looking for an effective, reliable solvent

[Virg1L]

I've looked around at a few cleaning threads, but none have quite satisfied me. Therefore, I'm starting my own. If I missed one in my search, please redirect me and I'll delete this one.

I've been using hoppes 9 for a couple years now. At first when I was using to clean brand new guns it worked great. Would take about 5 patches and 15 min to get a clean barrel. However, after 3 years and several thousand rounds later, I'll run 20-30 patches, 4-5 boresnake pulls, and still spend hours on one gun while still have carbon coming out. I use bore brushes, snakes, and took one posters advice and let the hoppes soak for 15-20 min., still can't get it clean. I should make it clear I view my weapons as tools to be used and certainly don't coddle them, but I am worried about premature barrel wear and don't like the idea of carbon building up in my barrel.

I do have some break-free CLP but am hesitant to use it since I'm not entirely familiar with how it works. Do I soak it, do I leave in after cleaning or run a dry patch through then oil it?

Cleaning my weapons used to be relaxing and even enjoyable, but now it has become a long arduous chore I dread every time. If any of you would be so kind to recommend a solvent or convert me to CLP, it would be most appreciated. Thank you in advance.

 

[MEHavey]

Get some MPro-7 or KG-1 for powder residue.
They both use chelating agents to lift the carbon
I recommend the KG-1
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/753983/kg-kg-1-carbon-remover-4-oz

I also recommend a bore guide and cleaning from the breech.
That will stop most all barrel wear.

Run two soaked patches through ...and let it sit for 15 minutes. Then push a dry patch through and let it drop all the crud out of the muzzle. Run 2-3 more dry patches, but scrub them in the barrel big time before dropping out the muzzle.

Another soaked patch, then a soaked bronze brush cycled a dozen times. Let it sit again.

Push another patch through and drop it from the muzzle
Patch/scrub it out dry/clean at this point... probably 3-4 patches.

Lightly oil a patch with BreakFree, scrub it through the barrel, and walk away

 

[abq87120]

I use BreakfreeCLP mostly on Glocks. Glock recommends it as the cleaner and lubricant for them. So soaking should be OK. Glocks don't accumulate much carbon so I don't know how it will work for your guns.

 

[Virg1L]

thanks

Woohoo. I just ordered some mpro so it'll be the first I try out. Never thought to soak a brush, in fact I thought it would corrode it, or is copper solvent it's own product separate from no.9? Anyway, thank you for the replies. I'm off to work now so I'll check back in the morning. Thanks again, keep them coming.

 

[MEHavey]

Don't soak the brush. Just thorough wet it down w/ solvent before running it through the barrel that dozen times and then let the barrel sit soaking. (Few appreciate how much letting the solvent do its job solves the problem)

Rinse the brush under the kitchen tap (MPro7 is water soluable) to get the solvent off and shake it dry.

 

[Captaingyro]

Soaking both patches and brushes is problematic if you use the solvents straight from the bottle. Dipping a brush into the bottle contaminates the clean fluid in the bottle, and soaking a patch by pouring or dipping always seems to get you too much.

These flip-top bottles solve the problem.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/152757/tipton-flip-top-solvent-bottles-4-oz-package-of-3


Buy your solvents and cleaners in bulk, and transfer small quantities into the bottles. It's easy to dribble small amounts onto your brushes and patches, or directly into the bore and action. Also, the bottles are perfect for taking to the range.

 

[thump_rrr]

I've tried both hoppes and MPro7 and I wasn't impressed.
What I'm using now is Butch's Bore Shine and Sweets 7.62 for copper removal.
Butch's already has ammonia in it but nowhere near the amount Sweets does.

I have also tested many different patches and found that there are some patches that work much better than others.
I use pro shot 100% cotton flannel finished patches.

You have to know that powder fouling can get trapped in layers under copper fouling which is why I use a multi step process. This multi step process is long but it will lead to easier and less frequent cleaning in the end.

I start by passing 2 wet patches of Butch's and then let it sit for 5 minutes.
I then push another 2 wet patches through and let it sit for another 5 minutes.
I then brush with a bronze brush for 10 strokes followed by 2 more wet patches.
I then follow with a few dry patches.

I then pass a loose fitting patch through a plastic slotted jag.
I saturate the patch with Sweets 7.62 and run it back and forth through the bore for 1 minute.
If the patch turns blue and there is copper present I will then dry patch and repeat with Sweets till I get no blue.
If you are using a brass rod or jag you will always get some hint of blue.

I will then go back to the start and repeat this whole process till there are no more layers of either copper or powder fouling.

I then polish the bore using JB Bore Compound followed by JB Bore Bright which can be seen in the Brownells Video section.

You will notice that the next cleaning will have less fouling and copper than the last.
After about the 3rd time of using this whole process I no longer had any more copper and the fouling didn't even require brushing any more.

I now only clean the barrel on my precision rifle when accuracy begins to fall off.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

I use a product that I found at work called "Houdini"

http://www.superslickstuff.com/lubricant/Houdini-Lock-Lube.html

It's actually a lock lube but I watched a Facilities Maintenance guy use it on a sticky door at work one morning and was very impressed so I asked for a can and took it home and used a small amount to clean a gun.

It works best in small areas that you can’t normally get to and I watched it eat the carbon in the places I sprayed it on. I can’t speak to it’s effectiveness as a copper solvent but it will take the carbon off your guns

 

[MEHavey]

As far as copper removers go, I have to point the gentle readers to the actual test results:

http://www.jarheadtop.com/KG12_Test_Results.htm

Nothing -- absolutely nothing -- comes close to KG-12

 

[Virg1L]

wow

I mean wow. Thank all of you so much for the thorough information. I have much to do. Thankfully I had the forethought to buy bulk and use little at a time. I used a graduated cylinder which was great for putting my AR's piston in while I worked the barrel (cringe if you must, but I love my M8L). I'm curious though, with any of the solvents listed below, is there a risk of eating through rubber gaskets and O-rings?

Still looking for a layman's guide through proper usage of CLP, I know it's just my ignorance, but something just doesn't seem right about leaving the chemical that just cleaned your gun in as a lube.

 

[MEHavey]

Still looking for a layman's guide through proper usage of CLP...

Believe me.... Don't over anal-ize () the non-issue. BreakFree is the greatest thing since sliced bread as far as outstanding all-purpose do-all. I've been using it (not as a cleaner, but as a lube/preservative) since the mid 80s on everything but scrambled eggs. Just use it.

Only one thing better that I've discovered in all those years--and that was this year:
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/220438/steel-shield-weapon-shield-gun-oil-4-oz-liquid

 

[Virg1L]

clp analysis

You've discovered my weakness. As abq said I'll try it out on my glock first. Thanks again everyone. Gotta be back at work in 12 so I'm retiring for the day. I'll check back before i leave. Love this forum.

 

[Mike1234567]

I recently posted a thread about a stuck gas adjustment nut on a Baikal MP-153. I had tried CLP, Gunscrubber and even carb cleaner. After filtering through many suggestions I finally opted for PB Blaster and soaked it overnight. The next day the nut needed very little persuasion to break free. I worked the adjustment from fully closed to fully open a couple of times then rinsed it and soaked it again in PB Blaster. That 8 ounces of solvent was nearly black by them time I was done. I seriously doubt that shotgun had ever been cleaned and only filthy ammo was fired through it.

I can't speak for or against the other solvents but I, for one, am completely sold on PB Blaster.

ETA: But... this isn't bore solvent so I probably shouldn't have posted in this thread. Still, I'll leave it in case anyone can benefit from the info. Maybe it's good as a bore solvent too but I haven't researched that.

 

[Just Here to Learn]

The solvent that I have come to love is made by Barnes Bullets.

Although I don't know if they still make it, cause they sold out to the Wal-mart of gun manufactures but they had a product called CR-10.

That stuff was 100 times better then CLP and I use it religiously on all my weapons. I bought it bulk and I will be sad if I can't find it again when it comes time to buy.

anyway worth a look. it is dang good stuff.
Just my .02

 

[moxie]

Worrying too much.
First run a patch or two soaked with Hoppes #9 and let sit for 30 mins. Then, a few passes with a Hoppes soaked brush, followed by running a few patches through with Hoppes #9 will do the job well enough. Then run a few dry patches through. Then a mop with a few drops of any brand of oil. You're DONE. Doesn't need to be any cleaner than that.

 

[Virg1L]

hmmm

Moxie, I'm curious. When your final patches come out how clean/dirty are they? I certainly agree that guns don't need to be that clean, but this brings up the layers concept I read by Thump. I want to know if your way also clears out the copper fouling; more specifically, does the ol' no.9 act as a decent enough copper solvent on it's own?
For everyone else, I notice everyone is advocating patches, I'm curious as to how I could incorporate bore-snakes into the process, or if that would even be advantageous. I just love the idea of a washable, brush-sectioned, bore-hugger. Thoughts, gentlemen?

 

[moxie]

virg1l,

I don't use a bore snake. Never saw any advantage to them, unless for a quicky clean in the field. They're portable.

To answer your questions, patches come out a little dirty, but clean enough in my judgment. You can spend a lot of time with ever diminishing returns on this.

Copper. I do use Hoppes Copper Solvent in handguns once in a blue moon if I've been shooting tons of FMJs and some shows in the barrel. Never have in rifles.

Once in a while, if so moved, I might squirt some WD-40 (oh, the horror) or Break-Free CLP down the bore as a quick flush prior to actually cleaning, but only when really filthy such as after shooting a few hundred hard cast bullets.

The trick is to find the point of diminishing returns.

 

[788Ham]

Mike1234567,

This stuff sounds like a good cleaner, where is it available? I used carb cleaner on an old Rem. .22, did ok, just wondering if this stuff is really better? I can dis-assemble it and do again if this stuff is that much better. Thanks!

 

[Mike1234567]

I bought a gallon at Advance Auto Parts for less than $40 after tax. It came with a compatible quart-size spray bottle too.

 

[FROGO207]

Yep I have used PB Blaster for at least 15 years and it has done some near to impossible things with rust removal/cleaning. Just watch it with plastics and rubber, it does eat/dissolve some of them completely. I will use it with the Hoppes #9 in an alternating back and forth cleaning/soaking/scrubbing until the patches come clean. I also have had some success with Zep 45 rust penetrating oil but PB Blaster still works the best for ALL my firearms needs.

 

[tnxdshooter]

For cleaning and penetrating none better than kano kroil from my experience, as far as rust preventatives none better than eezox in my opinion, as far as grease goes I use rig grease. There ya go that should cover all genres.

 

[788Ham]

Thanks FROGO, I'll go get some and try it, sound like this might work better than what I've got.

 

[roadsidesaint]

I gotta say to everyone in this thread, as a smith that cleans about 4 guns a day usually, I strongly recommend frog lube. I used hoppes 9, break free, MPro7, kroil, and so many others for years. None of them can even get close to the cleaning and lubrication you get from frog lube. don't take my word for it. Try it yourself. I didn't believe it until I cleaned my whole collection with hoppes. Once I was getting clean patches out of the bore, I started with frog lube. This stuff, which has no foul smell, and no harmful chemicals, which is quite important to someone who handles it enough, produced patches that were nearly black. Again, don't take my word for it. It's sold on brownells now, so go get a small bottle! You will NOT be disappointed!

 

[tnxdshooter]

I gotta say to everyone in this thread, as a smith that cleans about 4 guns a day usually, I strongly recommend frog lube. I used hoppes 9, break free, MPro7, kroil, and so many others for years. None of them can even get close to the cleaning and lubrication you get from frog lube. don't take my word for it. Try it yourself. I didn't believe it until I cleaned my whole collection with hoppes. Once I was getting clean patches out of the bore, I started with frog lube. This stuff, which has no foul smell, and no harmful chemicals, which is quite important to someone who handles it enough, produced patches that were nearly black. Again, don't take my word for it. It's sold on brownells now, so go get a small bottle! You will NOT be disappointed!

I did try it. Worked nowhere near as well as kano in my experience.

 

[Old Dog Man]

Cleaning Soolvents

In my almost 50yrs of gunsmithing and cleaning guns, the best, quickest, and easiest copper remover is Bore-Tech and it contains no ammonia. The copper removers with ammonia in them is very corrosive and will damage your bore and other parts if not totally desolved. Barnes CR-10 has 10% and Sweets has 7.65% stopped using them when I discovered Bore-Tech. (Brownells.Com) Al