Finally tried cleaning with water...mixed feelings about it

[Packman]

So, after hearing from everyone that the best way to clean my revolvers was to use hot water and soap, I gave it a shot last night.

I used nice hot water, some Dawn dish soap, then dried everything off and put it in the oven for about an hour on 170 degrees, which is as low as mine will go.

I would say that cleaning with water is slightly easier than cleaning with solvents, because they make a larger external mess. I also liked being able to clean them inside without stinking up my apartment.

However, I found that after they came out of the oven, there was some very light surface rusting on many surfaces. Notably, the barrels had some light rust, as well as the hole on the cylinder for the cylinder pin.

It wasn't anything serious, and an oily rag took it right off, but does this happen every time? Can I avoid it? I didn't really care for this at all.

Incidentally, I noticed it was much easier to get the brass framed 1851 clean than it was to get the steel frame 1858 clean. Thought that was kind of interesting.

I'm not completely sold on the water thing, and I plan to double check and re-oil my guns tonight to make sure there's no lingering rust. However, I'll grant that it was a not-half-bad way to clean my guns.

 

[GENTLEMAN OF THE CHARCOAL]

'Kit' Carson showed up in Santa Fe one time to join a fur trapping expedition. (He was an 'experienced' mountain man at that point in his life) His rifle was so damned rusty they wouldn't let him join and accompany them carrying that rusty piece of deleted -- <Sam>. (he'd done wasted all of his money from his previous expedition) They issued him a new rifle and made damned sure he understood that the price for it would come out of his share of the profits. He agreed, accepted the rifle and went with them....

 

[Mr_Pale_Horse]

However, I found that after they came out of the oven, there was some very light surface rusting on many surfaces. Notably, the barrels had some light rust, as well as the hole on the cylinder for the cylinder pin.

I rejected hot water/heating long ago. Higher temperatures increase the formation rate of rust.

1. Clean in cold water.
2. Wipe dry.
3. Apply a water displacer, liberally (WD-40 for example).
4. Wipe dry with a clean dry cloth, shop towel, good quality paper towel.
5. Store in humidity control environment (safe, security cabinet).
6. Remove and inspect the next day, and monthly thereafter.

 

[Tommygunn]

I use hot water with Palmolive soap, but the water isn't so hot I can't touch it.
Also, I liberally apply a Rust preventative spray after I get through cleaning all the parts.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

I use water heated to near 180 degrees and Dawn dishwashing liquid. I scrub parts with a tooth brush and rinse in hot/warm clean water then liberally dowse with WD-40. Use the WD-40 in places that may hold water that doesn't evaporate. Wipe surface down with an oily cloth and you are done. no rust.

 

[ZZZ]

I use water, but not the oven. I use compressed air. Of course, I completely disassemble my pistols to clean them. there's crud everywhere, even under the grips. I soak the frame and cylinder while cleaning the small parts. A small air tank or compressor would be a good investment.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

I agree with ZZZ. I also blow out with compressed air to remove water and excess WD-40 and again after lubing to remove excess oil. Small compressors can be had for less than $100. They are well worth it IMHO.

 

[Spittin Lead]

i've tried this on an old tinker project and had great results. I've never tried w/ my nicer guns w/ a good finish.

After cleaning w/ soap and water, then rinsing in water do a quick bath or rinse w/ acetone. I just had a small container w/ a couple inches of acetone in the bottom. After cleaning i dropped all the parts in there sloshed it around some, pulled them out and let them dry(the acetone washes away water then evaporates very fast). It literally took only a matter of seconds for the parts to dry. Lastly i oiled everything up.

Overall it seemed very quick and efficient.

 

[wittzo]

I tried something the other night with my BP rifles. I didn't feel like putting the kettle on and making a huge mess.

Since BP is water soluble and Ballistol mixes with water, I re-use my cleaning patches by soaking them in a mix of hot water, dish detergent, and Castrol super clean. I rinse them and dry them out and they're almost clean. I forgot to rinse them the last time, I had them soaking in a plastic tub withe lid sealed on.

I decided to use them wet. I squeezed out the excess and used them to wipe my bore and dried the bore with dry patches. I had been using 777, Goex, and Shockey's Gold trying out each powder with different weights trying to work up a load in my rifles.

Not using hot water at all, the bores came out shiny clean just as if I had used boiling water. I didn't scald myself or make any mess at all. I ran a patch soaked in Ballistol afterwards.

Just now I forgot and I filled up my sink with hot water and dish soap to clean my pistols, but they're stainless. I only put a cylinder through them each, so I'm not even going to take the grips off, just dip the barrel and frame and wipe them down and swab the bore.

 

[Oyeboten]

When using hot Soapy Water to clean BP Revolvers...use plain HOT Water to final rinse, so the Revolver/p[arts are nice and Hot from the Hot Water, then dry everything ( Cylinder Bores, Barrel Bore, etc ) with Paper Towels and THEN use warmth or heat or a Space Heater or Sunshine...and there will be no hints of 'rust'.

Putting a wet, degreased Steel item into an Oven for frying, will leave light rust.

 

[Bluehawk]

Like many I use hot water...but not boiled on the stove...just hot tap water and dishwashing soap. I never put them in an oven...bad idea all around. I have a simple air compressor (has no tank) and after rinsing in hot water simply blow residual water off...then oil. Have been doing it this way for over 30 years. My CVA Kentucky rifle was never even blown out with the compressor for the first few years I used it...simply wiped dry inside and out and oiled...no rust of any kind has ever developed on it...I still have that rifle today!

 

[Cosmoline]

I also have mixed feelings about cleaning with water. It lowers the resistances! But I will take a seasonal bath.

Seriously, I use very very hot water, just short of boiling. It blasts loose the crud and evaporates quickly. This is followed by rag drying and, while it's still hot, application of bore butter so it melts into the parts and displaces any hidden water. I then wipe off the extra bore butter. Seems to work good even on in-the-white firearms.

Using the oven seems like an invitation to rust.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

The NMLRA did a test many years ago, and found that hot water only speeded the formation of rust.

I rejected hot water/heating long ago. Higher temperatures increase the formation rate of rust.

1. Clean in cold water.
2. Wipe dry.
3. Apply a water displacer, liberally (WD-40 for example).
4. Wipe dry with a clean dry cloth, shop towel, good quality paper towel.
5. Store in humidity control environment (safe, security cabinet).
6. Remove and inspect the next day, and monthly thereafter.

This is very good but NEVER NEVER NEVER use WD-40! FOLKS! it Shellacs, it hardens to a sludge, it is only slightly better than 3-n-1 oil (which turns to something near plastic). If you want to displace water, use 90% or better rubbing alcohol, then use a proper oil or other rust preventative.

Yes of course there are plenty of people who have used and will use WD-40, and they often service their guns. Fine, but leave them stored for a few months, especially with the stuff applied to internal working parts, and you're in for a nice cleaning treat just to get them functional. In the past I worked part time in a gunstore, and in the Spring I was always busy cleaning the guts of guns that had been stored with WD-40 for a couple of months or longer, and the stuff had turned to goo. You'd have better luck using olive oil.

Ballistol was first meant for BP cartridge guns, so the story goes, please switch to something like that!

LD

 

[kanook]

I do the same as posted by Cosmoline.

The only time I notice a light rust was when I changed bore butter. Switched back and no problem.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

This is very good but NEVER NEVER NEVER use WD-40! FOLKS! it Shellacs, it hardens to a sludge, it is only slightly better than 3-n-1 oil (which turns to something near plastic).

Oh,for Heaven sakes! Old rumors never die they just keep getting trotted out and paraded as fact over and over,no matter how many times they have been debunked! Use WD-40 after hot waterr cleaning. That is what it's made for! Do not blame a product for the poor maintenance practices of others.

 

[Mr_Pale_Horse]

WD-40 is composed of:

solvent naphtha petroleum, medium aliphatic, > 60%
petroleum base oil as paraffinic distillate, heavy, solvent-dewaxed (severe), 15% to 25%
corrosion inhibitor unregulated, < 1% to 10% <
wetting agent unregulated, 1% to 10%
fragrance unregulated, 0% to 1%
carbon dioxide, 2% to 3%

What any of that means -

Good - It will displace water moleculee at metal water boundaries.

Bad - Lubricating performance and oxidation stability are relatively poor.

So, repeating from above,

4. Wipe dry with a clean dry cloth, shop towel, good quality paper towel.

Dry means dry, no liquid anything left behind, water or WD-40.

As for lubrication, hoppes gun oil prior to USE (lock/moving parts only), not after use or cleaning.

I do not store my guns oiled (I have environmentally controlled storage.) My current storage cabinet has been in use for 21 years without issue (zero rust found on monthly inspections). I keep 6, custom desiccant bags (4"x11.3") in the cabinet as a backup.

P.S. WD-40 can damage latex based elastic, dissolve and displace oils and greases, dissolve wax, penetrate lens coatings, and other unintended consequences.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

Dry means dry, no liquid anything left behind, water or WD-40.

+1

I do not store my guns oiled

Also +1

 

[jimmyraythomason]

P.S. WD-40 can damage latex based elastic, dissolve and displace oils and greases, dissolve wax, penetrate lens coatings, and other unintended consequences.

I never had any of this to happen but then I don't spray it on cameras,in my ears or on my underwear.

 

[Jaymo]

WD 40 is great for drying out your distributor cap if it gets water in it.
I've used it for field cleaning smokeless powder firearms. Field expedient bore solvent. It sucks almost as badly as RemOil in the rust prevention department.
I don't use WD 40 on any of my blackpowder guns.
I've never had WD40 shellac or turn to goo. What turns to goo is the crap that people don't clean out of their guns before dousing them in WD40.
I've used 3 in 1 oil as a gun oil on many guns in the past. Never have I had one gum up or fail to function.3 in 1 oil is a good oil that gets an undeserved bad rap due to ignorance. If 3 in 1 oil were as bad as some think, there would be a lot of sewing machine and other small electric motors siezed and fried because of it.
The ONLY oils I've ever had that turned to varnish were ALL plant based oils.
That, and Quaker Sludge, back in the '80s-'90s.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

WD 40 is great for drying out your distributor cap if it gets water in it.

So if the rumors are true then why are you shellacing the inside of your distributor cap? Have you ever seen a distributor cap blown apart when the engine was cranked after drying the cap out with WD-40? I have. Staring fluid will do THAT particular job better and will evaporate fast so it the engine can be started much quicker than using WD-40. BTW,modern engines no longer use the distributors that are subject to moisture.

 

[Jaymo]

I've been a professional mechanic for over 20 years and NEVER seen a distributor cap blow apart period. I worked as an automotive mechanic for 5 years and got sick of working on the crap that passed for cars/trucks from the late '70s to the early '90s. I've been a forklift mechanic for the last 15 years.

I'm afraid you're mistaken in your generalization about modern engines not using distributor caps. Forklift engines still use distributor caps. Toyota uses the IIA distributor, the GM Vortec V6 used in several different brand lifts uses a GM distributor, Daewoo and Mitsubishi use Mitsubishi distributors. Nissans use a (Nissan, I think) distributor with Mitsubishi ignition modules.
Too many other makes to list.

There's no way in heck WD 40 is going to blow up your distributor cap. It's not that volatile compared to starting fluid or brake cleaner. Starting fluid and brake cleaner fumes will explode violently upon ignition. And the fumes can take a lot longer to dissipate than you may think.
The only explosive thing in WD 40 is the propellant.
WD 40 used to be a decent starting fluid, due to the propane/butane propellant gas, but it isn't worth a damn as a starting fluid anymore.
I've heard that the propellant gases are different than they were 20-30years ago.


BTW, I like Simple Green for cleaning my frontstuffers, Ballistol for wiping down the outsides, Break Free LP (NOT CLP) for the lockwork ,and either Bore Butter, or my home made patch lube for the bores.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

There's no way in hell WD 40 is going to blow up your distributor cap.

I beg to differ! I am a retired ASE certified mechanic with over 40 years experience and I can assure you that distributor caps can and will blow apart if you spray WD-40 or any similar into them then crank the engine. I have also used WD-40 as a starting aid on diesel engines.

 

[Jaymo]

Guess we're going to have to disagree, then. I've used it for that purpose many times and never seen it happen, nor heard of it happening.
Then again, I don't slap the cap right back on immediately after spraying it, either. I have enough sense to let the propellant gases dissipate first.
I can't say the same for a lot of customers. I've seen engine fires caused by customers dumping a quarter or more of a can of starting fluid into the throttle body of a TBI engine, a Caddy comes to mind, and one good backfire made it a crispy critter.
I never used any starting fluid on diesels. Toyota diesel engines are so reliable that we almost never have to work on them, except to drain or replace the fuel filters, or tighten a banjo fitting on a fuel inlet line.
I have used it in small engines in subfreezing weather. That was 20 years ago.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

The bottom line is use what you like and avoid what you don't. You don't have to justify it to anyone but yourself. FWIW,I just went out and verified that my Toyota T100 with 3400cc,24 valve engine does NOT have a distributor.

 

[Jaymo]

No, it does not. Neither does my '96 GT. However, the 3 Toyota 8FGCU25s that I tuned up yesterday do.
It uses the 4Y engine, the same as the Toyota "toaster" vans used, although, now it has ECS.

When I was a kid, 30 years ago, I used to use WD 40 and a lighter to kill bugs.

It works ok as a penetrating lube, but I like Kroil better.