Using a Parts Washer to Clean Guns

[Cueball]

I have a 5gal parts washer complete with the pump and filter that I have used in the past for automotive parts cleaning. Since the rebuild of my engine and putting the car on the market for sale, I have no real need for the parts washer in its original role.

I was thinking about utilizing it to set up a cleaning station for my guns. My big question is... What to use for a cleaning solvent. I don't want to risk blowing myself up with it so I want something that would be safe to run thru that pump and filter system. A plus, but not absolute requirement, would be to utilize something that would also be polymer gun safe.

Any ideas as to an appropriate cleaner for this application???

 

[ilbob]

I use kerosene. But that might be a problem for plastics.

Someone once told me they were using diluted Simple Green, and that it worked fine. I am not sure I want to wash my guns in water.

 

[Leatherneck]

I use mine with a water-based emulsion cleaner to get the cosmolene off new MILSURPS, but other than that, I stick with conventional gun cleaning products aided by high-pressure air.

TC

 

[candr44]

Try mineral spirits or mix up some Ed's Red without the acetone

 

[jcinkc]

I use Slip 2000. Their Web site is http://www.slip2000.com/.
They sell parts washers for use with their product, too.

 

[Keith Wheeler]

I do a lot of car stuff (Brit car fanatic, MGs, Triumphs, Land Rovers) so my parts cleaner has old school kerosine in it. I do clean gun parts in there, but stuff like FAL mags and belt fed parts.

A word of warning with cleaners! I've used some citrus based degreaser. It works really good, particularly so if heated...BUT! I had some parts damaged leaving them in the cleaner long term, some kind of galvanic corrosion. Not sure about some of these other "alternative" degreasers.

 

[rustymaggot]

DANGER

DO NOT USE SIMPLE GREEN ON ALUMINUM!!!!!

i work on motorcycles and some info going around about simple green was that it damages aluminum. the story i heard(of which i have no documentation at the moment) was that the air force was using simple green to wash aircraft and the landing gears were breaking apart. anyway, just so you know, simple green is dangerous on aluminum.


i use plain old bbq lighter fluid on my guns to parts wash them. i use regular gun solvent to break up tough stuff and then wash the whole thing with the bbq lighter fluid. lighter fluid is cheap and its not too hard on the skin or lungs as far as ive found.

as far as polymers go i avoid them as much as i can because i prefer steel. i have no idea what lighter fluid will do to plastics.

 

[Trebor]

A parts washer is overkill for regular and simple cleaning. It is good for getting the cosmoline off of newly purchased mil-surps though. Other then that, I wouldn't use one for normal cleaning.

 

[JoeHatley]

I use equal parts Kerosene, Mineral Spirits, and Auto Trans Fluid.

Works great...

Joe

 

[Keith Wheeler]

DO NOT USE SIMPLE GREEN ON ALUMINUM!!!!!

i work on motorcycles and some info going around about simple green was that it damages aluminum. the story i heard(of which i have no documentation at the moment) was that the air force was using simple green to wash aircraft and the landing gears were breaking apart...

Can't claim to the accuracy of the air force story, but yes indeed simple green does bad things to aluminum. I think it says so on the bottle. Spray some on an aluminum can and see what happens...gotta be careful with that stuff around the Land Rovers (aluminum engines and bodies).