Just refinished the flats...how do I clean the whole gun?

[sneather]

I have an old Smith 4506 Stainless. Long ago, I had smooth polished the flats on the slide & frame. Just yesterday I decided to brush those polished surfaces. I of course totally stripped the frame and slide of all their components. There is one exception - there are two retaining plungers that are part of the firing pin block safety system, in the receiver. To get them out, I would have to pound out the fixed rear sight, and I would rather not.

So...what's the best way to clean the frame and slide of all the sanding particulate? It's not like I can just run the thing under water. Do I need to soak the parts in a can filled with some kind of solvent? Oil?

Thanks!

P.S. The only reason I elaborated on the parts that I can't take out, is that one of the little plungers is nylon, or some kind of polymer. Don't know if a long soak in something nasty will eat away at that?
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[rcmodel]

It's not like I can just run the thing under water.

Why not?
Hot soap & water will not harm it in the slightest.
Just dry it with a hair dryer and relube it when you get done.

To get them out, I would have to pound out the fixed rear sight, and I would rather not.

If you actually have sandpaper grit inside the slide safety plunger holes, I would highly recommend taking the sight out, completely stripping it, and doing a very through internal cleaning.
One grain of sand left in the wrong place could ruin your day.

rc

 

[sneather]

Thanks, RC.

I should have phrased the running water question differently. Considering the tenacious nature of ultra-fine, oily metal and abrasive residue, will normal soap & water be enough to attract the material away from the nooks & crannies of the parts?

As for stray particles. You are quite correct, and I'll consider that. But I've had some ultra-strong tape masking off some of those areas. Also, the two plungers in question sit proud of their respective holes, with no gaps to speak of. So they would have to be pushed in and held in order for foreign material to get in there.