Gun Soak?
I used to lubricate the hammers and triggers on my handguns when I first bought them. Now I know that can gunk up the mechanisms. Should I soak my guns overnight in solvent just to be safe or am I being over cautious? What exactly should I do and with what?
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Lubricate as you use to do and wipe off the excess. A certain amount of airborne dust will always settle. The trick is to leave a LIGHT film of oil/silicone protecting the metal surface.
BTW: Personal preference, WD-40 is great for door hinges. Buy a good GUN oil for your weapons.
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A man who is in love with learning is a man who is never without a bride, for there is always more. L'Amour0 -
If you have an excessive build up of lubricant and gunk try brusing out with cleaner ... Hoppes No. 9 is actually pretty good. Then if it won't come clean there are a couple sprays and they do a very good job of blasting crud ... just do it in well vented area. Of course you could soak them but that is going to take a lot of cleaner, and again do it in a well vented are.
When clean use one of the light gun lubes.
If you only have time to do two things so-so, or one thing well ... do the one thing!0 -
Thank you for your help. I appreciate it. If I did soak my guns, would something like Simple Green do a good enough job. Would I just use it undiluted? Thanks again for your help! 0 -
Never used it, but have heard people say they have. I'd be inclined to try it on a "shooter" to find out ... but I would not try it out on any of my collection guns until I had tried it out.
Maybe one of the other members has some experience w/ it.
If you only have time to do two things so-so, or one thing well ... do the one thing!0 -
[:D] Found this online awhile back, havn;t got a chance to mix it up yet ,night be a good soup and not expensive,[;)]
Cleaner/Lube for Firearms
Courtesy of Greg Samplawski
Here is the formula for my cleaner/lube. It is cheaper to make than
buying any gun stuff I have found yet !! It will leave a light oil
film on metal and will displace water.
TO MAKE: 1 Gallon 4 Gallons
MIX:
Kerosene or Diesel fuel (40%) 2/5 (.40) Gal. 1-3/5 (1.6) Gal.
Mineral Spirits (40%) 2/5 (.40) Gal. 1-3/5 (1.6) Gal.
Marvel Mystery Oil (15%) 3/20 (.15) Gal. 3/5 (.60) Gal.
or 3/5 (.60) Quart or 2-2/5 (2.40) Quart
Rislone oil (5%) 1/20 (.05) Gal. 1/5 (.20) Gal.
or 1/5 (.20) Quart or 4/5 (.80) Quart
Use thickwall HDPE containers with tight fitting lids. I use buckets
from the local home center. Look for the HDPE symbol on the bottom
of the container. I have NO experience with any other type of
container. (HDPE= High Density PolyEthylene)
You can round up the numbers if you want. This is not rocket science.
Using 5 or 10 weight motor oil as a substitute for Marvel and Rislone
oil is O.K. It doesn't work as good but is a suitable substitute. I
use odorless Mineral Spirits. Marvel Mystery Oil and Rislone Oil is
usually available in auto parts stores.
EXAMPLE: Kerosene 45%, Mineral Spirits 45%, 5 weight motor oil 10%.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE:
REMOVE ALL GRIPS, STOCKS, SCOPES from the gun BEFORE USE !!! You could
test your rubber and plastic grips in a hidden spot to see how it
reacts. I remove the grips.
NO WOODEN GRIPS OR STOCKS. This stuff will soften wood finishes!
Not strictly necessary but, I wear rubber gloves to protect my hands.
This cleaner is meant for short term cleaning. I have dunked the whole
gun (without the grips) in this stuff and cleaned with no problems. I
have left BLUED guns in it for months with no problems.
For nickel or chrome finishes it is fine, no problems. DO NOT leave
nickel or chrome plated guns in this solvent for LONG periods of time
!! The red dye in the Marvel Mystery Oil will soak into the pores and
leave a yellowish cast to the finish. As I said it is fine for
cleaning nickel/chrome just don't leave it in the cleaner for 2 months
!!
Cleaning night sights is o.k. I haven't seen any problem with Triticon
etc.. Just don't leave the gun in there for marathon soaking sessions
over night. The solvent properties may loosen the glue. Soak for a few
minutes then, Clean it off right away!
Scopes definitely won't like being dunked in this stuff !! Just use
common sense.
I and others have soaked: old, new, blued, rusty, stainless, polymer
and bare steel in this stuff for over two years with no ill effects
other than the yellow stain on nickel or chrome finish mentioned
earlier. It has no effect on stainless steel I can see.
When the cleaner gets cruddy: I just let it sit and pour the cleaner
off the top into another container leaving the crud in the bottom. I
let the solvent evaporate off the crud and then dispose of rest
wrapped in newspaper in the trash. You can also dispose of used stuff
just like old motor oil, (NOT DOWN THE DRAIN !! ) take it to your
local used motor oil recycler. Most auto parts stores here in SO CAL
take used motor oil.
I have HAZMAT MSDS forms for those that really want to see them.
E-mail me: samplawski@home.com for address to send Self Addressed
Stamped Envelope.
For Makarov Pistols: I remove the grips, then soak the gun over night.
The next day a simple brushing and wiping and the gun is clean in
about 2 minutes !!!! NOW THAT'S WHAT I LIKE......
My 1911A1 pistols clean up just as easy. I use a long, narrow, shallow
plastic flower planter to soak my long guns. (without the wood
stocks/scopes, of course ! ) I have also used this to clean tools and
car parts !!! It leaves a light oil film on metal and displaces water.
I have HAZMAT MSDS forms for those that really need to see them. E-mail me at
samplawski@home.com.
or send SASE to:
GREGORY SAMPLAWSKI
8112 BLOSSOM LANE
LEMON GROVE, CA 91945
ATTENTION: CLEANING SOLVENT
Cleaning with hot water after shooting corrosive ammo
Why clean with water? The corrosive salts that are left as residue in your gun
after shooting corrosive ammo are water soluble, so you need to get those out
before you clean regularly.
Why clean with boiling hot water? Hot water dissolves the salts better and will
also evaporate from your gun faster, minimizing the risk of rust.
How do I do it? Put some water on the stove to boil; a few quarts should be
enough. Unload the gun, remove the magazine, field strip it, remove the safety
and the firing pin. Remove the grip. Do the rinsing outside, in a laundry tub,
or into a bucket. You don't want your spouse coming after you for messing up the
kitchen or bathroom sink. Use a pair of tongs or leather gloves to hold the
pistol to avoid scalding yourself. Pour the water liberally down the bore, into
the magazine well, on any magazines you used, into the firing pin hole, onto the
firing pin and safety, and into the inside of the slide. Let the parts drip dry
and evaporate on an old towel for a few minutes. Displace any remaining water
with WD-40 (note: "WD" stands for water displacement). Then clean the gun
normally with a good powder solvent and gun oil. Make sure you get the firing
pin hole clean, dry and *lightly* lubed. Reassemble. Check your gun every day
for a week for emerging rust spots.
Any additions to this list are welcomed via the feedback page.
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