I've been using Break Free CLP as my main cleaner and lube for years without a complaint. I use Butch's bore shine on heavily used/dirty barrels. Many of my buddies use Rem oil.

Aside from copper removers, what are you using as a general cleaner and lubricant?

Anyone using NASA developed X-1R?

Militech is a fine cleaner and lubricant as well.

As to rust prevention, a few years ago I did a test (clean 10 penny nails in salt water) of Break Free CLP, Rem Oil and WD40. Break Free was the run away winner, WD40 was next, Rem Oil trailed both of them by a significant margin.

I'm not suggesting using WD40 on guns, just happened to have some on hand when I did the test.

Corrosion X would have kicked all their a$$e$.
George

There have been a number of powder/copper solvent/cleaner, rust inhibitor tests published in print and on the Internet over the years. Taken together, the take-home message for me is that all of them work best and none of them work best.

What has worked well for me is Montana Extreme products for bore cleaning. Plain water for removing salt spray and blood. Ballistol for wiping down metal and rust inhibition. ATF diluted 1:3 with lighter fluid used sparingly for lube. This is what it has come to after using more than a few of the products available over the years.

I've used just about all of the commercial bore cleaners and don't really have a preference. If a bore is really fouled, I use J-B bore cleaner and then follow it with something like Shooter's Choice or Hoppe's.

I then dry the bore and use something like Rem-oil, Kroil, Break-free CLP. Again, I don't have a preference, they all work.

If you guys are serious about copper removal, NONE of the stated products are worth crap in that regard. Serious Copper/fouling removal starts with Wipeout foam cleaner. For general powder fouling I've used all of the above with some degree of results but I now use Balistol.

CLP for Cleaning & Rem for Protection. Inexpensive & works for me.

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Barnes has a very good copper solvent, but they need it!

I'm more curious about lube and protect.

I (cough) inherited about eight litres of the old military formula Breakfree from the Australian Army in the eighties and nineties...it is the old pre-green and clean, and it actually works.

Still using it.

M-Pro7 Gun Cleaner for lead/carbon fouling. It is the best I've tried, is non-toxic and doesn't smell. It is truly much, much better than Hoppe's #9 in my experience. The M-Pro7 copper remover is pretty good too.

For lube I like Mil-Comm products, either the MC-2500 oil or TW-25B grease depending on application.

They do not remove copper.

I am with Jorge on this one. Ballistol smells better than CLP and works as well from what I have seen. Wipeout foam is where it is at brother, even on barrels I thought were clean. The only thing I might add is an occasional pre-swab with Kroil and rare planet alignment appearances of bore paste.

I have used Remoil once. I didn't think much of it at the time. It is long enough ago that I don't remember why. Of course I used Break Free all the years I was in the service and use it now on my own guns.

I have used several copper cleaners, but have settled on Wipe Out when I can get it. Of them all Barnes was the worst for getting the copper out.

Cleaned up a terrible spill, did you?

MOBIL 1, 0 to-20 Synthetic. Better than any 'Gun" oil on the market

THNX GF1 -

That's the kind of INFO I like.

If anyone claims to have had problems with Rem Oil leaking, you can instantly discount their so-called experience because they are just dumbshits who either tampered with the nozzle or else squeesed the bottle or pressed on the valve when they shouldn't have had their finger anywhere near it. On top of that, if they had had the nozzle pointed in a safe direction, it wouldn't have been any big deal anyhow.

I use:

1) Wipe-Out or Montana X-Treme for cleaning bores.

2) Gun Shield for protecting any metal that needs to be protected, since it lasts years instead of days or weeks.

3) Whatever oil is handy for a very thin lube-coat on bolts, along with a heavy grease for bearing surfaces like the backs of locking lugs, the lumps of break-action guns, etc.

Rem-oil sucks on AR's, too thin. I like Ballistol spray for AR carriers on the range as it is quick and easy. A quick papertowel wipedown and spray it. Whether it is any "better" I can't say.

I've read the tests that say Break Free is tops at corrosion prevention and my experience indicates the same, but you have to keep re-applying in a wet environment. MD's Dyna Gun Shield is on my list to get.

Wipeout is tops for bores, IMO. Don't put Breakfree in the bore of a precision rifle, it won't hurt anything but it will open up groups a tad until it gets blown out of there.

To make a more handy oil bottle, take any small squeeze bottle like a nose spray bottle. Remove the top and then pry out the small plastic insert. Drill a small hole in the center of that insert and one in the cap the same size as those little red tubes that come with WD-40 and such.

Cut of one of those tubes a few inches long and press it down own thru the hole you drilled.

With this,you can accurately dispense a drop or woo exactly where you want it or squeeze harder and you can get enough to wet a patch if needed

Another way is to just use a brush, like a shaving brush. Apply a couple of drops of oil to the brush for a very light coat, several more for a heavier coat.

I use Butch's or MT Extreme for cleaning and Triflow for lubrication. I like it better than CLP.

Wipe out is great and it does remove copper, but not all. I've ran Sweet's, Bore Tech Eliminator and Montana's Copper Killer after it and got more out. Eliminator is great stuff and doesn't smell either. I'll have to take a look at Gun Shield as well, their bore coat works great so I'd expect the same.

In my bolt guns I usually use, wipeout or the gunslick version there of to clean the bore, I often will give the bore a go over with hoppes on patch with some nylon brushing, then a patch or two to get rid of powder fouling first before using the wipeout

For lube I use a white lithum grease on the lugs and cocking piece.

I use BWC barricade as a rust preventative both in the bore and exterior surfaces.

For general cleaning I use a couple of things, gunscrubber, simple green and hot water, or Breakfree depending on circumstances.

In the field, I don't usually do much but carry something to clear the bore and a small amount of breakfree.

I use Rem Oil and it has served me well but then I am one to wipe down my rifle each evening during a hunt, even my stainless models. Wipeout works best by far of any of the copper removing techniques.

I also use Tetra Gun grease on rails and such. A light coat and one wipe off pass. Rails seasoned with teflon are a beautiful thing.

A few years ago, my oldest son had to do a science experiment. He/we chose to do a side by side comparison of the commonly available rust inhibitors/oils on the market. We used Ballistol, Break-Free, EEzox, WD-40, Rem Oil, Corrison X and about a dozen other things. We treated 1095 carbon steel razor blades and placed them into a 16 well tray, each in a separate well. Each treatment was replicated 4 times. They were then covered and buried at a salt lake for 2 months (extremely moist and salty). At the end of 2 months, we dug them up and evaluated them for surface rust and/or pitting. We did this twice in 2 years. EEzox and Break-free are the only two chemicals that actually worked to prevent rust. EEzox being the winner over Break-Free, but the others failed miserably. They are the only two I will use for rust prevention.

John,

Is the Gun Shield okay for trigger parts. I don't oil my triggers at all, but I'm wondering if this would be okay since it wont attract gunk. I would assume you would not coat the sear.

Eezox for rust and Boretech Eliminator for copper fouling!

Eliminator isn't even in the same universe as Wipeout or Montana Extreme when it comes to copper removal.

Jorge have you tried Eliminator?

While I have never used wipeout I have used Montana extreme and Eliminator easily beats it!

If you like Eliminator for copper, try BoreTech's Cu+2 Copper Remover, it really eats copper!

I use Eliminator for general bore cleaning and Cu+2 for copper "problems". Breakfree CLP for lube and Breakfree for Storage for rust preventive.

405wcf

Bore Tech Eliminator for me.. tons of other stuff just sits these days


if you have a severely fouled bore then BoreTech's Cu+2.

Eezox for rust prevention..

Another Bore Tech eliminator fan here....kroil first with a bronze brush for carbon, then I hit it with the Bore Tech.

Don't use a bronze brush with the Bore Tech, you won't have a brush left if you do...

I lube with Tetra, G96, Rem Oil or One Shot Dry Lube (dry lube stuff)...OS works good on triggers, as it is a dry lube.

Tony

I've always used Shooters Choice Bore Cleaner for copper fouling, on all my rifles. I also like the Hoppes Elite for cleaning powder & carbon fouling off of my handguns.
I've used Rem Oil a lot of years for Lube & Rust prevention, & I've never been impressed with it. But, of course, I wipe down all my guns before they go back in the safe, when I come in for hunting or shooting.

I've been using Ballistoil for lubrication on all moving parts, lately, and have been very pleased.

Every one hear keeps mentioning Wipe Out, as a bore cleaner? Is that the rand name or just the product name ???? I've seen different brands at the LGS that are marked Wipeout, but I don't know which product to buy.

Sharp-Shoot-R is the brand. But "Wipeout" has become a range of products. Most people are referring to Wipeout Foaming Bore Cleaner.

Question for the BoreTech users.

Most who use their products use Eliminator and seem to really like it. BoreTech also makes a "C4 Carbon Remover" and a "Cu+2 Copper Remover". How do these products compare to Eliminator? Is Eliminator the inbetweener, designed for both Carbon and Copper? Is the "C4 Carbon Remover" better at removing carbon deposits and the "Cu+2 Copper Remover" better at removing stubborn copper?

Thanks.

I have traditionally used Breakfree CLP for most cleaning, lube, and storage. Recently, I've been using Balistol more. It seems to do a good job, but more importantly is non-toxic and non-carcinogenic.

With all of the nasty chemicals that I've exposed myself to over the years, I figure it's time to watch what I'm exposing myself to more carefully. I also recently had a good friend (and fellow gun nut) die much too young from cancer. He would spend many hours cleaning guns, and refinishing stocks and metal finishes. I remember walking into his workroom one day and almost falling over from the fumes. He didn't notice them. I can't help but think that this kind of exposure over many years didn't help him. Just saying.....

Rem Oil thickens and gums over time. Never use it inside an action of any kind.

CLP not only thickens, but hardens into a solid. Nasty stuff.

I use Birchwood Casey 100% synthetic gun oil as a lubricant and rust preventative. Only use a very thin coat inside. Never drip or squirt it in an action as that is too much, and too much of any oil causes problems over time. Barely moisten a rag and rub it on.

In freezing temperatures, guns should be run dry inside. Only use powdered graphite for lubricant.

If worried about rust on a rough hunt, get a stainless rifle with synthetic stock. They're butt ugly but they work.

Would you share your experience with CLP hardening into a solid? Were you using the aerosol or straight oil from a bottle? I have had issues with Rem oil gumming, but have never had any issues with CLP.

The CLP that I have was made under military contract in the early eighties and has not thickened, jelled, or hardened, it also does not dry out on my firearms, a couple of which have been sitting in safe storage for over ten years.

Fancy sharing your experience with the rest of us.

I use Eliminator for my regular cleaning. If I have a barrel that the Eliminator does not get the copper out of pretty quickly I go to the Cu+2. The Eliminator was designed to remove both copper and powder fouling. The Cu+2 and C4 are stronger formulas aimed at only copper and carbon respectively.

If you have questions, call Jesse Rambo at BoreTech.

405wcf

OK. A buddy that was company armorer of his Guard unit has a large quantity of CLP. I put it on a gun and 6 months later it had dried to a solid layer of crap. Maybe it was a bad or old batch, but I swore off the stuff.

I was Small Arms Repairman (MOS 45B) at the general support level, and company armorer in my unit. It's amazing what came back to me with the words "it's clean." Guys either forgot their basic training, or just didn't give a crap.

I have all three. In a nutshell, I don't think the Carbon Remover or Cu+2 does anything that would justify the cost over just having Eliminator. Cu+2 and other copper removers may be slightly more aggressive but Eliminator takes it out nearly if not just as well IMO. YMMV.

I've never had an issue with it, but it will thicken in really cold weather if there's too much on.

I remember you armorer guys, I think you had a triple jointed little finger that could contort into the chamber of the 16's, 60's, SAW's, etc. and find that little bit of carbon and tell us to go clean it some more

One LT wore a white glove during inspection and shoved his pinky finger up into the barrel extension/locking recess area of the 16s. Back then I didn't have any of those "star" shaped felt thingys that match the shape of the locking recesses and cleaned behind them. I could have made a killing on them if I did!

I always wondered about cleaning inside the gas tube. Nobody did, but it seems like a bad place for carbon to build up and impeed function. I have blasted through the tube on my personal AR with aerosol cleaner and gotten some crud out of there. Nothing is worse than a battle rifle that won't run. Well, almost nothing.

There are a number of older blokes sitting in front of their laptops shaking their heads right about now...I am guessing you do not remember the old ball, and pipe cleaners.

An oldie but a goodie:

http://www.6mmbr.com/corrosiontest.html

Looks like I'm the only person in the world that uses the Outer's Foul Out method to really get rid of all the copper fouling. Or use the other bottle to clean out all the lead. After I use it, I wipe the bore clean and try something else to get the tube cleaner but it's just all gone. I haven't found anything that will do a better job.

Use trailer hitch ball lube with some moly mixed in on the back side of the lugs and some very light Mobil 1 in a place or two. Guns really don't need a monthly grease job.

No you aren't the only one, but it does seem there are few of us.

A while back I had a thread about Outers Foul Out. Several replied that it was too much trouble (PITA was their description).

I've had one quite a while and bought another for my closest friend.
You just have to give it time to work.

Wipe it off lightly after it has taken a set to the metal.

That "layer of crap" will keep that gun from rusting for a decade or so.

I use Bore Tech Carbon Remover first and then Bore Tech Eliminator for the copper. It works so well I haven't felt the need to even try the BT Copper Remover. When I hooked up the Outers Foul Out gizmo after cleaning this way, It shows a clean bore immediately.
I prepped a half dozen rifles like this to apply Dyna Bore Coat, and skipped the JB paste.
I also use Tipton nickel plated jags to keep from getting false blue patches.
Very happy with the BT products.

I am an "old timer." During basic training I had nothing but a rod, patches, and CLP, and very little of those. We didn't inhale or exhale without permission, and going anywhere to buy pipe cleaners would net you an article 15 or worse. If someone asked for something the universal answer was "You better [bleep] one, boy [or other moniker I won't repeat]."

No, you're not, 'cause you'd have had LSA and rifle-bore cleaner if you were really an old-timer.

Breakfree CLP,great on exterior and have used a light coat inside the bore .Left on for duration of hunting season in Arkansas(very Humid)no problems with rust at all.
Good stuff