Use Brake Parts Cleaner?

[.38 Special]

I only use break cleaner on muzzel breaks.

(Sorry. Couldn't help myself.)

I do use brake cleaner on guns. I guess I'm old school. Or just old, anyway. I started using it because I once tried Gun Scrubber, was happy with the results, and noticed that it looked, smelled, and behaved exactly like the brake cleaner I used on my motorcycles but cost - at the time, anyway - three times as much. I haven't priced the gun-specific stuff in years so maybe it is more in line with Wally World brake cleaner prices these days, but the Wally World stuff is easily available and continues to work fine, so...

 

[tws3b2]

^^^^^^^^^ What he said.
I believe the common denominator you will find with guys that use brake cleaner on guns is that they are old (school). Nothing wrong with that but we do live in the 21st century where gun cleaner and gun lube are readily available.

Yes, I'm old school. Very old school.
But, New school. 21st century school? In a small town where there is nothing but Plenty of empty, closed, no longer in business stores and one Walmart that sells plenty Chinese junk and no gun scrubber but manages to have room for a can of break parts cleaner and a can of carb cleaner. Plenty of first hand experience above that says it works and works well.

 

[Tirod]

I wouldnt let it near any painted, plastic, rubber, or varnished wood. It can remove paint and varnish, and cause plastics and rubbers to swell, discolor, and crack.

That said, its a good grease and carbon remover. Generally, I keep it away from firearms especially newish ones with plastic guts.

There are two kinds of brake cleaner, chlorinated, and non chlorinated. The first will take paint off cars, and is no longer recommended, along with being toxic over long term use. About all you can easily find now is non chlorinated, which is safer for paint and plastics. It evaporates faster than the solvent can break down polymer chains. It's the recommended stuff. If can smell like cat urine. I haven't found chlorinated on the shelf in years.

When it really really needs to get cleaned, brake cleaner does a job, leaving a completely oil free finish that is ready to combine with humidity and immediately start rusting. I've seen brake rotors do it in less than an hour - tech tip, don't grease your rotors, grease the FERROUS parts of your firearm.

Those are getting rare these days. Nitron over stainless on a polymer grip, don't go overboard. A lever action, I wouldn't even try to disassemble. Gun Blaster to the rescue.

 

[crestoncowboy]

The first will take paint off cars, and is no longer recommended, along with being toxic over long term use. About all you can easily find now is non chlorinated, which is safer for paint and plastics. It evaporates faster than the solvent can break down polymer chains. It's the recommended stuff. If can smell like cat urine. I haven't found chlorinated on the shelf in years.

We keep both. But most People grab the red crc which is chlorinated because they think it does better...... It's in most any shop and any parts store around here. I get mine from grainger personally by the case. (Green crc is non-chlorinated but also flammable) my lift and jacks are all painted (to match) the chlorinated has yet to harm the paint (or plastic or rubber) on anything I've ever gotten it on and it does stand on the lift and jacks. I wouldn't spray it on a car on purpose but I promise you that some guys use it liberally. Even the kids who rattle can paint their calipers and I've never seen any damage to caliper paint, coil spring paint, painted shocks/struts etc etc. I do buy the green crc and personally don't think it cleans any less. Unfortunately I live in the south where the roads are treated all winter and everything requires a torch (especially a bleeder that hasn't been turned in 20 years because noooobody actually flushes or changes brake fluid like they recommend it to be changed. Not around here anyway) to get loose so the green is usually not as useful.

Brake fluid (dot 3, 4, or 5.1. Not sure about 5 which is a different base) on the other hand will eat paint. Even powder coat if left on it.

Again I use brake clean in my shop. Not guns. I use gun blaster or similar sometimes, But usually just use a clp and a brush and a boat load of rags. Im on radco at the moment because I bought a few gallon cheap but ive seen little difference in the clps. I dont tend to let my guns get all that bad either.

 

[HankC]

Rubber and polymer maybe used at places that you don't visually see them such as under AR extractor. Maybe solvent resistant but I don't want to find out.

 

[Zerodefect]

I see little reason to use strong solvents at all. Every pistol I've owned has only been cleaned with oil. My rifles don't appear to have any appreciable fouling.

I shoot only FMJ. No lead. Maybe that's why?

 

[Elkins45]

Brake cleaner, carburetor cleaner,, and electrical contact cleaners are a big NO NO for any wood, plastic, or rubber parts. And it doesn't matter if they are NON Chlorinated or not.

There are a lot of plastic parts in modern carburetors, at least the ones in my mowers, trimmers, chain saws, etc. I wouldn’t be afraid to use carb cleaner on modern polymer guns, but I completely agree about wood. Most of those aggressive solvents do bad things to wood finishes.

 

[12Bravo20]

There are a lot of plastic parts in modern carburetors, at least the ones in my mowers, trimmers, chain saws, etc. I wouldn’t be afraid to use carb cleaner on modern polymer guns, but I completely agree about wood. Most of those aggressive solvents do bad things to wood finishes.

While newer non chlorinated carb cleaner is perfectly safe for most plastics and rubber, I would still be cautious about brake cleaner. And I absolutely would not use any type of electrical contact cleaners on rubber or most plastics.

 

[Elkins45]

Based on the smell most of the non-chlorinated carb cleaners I’ve used are mostly toluene.

 

[tws3b2]

Based on the smell most of the non-chlorinated carb cleaners I’ve used are mostly toluene.

Toluene I hate with a passion. I had to work around the stuff some years back. I'm allergic to it. If in break parts cleaner it has not bothered me yet. But now that you said that. I'll probably start itching every time I see a can.

 

[danez71]

Yes, I'm old school. Very old school.
But, New school. 21st century school? In a small town where there is nothing but Plenty of empty, closed, no longer in business stores and one Walmart that sells plenty Chinese junk and no gun scrubber but manages to have room for a can of break parts cleaner and a can of carb cleaner. Plenty of first hand experience above that says it works and works well.

If your in Asheboro...

Available for pick up today - Asheboro, 1226 E Dixie Dr

$5.45
Birchwood Casey Gun Scrubber Firearm Cleaner - 10 Ounce Aerosol



https://www.walmart.com/ip/Birchwood-Casey-Gun-Scrubber-Firearm-Cleaner-10-Ounce-Aerosol/185565132

Asheboro looks like a pretty area, imo. Old town with charm beats concrete jungle with weekly less than peaceful protests, also imo.

 

[Basura Blanca]

Isn't modern brake cleaner just acetone with a propellant? That would be my reason not to bother with it on guns. In "the old days", brake cleaner contained trichlorethylene which was what was used in vapor degreasers and actually worked.

 

[MechAg94]

The only time I have used stuff like gun blaster or brake cleaner was to clean packing grease/oil off magazines (AK) or get to areas that are hard to reach. That stuff comes in handy sometimes, but I don't use it often.

I hesitate to use it mostly as it seems to strip every bit of oil or lubricant off the metal. I am always concerned it will affect lubricant in places I can't easily replace it. Rarely are my guns so dirty I think I need more than normal gun solvents/CLP and a cloth to wipe.

I recommend making sure you wet surfaces with some sort of gun oil after cleaning. That has been mentioned above as well.

 

[zdc1775]

Isn't modern brake cleaner just acetone with a propellant? That would be my reason not to bother with it on guns. In "the old days", brake cleaner contained trichlorethylene which was what was used in vapor degreasers and actually worked.

For Brakleen that's basically what it is.

Excerpt from the MSDS for CRC Brakleen
"3. Composition/information on ingredients Mixtures
Chemical name Common name and synonyms CAS number %
Acetone 67-64-1 80 - 90
Carbon dioxide 124-38-9 10 - 20
Toluene 108-88-3 1 - 3
Specific chemical identity and/or percentage of composition has been withheld as a trade secret."

http://docs.crcindustries.com/msds/5151.pdf

 

[rjk2475]

Years ago I gave up brake cleaner and acetone and use kerosene and/or mineral spirits on SAs, trigger groups, and pistol slides.

 

[lsudave]

There are two kinds of brake cleaner, chlorinated, and non chlorinated. The first will take paint off cars, and is no longer recommended, along with being toxic over long term use. About all you can easily find now is non chlorinated, which is safer for paint and plastics. It evaporates faster than the solvent can break down polymer chains. It's the recommended stuff. If can smell like cat urine. I haven't found chlorinated on the shelf in years.

My son came back from either Autozone or O'Reilly's with a couple cans of RED CRC Brake Cleaner, which I understand is chlorinated. I forget which shop, but one of them have both RED and GREEN on the shelf. The green is non-chlorinated.

Rarely are my guns so dirty I think I need more than normal gun solvents/CLP and a cloth to wipe

I have bought both used and surplus firearms. Some were caked in cosmoline, others appeared to have been stored in ashtrays or cat litter boxes. A few seem to have both.

For something like this, I've found a can of non-chlorinated brake cleaner is the absolute best option, as long as you follow it up with a lube option. For (metal) pistols that are grungy as heck and I don't want to detail strip, I hose them out with brake cleaner, then spray a light oil (like Remoil or Ballistol), and then hit it with some compressed air. Leaves everything nice and oiled, without a heavy coat.