CLP for cleaning?

[milemaker13]

I've always cleaned using hoppes#9 and regular oil.
Recently been thinking of switching over to newer products.
Is CLP (mfg by breakfree) as good as they would have you believe? I mean, clean, lube & protect all in one step?? I must have died and gone to heaven!

So, what say you? Also, I found it in a spray can.. does it also come in a drip bottle?

 

[DJW]

I got it in a plastic squeeze bottle and it works very well IMHO.

 

[boom boom]

I've always cleaned using hoppes#9 and regular oil.
Recently been thinking of switching over to newer products.
Is CLP (mfg by breakfree) as good as they would have you believe? I mean, clean, lube & protect all in one step?? I must have died and gone to heaven!

So, what say you? Also, I found it in a spray can.. does it also come in a drip bottle?

Depending on what you are using it for, I found that it works okay to remove carbon/powder fouling and parkerized finishes absorb it. Do not expect it to do much on lead or copper fouling. Little or no odor unlike Hoppes. It is also a decent lubricant and if used regularly can protect against rust.

The Break Free CLP Collector version has teflon in it which supposedly is left behind when the oil evaporates over time which makes it a little more costly. Have not noticed any gummy buildup which is also important if you leave firearms alone for a while.

Have no idea about the toxicity but it is probably no more toxic than Hoppes 9. Use the tube if you get the spray can and naturally it is a bit more expensive per unit for the convenience.

To do the all in one gig, CLP is not the best in any particular category but it is good enough for most usages. If you check the THR archives by searching for gun oil or cleaning, you will find a lot of comments as everyone has their favorites. Some like the commercial ATF/Motor Oil/grease route, WD 40, 3-1, and the like have its fans, some like the newest (and oldest) non-toxic gun cleaners/lubricants that use either mineral oil (Ballistol) or some kind of vegetable oils (whole bunch similar to Froglube). Some stick by the old stds. such as Hoppes, Butch's Bore Shine, and others like the new expensive hi tech stuff Hoppes Elite and its clone, and Militec, etc.

It is my secret shame that I have tried and used most (except for WD 40 and the like) of these items looking for Mr. Right CLP/gun lube. The truth is that most of them work pretty well (apart from full mag dumps or hunting in very cold temperatures). None of the all in ones are great at removing copper or lead fouling. That being said, I am currently using the SLIP 2000 products on trial for some old bolt actions (after thoroughly cleaning and degreasing them) and have been pretty impressed. I also give kudos to Kroil if you need a really fine penetrating oil or to help cut through old crud/rust spots.

 

[MidRoad]

Check out weapon shield. There's videos on youtube about it. It's a clp,but works better than break frees version

 

[JO JO]

I switched to weapon shield a few years ago , very good stuff they have CLP, a solvent if needed and a grease, the CLP works great smells great and safe on all materials and finish , I use it on my AR's handguns and rifles no issues at all , non toxic too ,

 

[hdwhit]

I don't know whether it is as good as they would have us believe. Over the years I seen it used, known people who used it and listened to their experiences. As many "jack of all jobs" products, it impresses me as being a "master of none". It clean, it will lubricate, it will protect your gun, but any better than what you're already using? I doubt it.

Hoppe's #9, Sears' equivalent of 3in1 oil and occasional dibs and drabs of motor oil or grease have worked well for me for 40+ years so I see no reason to switch.

 

[Rshooter]

I used breakfree on my m16 for years and was happy about the cleaning ability and lubricating ability. I use it for all the guns in my safe with the exception of grease on some spots on M1's and M1A's.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

I started as a gun owner on Christmas 1964 when I received a single shot .22 rifle at age 16. Recommended bore/action cleaner was Hoppe's No. 9 and lubricant/protectant was Outers Gun Oil. Both served my guns well for decades.

I was introduced to Break-Free CLP (cleaner, lubricant, preservative) by a family friend who served in the military for over 20 years (from the Invasion of Grenada 1983 thru winning a Silver Star in Afghanistan 2003 then serving as sniper trainer at Ft Bragg til retired -- when he spoke I paid attention).

For me Break-Free CLP has done a good job of cleaning actions and bores, lubricating actions and protecting metal surfaces from rust, in modern firearms with smokeless powder and non-corrosive primers. I think it is one of the better all-in-one products and a plastic bottle of it resides in the cleaning kit in my match bag (with a bottle of Windex used for preliminary cleaning of guns fired with black powder, BP substitute or corrosive military surplus ammo).

My home maintenance cleaning kit has Hoppe's No. 9 Gun Bore Cleaner for cleaning bores and parts exposed to powder fouling, with Hoope's Lubricating Oil and Mobile 1 motor oil for lube and protectant.

Hoppe's No. 9 does a better job on copper fouling than Break-Free CLP but it can do a number on the copper base coat for nickel or chrome finishes. The odor of Hoppe's No. 9 with hints of alcohol, kerosene and ammonia is unforgettable and always evokes good memories. Soiled patches with No. 9 will keep gnats away from your kitchen garbage can.

I confess that I have leftover amounts of 3-In-One Household Oil and WD40 that I use for wipe-on wipe-off cleaning before using lubricant or protectant oil. No point wasting long term lube/protector for wipe-on wipe-off cleaning. (Yes, Aunt Amanda's geneological research uncovered Scots in our family tree.)

 

[Slamfire]

It is worth reading about the formulation and logic behind "Ed's Red"

Homemade Firearm Cleaners & Lubricants

http://www.frfrogspad.com/homemade.htm

Like everyone else I have used many different brands and types of bore cleaners. I was lucky to buy gallons of Mil C 372, GI Bore cleaner, (at $5.00 a gallon) which according to this DTIC Report: IMPROVED RIFLE BORE CLEANER www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/748807.pdf is better for removing corrosive primer residue than gunpowder! GI bore cleaner is primarily kerosene, but you know, it does remove powder fouling. It is not good at all as an anti corrosion agent. GI bore cleaner needs to be wiped out before applying a good lubricant/anticorrosion oil.

These jack of all trade cleaners/lubricants/corrosion protection will work. But, I don’t see the great advantage. You should always wipe out the initial application to remove the powder fouling dissolved in the solution. You don’t want the mix to dry out in the bore and leave the gunpowder residue, as the gunpowder residue attracts moisture. Rust never sleeps! So after wiping off the used CLP, you should then apply clean CLP for the lubricant/corrosion resistance. CLP may keep you from having two bottles on the counter, (I have many more!) but I don’t consider that an insurmountable advantage. CLP is expensive, much more expensive as a lubricant than automotive oils, I have not priced out cleaners, but, following Ed Red’s recipe, you can make a very cheap gunpowder cleaner. Copper and lead solvents, I buy the expensive stuff.

 

[Geauga Bob]

I switched over to Frog Lube a couple years ago for both cleaning and lube of all my guns. Went through the initial ritual of applying it to all the metal surfaces, heating and wiping dry. Cleaning is now a quick and easy job, have not had any rust problems (nor do I expect to) and the stuff smells pretty good.

Bob

 

[FL-NC]

It is standard issue in the army (where I was for 23 years) and I don't think its that great. I would never use it for cleaning. I prefer to clean weapons with M Pro-7 solvent (unless its a total clunker like my franken-AR or a sks or similar- which I clean with carb cleaner) and lube moving parts sparingly with lithium grease. For a protectant I would use CLP if I had it, but since I ran out several years ago, I use whatever generic motor oil is on sale at auto zone, applied sparingly to a paint brush then spread on those exterior metal surfaces.

 

[JohnKSa]

In my experience, BreakFree CLP is a good cleaner, it's just really messy to use as a cleaner. Unlike more conventional cleaners which run off and/or evaporate, it tends to stay\ in place and has to be wiped off. As a result, at home I never use it as a cleaner. There are dedicated cleaners that are as good or better and that are easier/less messy to deal with.

I do keep a bottle in the range bag in case I want to put something in the bore to get a head start on cleaning before I leave the range, or in case I need to actually do some quick cleaning away from home.

 

[Deus Machina]

Not a huge fan of all-in-one products. Ones made for a single purpose universally fulfill that purpose better.
Used CLP on my new carry gun, and it will lubricate and protect as much as any thin oil, I figure. It's a bit thin and immediately started leaking out and needed a lot of wiping.
Think I'll go back to Hoppe's for cleaning and 10w30 to lube.

 

[Everready73]

I Use G96 CLP. It is what the military uses now. I use it for all my guns and have never had any issues. They all continue to work fine and no rust or anything.

 

[Jimmy Ward]

I clean all my firearms with "Yellow" Simply Green, wash under hot water and lube all metal parts and wipe them down. Also work like a charm in the PD's ultrasonic gun cleaner.

 

[Mr. Hill]

I've used CLP the last couple of years. It's been good for general cleaning and lubricant. But it doesn't do anything on copper and not much on carbon. I used hoppe's no. 9 last weekend on what was supposed to be a quick clean after a brief range trip. I had the number 9 close by and used it instead of the CLP, and the first patch came out bright green. 30 patches later, I finally managed to get the copper out. It took the entire second half of the Broncos game to finish cleaning it. So the CLP won't prevent or remove copper build up. And the application of Hoppe's elite a couple of months ago yielded globs of black carbon build up. I'll continue to use CLP, but I'll switch up to Hoppe's whatever for an occasional deep clean. JMHO.

 

[Middletown]

I was real happy with CLP when I used both the aerosol and plastic bottle on a Dan Wesson revolver I was trying to save as much of the original finish as I could (had been very neglected for a couple decades). Other products probably would have worked as well but CLP was what I had and used. It took some elbo grease and at least six weeks of wiping dry and re-applying CLP every couple days to get the results but again I was happy.

 

[treed]

G96 CLP, used by the military for all environments. Doesn't get any better.

 

[Sistema1927]

I used Break Free CLP for many years with no problems. A few years ago I switched over to FP-10, another really good CLP.

 

[Ignition Override]

Isn't CLP used by Marines in Basic Tng.?

A local, young Marine Reservist (gun shop staff), whose knowledge of AR malfunctions allowed him to work in their armory During Basic, indicated that they use it.

 

[Everready73]

Isn't CLP used by Marines in Basic Tng.?

A local, young Marine Reservist (gun shop staff), whose knowledge of AR malfunctions allowed him to work in their armory During Basic, indicated that they use it.

They do use it I believe. There army does for sure. Not the Breakfree brand though, G96 brand. It preforms better in cold temps

 

[JO JO]

The current safariland clp is not the same as the original breakfree clp, The newer safariland clp "new formula" maybe new owners ? is a different clp,
I also wonder if this change in formula is the reason the MIL-L-63460,NSN#,and NATO# is no longer displayed on the bottle labels.
there is many makers of clp products it simply stands for Clean Lube Protect = CLP

 

[Bbear]

Personal opinion is (and is just that from my experiences) that anything that tries to combine duties doesn't do many/any of them as well as one that is duty specific. There are a multitude of good products out there to get copper fouling out, clean out carbon and/or lead. Only time I want any type of oil anywhere near the inside of my barrel is when it's getting put up for an extended period without shooting. Then, before shooting, I'll run a bore cleaner (choose your brand) on a patch, run the brush through it back and forth then dry patch it.

As far as the military or any other government agency using a specific product, remember that they buy stuff from the lowest bidder.

 

[rskent]

I think it cleans OK. I wouldn’t call it a lubricant.