Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Cleaning the OUTSIDE of a stainless rifle

I recently bought a Winchester model 70 classic stainless and would like to clean it up a bit. It has a few small scratches on the bottom metal and trigger guard along with what looks like normal hunting grime. Is there any product that works well for cleaning up the outside of the barrel and bottom metal that won't be detrimental to the stainless finish? I've googled it and come up with a few possibilities but would like to hear some first hand experiences. Thanks.

Flitz Metal Polish works well on stainless.

I am sure you will hear lots of good ideas and there is some variation depending on how gloss your SS finish is.

What ever you choose finish off with a rust preventative, just because its stainless doesn't mean it can't rust.

Ive cleaned stainless using bore cleaner like Hoppes 9 or Sweets 7.62.....light coat of oil afterwards....

I'd clean normal hunting grime with mineral spirits followed by oil. The small scrapes and scratches will need to be bead blasted and pacified.

I just wipe mine down with Eezox. If you want to get rid of light scratches, and such, have a local smith re-bead blast your rifle with 400grit media or glass beads. It shouldn't cost much, and your metal will look like new.

I am one of the old guys, and I have used Hoppes #9 on just about everything for many decades.

It works!

donsm70

Brake cleaner followed by oil.

I actually think they look better dirty.

I think I was meant to be a farmer...

Eezox or Corrosion X is all you need, inside and out.

Eezox here as well.

Eezox.

I gave up and had mine cerakoted.

Flitz Metal Polish

I dont worry about the scratches nor worry about cleaning the outside unless it has blood or mud on the outside.
Then I wipe it off with a rag and some Hoppes 9 and then wipe that off and use oil unless I am putting it up for a long time then I use Grease to prevent rust.

I don't clean the inside and now i find out I gotta clean the *outside* too?

WTF, over?

Moderation in all things, including moderation.

+1 on the Flitz. Even use it on the Gloss Blue. Water just beads-up.

Ken

I just got my hands on a used. Ruger Hawkeye stainless in 30-06, It really needed a good cleaning. I used Ballistol on the outside and it worked well. FWIW