Leaving gun parts in PVC capsule to clean

[HRnightmare]

Let me preface this post with the fact that I am anal-retentive about cleaning my guns. However sitting in my garage in the heat is not fun.

Someone recently gave me an idea. Taking a PVC pipe, capping on end and bputting a threaded cap on the other and filling it with gun cleaner, tossing my BCG's, suppressor baffles and other small gun parts in and sealing it off, than forgetting about it for several hours.

This would eliminate my desire to scrub and soak and scrub and soak for an hour plus.

My question is Wouldn't the gun cleaners degrade or eat through the PVC?

 

[SleazyRider]

For three or four dollars one could by an empty 1-gallon paint can at Home Despot with a resealable lid. I keep one half-filled with laquer thinner, and use it for small gun parts, clock parts, and an occasional carburetor. It's lasted me several years now. Depending upon the solvent, I suspect the PVC may dissolve a bit and maybe become suspended in the liquid.

 

[HRnightmare]

Yeah I guess a paint can would work. Solid advice. Thanks!

I was thinking PVC just because it could be sealed completely and made to different sizes for different things.

HOWEVER I was thinking the cleaner doesn't ruin the bottle it is stored in so I suspect it would not be an issue but I guess it could...but better safe than sorry.

 

[Drail]

If your solvent require hours to dissolve powder fouling you need a different solvent. I have been cleaning guns for 30 years and it has never taken more than 5 minutes to clean even a filthy handgun that has had 1000 rounds pumped through it. The only thing I use is a bottle of CLP, an M16 brush, a bore brush and a couple of rags. Shotguns and rifles will take a little more time. As far as "soaking" goes I just shoot my last magazine and get the gun hot and take a Q tip and mop some CLP on the breechface and chamber and bag it up and take it home. Once i get it on the bench most of the fouling will practically wipe off with just a rag. The longer you leave the filth in the gun the longer you will have to work to get it off.

 

[Kp321]

Brownells D'solve is a water based cleaner that would work well in PVC. It is not as aggressive as petroleum based cleaners but is safe and easy to use.

 

[HRnightmare]

I use powder blast to blow the loose gunk off and get into the caked on stuff than a brass brush dipped in hopes to scrub. However sometimes for a BCG from a suppressed SBR or suppressor baffles it either takes some heavy scrubbing and work or soaking.

I never said I NEED to use my desired soaking method but sometimes it's easier to drop them in and move on to something else and forget about it.

Last night I came home from shooting and had to immediately go out until late in the night. Today I am at work, it won't be until AT least 36hrs +/- before I can clean them. What I like,to do is hang the barrels/ uppers from a wire shelf and fill them with foaming bore cleanser. That helps get ALOT of gunk out. Then I'll do it,again when I am ready to completely scrub it just to get the gunk loosened up. If I could pull the BCG and baffles, and other small parts out of a solution and just,need to scrub a little bit and lube it would be preferred.

 

[rcmodel]

Mix up some of this.

http://handloads.com/articles/default.asp?id=9

rc

 

[oneounceload]

Depending on the part. a can of brake cleaner from Walmart for about $3 will get most of the various build ups off the gun immediately

 

[HRnightmare]

I went with the first reccomendation of buying an empty paint can. It eliminates my worry of dissolving PVC.

Now I just need to bare the expense of buying a large bottle of cleaner to fill it enough.

Like I said BCG's and suppressor baffles are my primary intended use...so I probably only need 1-1.5 inches full in a 1GAL can.

 

[rcmodel]

See post #7 on Ed's Red.

Cheap to mix up a gallon, and lots of folks swear by it!

rc

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I used Ed's, minus the acetone, in a plastic tote about the size of a shoe box for a parts soak.

 

[orionengnr]

Another vote for the Ed's Red. I'm still using the first batch I made up three years or so ago.

rc, thanks for the link to the original "Ed", and his article--as always, you are a font of knowledge. Good reading.
I have read a number of articles and references/recipes, but always good to go to the source.
FWIW, I use common auto diesel fuel in place of the kerosene.

 

[rcmodel]

Well, if diesel fuel works, more power too you!

But, for me?
No thanks!

I'll stick with the odorless kerosene / lamp oil.

Diesel fuel flat out stinks, and there is no washing it off once you get it on you or your clothes.

rc

 

[Bull Nutria]

1+to RC no diesel for me, 1 ml makes you smell like you took a bath in it!!

Bull

 

[Elkins45]

I soak stuff in a 50/50 mix of ATF and mineral spirits with good success.

 

[JWH321]

I'm cheap.

My wife occasionally has an old bread pan or an old cake pan that the coating is peeling off of. They make wonderful cleaning pans.

We buy coffee in the plastic container with a snap on lid. Absolutely the greatest for cleaning containers. I have several with everything from linseed oil to dishwashing detergent. I'm not sure about storing lacquer thinner in them though, never tried.