Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Gun Cleaning Products

Since we're throwing things out willy-nilly.

Butch's when things aren't awful. Wipe out several days/nights in a row when they are. JB for "basket cases".

I still keep a big bottle of Hoppes around for cleaning semi-auto shotguns as it's a great nitro-solvent and a lot less expensive than others.

Approximated the Ed’s Red concept with stuff that I had readily available.

I just tried some products from KG Industries and was very impressed. I used KG-1 carbon remover, KG-2 bore polish, and KG-3 cleaner /degreaser. Bores cleaned up quickly and were bright and shinny when checked with a borescope. I have used butchs, bore tech, wipe-out patch-out, J-B"s bore paste in the past with decent results as well. None of those seemed to work as quickly as the KG industries products though.

Like ed’s red for rimfire, cast rifle/revolver, and shotgun bores. Also thorough cleanings of old gun finds. Be careful with camo finishes, though, such as newer shotguns. Ed’s may eat/loosen it. I like that not only does it perform excellently, but never run out.

Montana extreme for jacketed centerfire and pistol bores. Wipe Out if, again, old used gun find’s first thorough cleaning.

Ballistol for above for general lube/wipe downs, except semiauto shotguns actions, for which prefer “whatever” oil.

Ed’s red on bores, and clenzoil generally, on fine doubles, levers, etc.

Old west snake oil, while sorta similar to clenzoil or ballistol, i think rehabs neglected antique stocks as well as anything and doesn’t stink.

Pistols aren’t picky, i use whatever's appropriate on bench. Same with AR’s.

Has anyone used the injector cleaner like Seafoam or Marvel's MiracleOil for the carbon around revolver and pistols? I was in the auto parts store and saw it and thought it would be nice that you could pour a little out to dip a tooth brush in and scrub the frame and cylinder to loosen the carbon.

i'm just a hunter, so don't shoot my big game rifles as much as some. since around 1965 i've used hoppes #9, some clean patches, a bronze brush, and 3in1 oil. never had a problem with accuracy or rust, including 3 years in alaska and several trips back there in years past. i'm sure there are numerous products out there that will clean a rifle barrel, but i'm content with plain ole hoppes for my needs. ymmv.

tag

MPro-7 for cleaning, Break-Free CLP for lube and corrosion protection and field cleaning when away from home base. Tipton bore cleaner or one of the bore foams when you need to knock out copper and lead fouling.

Excellent response!

With all the products available now, the most important thing is to actually use them. It doesn't matter what you buy, as long as you take a few minutes after you're done to give your rifle a bath.

I can't understand people not trying Ed's Red. It is economical and works well. I'm working on my second gallon of it for cleaning. The second batch doesn't have the lanolin so won't hold its surface tension as long. I am going to use the lanolin with the next batch. Use gloves with this product and get washed up if it is on your skin. Keep good ventilation as the acetone isn't good on you. Just a rehash of things. Why do you want to put more value on something if it costs more? You can use a straight weight Mobil One for lube if you wish. I have for a long time. Also pay attention to the synthetic stock. Protect them absolutely. I have messed up some "pretty" camo jobs. and it will dissolve plastic pistol grips. If Mobil one isn't good enough use 1:1 ATF and Mobil One with some marvel Mystery oil poured in for the SPECIAL smell. YMMV. Be Well, Rustyzipper.

Because it has little-to-no activity on copper or lead, and it is a PITA to make; while there are many easily found products that simultaneously do well on copper, lead, and carbon.

I did try some Seafoam on carbon fouling this weekend and was impressed. I used it on a autoloading shotgun but was paranoid about getting it on the stock. It did work well on teh piston and internals (bolt and trigger group).

I also took the stocks off a couple revolvers and a 1911 and tried it there. I brushed it on the carbon and let it sit about five minutes before hitting it with a clean brush. It seemed to do a good job and was cheap and easy. I dumped the rest of the bottle in my Jeep since that's why I bought it anyway.

Yep. I hate cleaning rifles, partly because I would much rather be shooting. Consequently I use powders that don't foul much, and may even contain a decoppering agent, so don't have to clean rifles very often. It's also the reason I use Dyna Bore Coat in barrels that tend to foul more than others.

When I do clean rifle barrels, I also prefer one solvent that gets everything out, or at least most of it. Most barrels do not shoot as well when perfectly clean as when slightly fouled.

Used to love the Gunslick foaming bore stuff to pull copper out. Couple of patches with Hoppes #9 to get the powder out, fill with foam, spray again 30 minutes later, wait 30 minutes and clean with Hoppes. That stuff, for me, worked like a champ.

Just found out recently that they discontinued it.

Why do they always discontinue any thing that I like?

It works great on plastic fouling in choke tubes and rifled slug barrels.

BreakFree CLP for general cleaning. It has just enough copper remover to show traces on the patch used to remove it from the bore after storage. Never had a gun rust with BreakFree on it.

Ballistol is good for so many things I'm never without it. Mixed with water 1-4, it's my favorite cleaner for real black powder and 777.

Montana Extreme Copper Killer is what I finally settled on for metal fouling. Safe and effective. JB for mechanical removal of stubborn cases.

I use a lot of 91+ % isopropyl alcohol for wiping powder residue out of barrels, degreasing, and cleaning bore brushes.

I guess I'm in the minority: On the outside I use whatever is handy on the same old remnants of a cotton flannel shirt I've used since college...a long, long time ago. I told my daughter that when I die, do NOT throw that away. By now it contains every concoction of cleaning solvent, grease, and oil known to man, and is definitely an environmental hazard. The bore generally gets a dry wipe-out if I'm going to be shooting again in a day or two, or Hoppe's/Kroil mix about four times per year. I'm one of those fellows who'd be stunned looking through a bore scope, I'm sure. I might have to get one just to satisfy my curiosity.

John (MD): did you put Dyna-Tek in the bore of your Kilimanjaro?

Does anyone know when products used to remove copper fouling became de rigueur?

Mike,

No DBC in that one. It cleans up easily without it.

Poconjack,

Well over a century ago, as as soon as smokless rifle powder and jacketed bullets appeared. In fact, it was a far bigger problem back then, partly because one of the most popular earlier jacket materials was cupronickel, an alloy of about 75% copper and 25% nickel, which REALLY fouled bores, sometimes to the point where the fouling built up so much, pressures did too--and barrels sometimes split.

If I recall correctly, the British found ammonia would dissolve the fouling, and Townsend Whelen was the first American shooter to publicize using it over here.