Sonic Cleaner for Gun Parts?

[BLJimmy]

On the one hand, it sounds like a good idea to use a sonic cleaner to thoroughly clean gun parts. However, I really worry about any water that would get trapped in some small space that would actually start rusting parts when you don't even realize it. Am I being paranoid? I also think that I have been cleaning gun parts conventionally for many, many years without problem, so maybe sonic cleaning is unnecessary. What do you think?

 

[hso]

Shops use ultrasonic cleaners for firearms all the time, but they blow dry the worst of the water off and the parts go back into a water displacing oil tank on the cleaner that removes the smallest deepest droplets of water to prevent this sort of problem.

Home users can get the same benefit by putting a small metal container with very light oil in their ultrasonic cleaner and leaving the parts for a longer time than a big commercial unit.

 

[ol' scratch]

I have used mine on a few of my firearms. It works really well on my Ruger Mark III. I spray it down with CLP after I finish the bath. I typically just use dish soap in the cleaner when I do wash it. I should also mention that the gun is stainless, but none of the steel parts show signs of rusting.

 

[Old Dog Man]

Ultra-sonic Cleaners

They work ok on most small parts, if the gun is dis-assembled. However they will not clean complete guns that have been under salt water like so many were during hurriicane Ike. There were many guns ruined because they were cleaned using sonic cleaners when the guns were not completly dis-assembled and cleaned by hand afterwards. Al

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

I use ours with the heat turned up to help in super fast drying. The fluid and parts being hot and the Arizona lack of humidity speeds things along rapidly. After they're dry, I quick like a bunny blast 'em with G-96 and let them sit in the open for a bit to let the solvent to evaporate, wipe 'em and then blast them again.

One thing to watch for though would be applied items like the colors applied to some sights in the form of "paint". Some combinations of heat, cleaning solutions and sonic agitation can loosen and remove these and grip emblems as well.

 

[B!ngo]

Though I think that dropping the parts in a cleaner filled with soapy and then clean water is fine, given that you can (compressed) air dry and then displace remaining water with some spray oil, my dentist showed me how I can fill the ultrasonic cleaner 1/2 filled with water, place the parts to be cleaned in a Baggie, and fill that up with some type of gun cleaner (I use SLiP 2000 carbon killer). Drop the SLiP-filled baggie in to the tank and vibrate to taste. The SLiP in the bag can be reused many times.
The water transmits the vibrations through the baggie, in to the cleaner with virtually no loss of energy. Result is no water on the gun parts, no gun residue on the ultrasound machine so that retainers, rings, watches can go in there later without getting gunked.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

Now, that's damn clever Bingo - thanks.

 

[BLJimmy]

Thanks for the info!