal DOES have pores.

One person stated that metal has no pores. Regretably, that is not correct. Metal is a pourus material. I personally would not clean the firearm with soapy water for that very reason. The best cleaner I have used, and I have tried dozens, is the M-Pro 7 set of cleaners. There are no harsh smells, but it cleans even into the pores. That is precisely its purpose. Then, the M-Pro 7 cleaner/lube/protectant penetrates into the pores to prevent microscopic rust and forms a protective barrier between barrel and projectile greatly, and I mean GREATLY reducing how hard subsequent barrel scrubs have to be. Ultimately, you own it and can do as you choose. But, for my fine arms, no...they do have pours and microscopic rust can develope. Even if you bake it, the residual of the soap is still in the pours and can promote rust.

Doc2005

 

[MatthewVanitas]

"Does metal have pores?"

We seem to have reached a critical question. Is anyone here a, um... metalologist?

Also, even if soap "remained in the pores" despite pouring gallons of boiling water over the metal, how would soap cause rust? Does soap contain oxgen molecules?

This is all pretty over my head. -MV

 

[dpotter58]

OK, first thing don't laugh and no, I do not do this.
I just bought a new Springfield Loaded and when I was talking to the dealer about cleaning it before I shot it, he told me he knows an older gentleman that cleans all of his hand guns by soaking them in 2 cycle gas then letting them air dry. Claims the gas breaks up the gunk and when they dry, the oil lubes them.
Again, no, I'm not trying it...