Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Cleaning my new 1911

Yesterday was a bellweather day for me as I had great fun shooting 250 rounds through my brand new 1911! It was quite dirty after that and though Quick Scrubber and a toothbrush cleaned everything well, at $8.00 a can that is darned expensive (have to save my money for ammo). Would certainly appreciate suggestions on a less expensive cleaning product / method. I was thinking of some product that can be stored in a bucket and used over and over (like we had in the service eons ago). What are you folks doing?

I use probably 15 cents worth of WD40... Are you taking your 1911 apart?

Bob

I use brake and parts cleaner. Not sure of the price, but it is not $8

are you thinking of the dunkit bucket? cylnder and slide makes it.

learn howto break your 1911 down if your not doing that already. I was always a fan of Hoppe's No 9, toothbrush, and a Milcomm lubricant.

put a zero after that number too. your gun aint even broke in yet let alone dirty.

+1 for add a zero, put a couple thousand rounds thru it then it might be dirty. My cleaning method might seem odd but it is cheap and gets it clean.

Disassemble completely, wipe all small parts down with what ever bore cleaner you use, hoppes or whatever, then clean the frame and slide with a stiff tooth brush, dawn dish washing detergent and the hottest water you can stand. Rinse in even hotter water and shake the excess water off, the metal will be hot and the rest of water usually evaporates. Wipe down inside and out with your favorite gun oil, use a cue tip with light oil to get into the firing pin hole and extractor hole and all the small holes on the frame. Reassemble and go shoot another couple thousand.

Hoppe's No. 9 and a stiff bristle toothbrush, wipe clean and dry, then a light coat of FP10 for lubrication and corrosion protection.

Thats how I clean my gun after surf fishing! Hot soapy water does amazing things.

Appreciate all the input. The "tub" or something similar is what I originally had in mind. Darn tootin I'm breaking it down to major parts - doesn't everyone? How else can one really get an appreciation for the engineering simplicity that Mr. Browning gifted us so long ago.

Yup. That makes for a thorough cleaning. I spray mine down with Rem Oil or the like and it seems to get into the crevices better than even a Q Tip.

Ed's Red can't be beat for handguns, IMO!

http://www.9mmlargo.com/eds_red.htm

The background color of the article makes it hard to read, but I wanted to save the recipe, so I copied/pasted the article into a "Word" document which also made it easier to read.

Ed's Red isn't sexy and it may be old fashioned, but it's a very effective "general purpose" bore cleaner and is inexpensive.

Randy2,

The best way to clean a handgun can be a touchy subject so I�ve been reluctant to weigh in on this thread�ah, what the hell.

My preferred way to clean a handgun is to blow off the big chunks with an air compressor followed by a LIGHT lube job (one gun, three drops). That�s it.

Here�s the touchy part: From a functional standpoint, most guys waaay over-clean their handguns. These guys like to have their handguns in Presentation Box condition all the time and that�s fine, but it�s not, or shouldn�t be, necessary for function.

Semi-autos are fairly easy to read if you condition yourself on what to look for. The recoil spring and case ejection are the main keys. Your brass should always land close to the same spot � regardless of the ammo you are using (re-spring if not). Replace the spring when the ejection pattern starts to open up. My �compressor method� of cleaning is followed up by a more thorough �bath on Saturday needed or not� every third or fourth spring change.

That usually works out to 10-12,000 rounds�

Shoot 'til it pukes, clean as much as necessary, repeat as often as possible.

brake parts cleaner..hose and brush with a toothbrush, hose again, shake dry, spray with Rem oil and wipe off..good to go...complete cleaning takes longer and doesn't have to be done till the trigger gets gritty..

Atta boy, VA.

Hey, you're a pocket carry guy with the Kel-Tecs so you probably NEVER have to wipe down the outside of the pistol - Draw and Clean is danged efficient.

Just wash your pants once in a while.

That's my philosophy to a "T".

If the sidearm doesn't comply with that line of thinking, it doesn't stay in inventory very long.

Default "go-to" sidearms, for those reasons, are 1911A1s, Glocks, Kel-Tecs, and S&W J and K frames.

Damned hard to top those for durability and reliability.

Thanks to all for cleaning tips. Right now I'm treating my 1911 like the kid with his first new car - shiny, dust free and admiringly. I'm happy to read things like "It isn't dirty till you've put 2500 rounds through it" which reinforces the toughness and simplicity of the 1911 design. In an era of "throw away" products and junk from China, it is no wonder that products like 1911's are more popular than ever. Eventually I'll learn to "read" the gun and it will dictate what it needs and when.

I second the thought,that you only clean as necessary. Most folks clean way too often.
I like Hoppes #9 and a toothbrush. I cut up old tee shirts for patches.
Make sure you keep an eye on bearing surfaces. I put a little bit of Tetra grease where metal rubs metal. Other than that, just a very light wipe with an oil rag keeps the rust away, and everything functioning.
Remember, oil and grease attract dirt and grit...........

A gun can't retain oil like an oil pan on a car, so re-oiling every couple hundred rounds is important for functioning and long life.

While there's certainly no harm in (properly) lubing a 1911 every couple hundred rounds, it will have little effect on function or longevity. The main benefit of lube is minimizing corrosion.

1911's don't wear out due to friction, and no amount of lube is going to prevent the real cause of premature problems - improper fit. Lube won't prevent lug damage or frame peening, which are the main cause of a 1911 heading to the ER.

How many of us have actually worn out a handgun?

Replace the recoil spring frequently, knock off the big chunks, and keep shooting.

Randy,

If you like the spray cleaners like Gun Scrubber, then go to a auto parts store and by Berryman�s carb & break cleaner, it�s the same stuff for half the price (Tri-Chlor-Ethane or TCE-not sure if I spelled it right)

For a gun cleaning solvent that�s cheap mdatlanta hit the nail right on the head. As a gunwriter, I have access to any of the solvents for no charge. I have to say that Ed�s Red is as good or better at cleaning nitro powder fouling as any product I�ve ever used. You can mix up a gallon of the stuff for well under $10.00 and that will last you a couple of years.