kerosene OK to clean gun?
OK, I know I should know the answer but is it OK to soak my steel gun parts in kerosene to clean them? Is it a decent solvent? I'm getting tired of scrubbing the crud off. Thanks.
Bruce
Bruce
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I wouldn't use it, not a very strong solvent. I use Gun Scrubber or brake cleaner for the metal parts and Blue Wonder or Hoppes for the bore. What problems are you having trying to clean the gun?
Love them Beavers
SUPPORT THE I.N.S. , THE COUNTRY THEY SAVE COULD BE YOUR OWN0 -
I wouldn't use gasoline or kerosene, instead I would follow kingjoey's advice and pick up some brake cleaner, carb cleaner works too, and try that if you are having trouble getting a bit of crud off.
_______________________0 -
Little note: Don't use any solvents near the stock, it will get damaged. If you need to detail clean the weapon, remove the action from the stock before proceeding.
Love them Beavers
SUPPORT THE I.N.S. , THE COUNTRY THEY SAVE COULD BE YOUR OWN0 -
I have a 5 gallon bucket with about 4 gallons of kerosene in it out in the garage for that purpose. It is slow to act, but cheap and not nearly as explosive as tri-clor based brake cleaners and gasoline. I just drop the parts in the the bucket in a wire basket and let sit for a while, swirling them arround occasionally. Even takes off the heavy grease for the most part that military rifles come packed in although it may take a couple days.
Why does everyone feel the need to burn that much powder?0 -
beantole,
I use a product called "Gunk". You can usually buy it at auto supply houses. Just follow the directions on the can. It will really cut years of caked on dirt and when your finished, it will wash off with water. After I wash the metal parts off, I lay them on a piece of aluminum foil and put them in the oven at about 200 degrees for 15 to 20 minute. Oil them immediately!
Taperloc.0 -
Beantole,
Kerosene works fine. There are many other things that work for different needs, but for simple cleaning, kerosene leaves an oily film and eliminates the need for panic immediate protection from rust. Kerosene is a major ingredient of Ed's Red, and he prefers the odorless type.
I advise that you keep the parts a little above the bottom of the bath, as water accumulates there somehow.
Cheers from Grayest California,
Ross0 -
I have used Kerosene for years, mostly on military guns with heavy cosmoline. It works just fine. You have to excersize a bit more elbow grease with a brush, but it is not nearly as flammable as a lot of others, which is a major concern if you do a lot of really heavy duty cleaning in the winter, like I do. It is inexpensive, re-usable up to a point, and like Ross said, the oil protects the parts from immediate rust. You can submerge the barrel in the kerosene and use a cleaning rod like a plunger to draw the kerosene into the barrel from the breech repeatedly to clean the dirtiest barrel. I also feel that it penetrates parts that are not easily accessable to protect them with an oily residue. Gun scrubber is great where you can lubricate later, but it does strip the metal of all lubrication, leaving it vulnerable to rust and corrosion in a fairly short time. I would use the gun scrubber type cleaners for small jobs where you can lubricate all the parts affected afterward, but for big ones, kerosene works just fine. Like KingJoey said, you are better off to remove the stock in any case.
Proud member of the NRA
If it ain't broke-it ain't ours!!!0 -
I have used Kerosene. It works well. Gasoline works better. Use both outside away from any possible ignition sources.
"...hit your enemy in the belly, and kick him when he is down, and boil his prisoners in oil- if you take any- and torture his women and children. Then people will keep clear of you..." -Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher, speaking at the Hague Peace Conf0 -
Well thank you all for the advice. I know brake cleaner & carb cleaner
work great but they are flammable, more expensive and strip off all lubricant. I do think they have their use though. However, I think the posts about kerosene here make a good case for using kerosene for someone like me who is in no hurry to clean his guns but just is tired of scrubbing and all the rest. Thank you all again for your input!
Bruce0 -
Hello
I may be a little late on this topic but I found that paint thinner works very well also and is also very cheap.
Fear the goverment that fears your guns!0 -
Diesel fuel works good also,just smells like a old big rig.
Dr.Evil
Two types of people drive old cars.Rich people because they want to and poor people because they have to.0
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