Cleaning guns with Simple Green?

[Rex B]

SG should never be left on any metal for an extended period. It is caustic. It will destroy aluminum in particular. It's OK to tackle a grimy alloy casting with a toothbrush and a spritzer of SG, but it must be rinse as you go along, and washed thoroughly afterward. 30 minutes is about as long as i'd trust it, even diluted.

 

[rangervoss]

Ballistol as a designer cleaner? Not hardly. Read the history of it. It has been around since the First World War. It does way more than clean and works like gangbusters on blackpowder.

 

[JohnKSa]

SG should never be left on any metal for an extended period. 30 minutes is about as long as i'd trust it, even diluted.

See post #5. The makers of SG give 10 minutes for the limit on aluminum.

 

[1MoreFord]

While I've never used Simple Green to clean a gun I used to use a detergent based aqueous parts washer to clean my pistols back in my competition days. They had to be cleaned and dried quickly and quickly lubed down or they would rust away. Based on that experience I'd be very careful using Simple Green or anything similar.

 

[HGUNHNTR]

I use un-cut Simple Green on AR bolts. No problems, and cleans them up well.

 

[Bob N. Weave]

Simple Green

In the AGI DVDs Robert Dunlap is using SG to clean dis-assembled firearms which are then rinsed, dried and lubed immediately. It is not used as a substitute for bore cleaners, rust preventatives, etc.

 

[OilyPablo]

I know this thread is old, I searched on Militec to see what the thoughts are on the lubricant and this thread popped up. I wanted to weigh in on Simple Green and some comments - firstly the OP called Militec a "Designer cleaner". I didn't see where the company makes a cleaner. Only the oil and the grease.

As for Simple Green, not a standard gun cleaner, but yes it does have a place in cleaning a variety of guns. Simple Green neat and very hot water rinse is an excellent fairly non-toxic, non-flammable method of degreasing steel alloy and other alloys except aluminum and painted surfaces. It works great for this purpose, and with the very hot rinse, parts dry rapidly and are ready for a new lube or coating.

 

[Shaq]

I watched a gunsmith on a video clean guns with Simple Green and some other Citrus-Based cleaner, then dunk everything in water. Such products do degrease but I don't know how they work on actual carbon & other fouling. The gunsmith explained that he likes these cleaners because gun solvent "eats the skin off his hands." That's why I wear gloves when cleaning guns.

 

[M-Cameron]

meh....i just clean with whatever lube im using at the time......for years i cleaned my guns with 10w-30...works just fine.....

 

[Hillbillyz]

Back when mil surps were cheap and plentiful I used simple green to remove the layers of dirt and cosmoline on them. Cut right through that gunk. Then a normal cleaning with Hoppes.

 

[yugorpk]

I looked into making some homemade Ed's Red, but the materials ended up being almost as expensive when your time is factored in.

Transmission fluid - $4 a quart at Walmart
Kerosene - $18 a quart at Walmart
Mineral sprits - $8 a quart at Walmart
Acetone - $5 a quart at Walmart

The total is $35 for a gallon of homemade Ed's Red, that's $8.75 a quart.

There might be cheaper avenues to getting the chemicals. I probably have a quart of Dexron III in the garage. Where does one get the chemicals cheap?

Your'e paying $18 a quart for kerosene? I can get a 5 gallon can for less than that.

 

[Sunray]

"...and YouTube channels..." You Tube is not the place to learn about firearms. You Tube is Latin for Bubba.
Simple Green is ok as a degreaser, but it doesn't do squat for carbon or lead or copper.
"...Save the Simple Green for cleaning your barbecue..." BBQ's are made of Al.

 

[22-rimfire]

Simple Green.... only black powder guns for me. Simple Green is hydrogen peroxide based and will corrode/oxidize aluminum. So if you use it with or on aluminum, rinse off pretty quickly.

I do really like Simple Green. Probably have 10 gallons of the concentrate in my garage right now.

 

[OilyPablo]

H2O2?

Really?

http://simplegreen.com/data-sheets/

 

[yugorpk]

Simple Green.... only black powder guns for me. Simple Green is hydrogen peroxide based and will corrode/oxidize aluminum. So if you use it with or on aluminum, rinse off pretty quickly.

I do really like Simple Green. Probably have 10 gallons of the concentrate in my garage right now.

It's not H2O2 based. It is made of Tetrasodium glutamate, Ethoxylated Alcohol, Sodium Carbonate , 2‐butoxyethanol and mostly water with a little color , a few preservatives and some fragrance. Given time to work it WILL remove blueing and dissolve aluminum..

Its basically what used to be called washing soda with a few extra solvents.

 

[22-rimfire]

Gee whiz.... all this time I thought it was hydrogen Peroxide based. Still cleans really well.

 

[Tirod]

Makes you wonder what the gun owner cleaned his guns with before putting them up for a year: http://www.randomgunstuff.com/articles/how-do-you-store-your-guns

I have my doubts about parts of the story, but it does look like a water based caustic cleaner was left sitting under the grips that ruined the SIG.

 

[RA40]

I wouldn't consider using this stuff. Hoppes #9 has worked well that it is my go to. I don't particularly like the smell so following the metal parts are cleaned with a metal cleaner/degreaser that evaporates without any aroma residue. Then oiled/greased.

Thanks to a bicycle nut that suggested this long ago. Definitely use this in a well ventilated area with chemical gloves:
http://www.whitelightningco.com/products/degreasers/clean-streak

 

[stchman]

Makes you wonder what the gun owner cleaned his guns with before putting them up for a year: http://www.randomgunstuff.com/articles/how-do-you-store-your-guns

I have my doubts about parts of the story, but it does look like a water based caustic cleaner was left sitting under the grips that ruined the SIG.

I have a hard time believing that all that damage was done in a year being in a lock box with foam padding. The amount of corrosion would take a LOT longer than that unless it was stored in a humid salty environment.

 

[Tirod]

Exactly the point - the owner "cleaned" his guns and stored them. Nothing other than the type cleaner seems to be the probable cause.

The corrosion under the grips would be the result of hosing down the gun in Simple Green, then wiping it down and storing it wet under the grips. Having torn down a 1911 or two in the day, I would find pitting under the grips of some, and having shot them in wet weather, moisture would weep in by capillary action. The guns would be wet where the grips touched the frames.

Since SG is known to corrode aluminum a good dose of it left to sit under the grips seems to be a potential culprit.

Anyone using a water based cleaner needs to be aware: Every crevice where two mating parts touch is a trap for any fluid, and a solvent that can displace water would be highly recommended to flush it out. Which is the only reason I can see someone using WD40 - that is exactly it's intended purpose.

Rather than fall down the rabbit hole of using a series of poor choices, it would be better to just use gun oil and leave well enough alone. Guns don't get that dirty that some lube and elbow grease can't clean them up - including M16's. It was all we ever had in the service - CLP and the tail of the t-shirt you were wearing, for the most part.

 

[stchman]

Your'e paying $18 a quart for kerosene? I can get a 5 gallon can for less than that.

The recipe for Ed's Red calls for K1 kerosene which costs more. I believe it is the low odor kind.

I just buy Hoppe's #9 in the quart bottle.

I find it amazing that people will find ways to make the cheapest gun cleaner but pay $16 an oz for some boutique gun oil.

 

[Baron_Null]

I've cleaned my Romanian Tokarev with simple green before. Just checked under the grip panels, and there's no rust to be found.

A few caveats, though.

I spritzed on a diluted solution, then after a brief scrub with a toothbrush, I immediately rinsed it under off with generous amount of hot tap water. The simple green didn't stay on the metal for more than maybe a minute. After the individual parts (field strip) were clean, I rinsed under boiling water, and dried the parts off using a rag and a can of compressed air. After the gun was completely dry, I put a light coat of oil over every surface I could. I also live in a very dry climate, so any remaining moisture that might have missed would have quickly evaporated.

Regardless, I don't see the need for regular cleaning using simple green. I used it on my Tokarev because I had shot an exceptional amount of corrosive surplus in it, and it had a small amount of factory cosmoline in it. My CZ83 could probably use it, but that's also surplus. The main advantage I see in cleaning using simple green is primarily as a non-toxic (to my knowledge) alternative to non-chlorinated brake cleaner or gun scrubber in that it strips almost all oils and grease off the surface of the gun, but unlike brake cleaner it won't melt my contact to my eye if some makes it passed my safety goggles.

It's a decent carbon remover if you scrub enough, but it's a fantastic degreaser.

 

[rodinal220]

Works well on Black Powder guns.

 

[Sav .250]

For what ever reason folks seem to dabble in the off the wall "lets try this."
Some work well. Some, well they just either blow up in the garage or
do nothing. Are folks just trying to save a buck ?


My stuff is important to me. I`m not about to try something cause somebody said. No disrespect to anybody intended.

I only use time tested stuff. Can`t go wrong with that. Especially when it comes to weapons..................

 

[Shaq]

For what ever reason folks seem to dabble in the off the wall "lets try this."
Some work well. Some, well they just either blow up in the garage or
do nothing. Are folks just trying to save a buck ?


My stuff is important to me. I`m not about to try something cause somebody said. No disrespect to anybody intended.

I only use time tested stuff. Can`t go wrong with that. Especially when it comes to weapons..................

LOL. Probably the "Greener Grass" thing.
Or, "Different means better."
Or, "Feelin' really smart 'cuz ya saved a dollar or two.

Well, here's a tip that works. After cleaning my gun with regular patches, when it's lube time, I use folded pieces of "Brawny" or "Bounty" paper towel. They're actually tough enough to go through the barrel without tearing. A couple of times when I ran out of patches, they worked with solvent. And, for the slide rails, a piece of paper towel with a bit of Break Free over the small toothbrush bristles works great.