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I have been a pistol owner for over a year now. I clean my guns with the old school tools-bore cleaner, lubricant, rod and patches, etc. My guess is this is how Wyatt Earp cleaned his guns. I enjoy the relaxing cleaning of my guns, but lately have been looking at some of the new cleaning products such as CLP and the so called "tactical" cleaners...

 

Just wondering if you all have any thoughts on the old school vs some of the newer products....

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old school all the way. Any product that claims to do it all, does it all but not the best. Clean a gun perfect with CLP so you are getting clean patches out. Then run some sweets 7.62 through it and see how clean you thought it was. Firearms are investment and sit and clean them the proper way with proper solvents witha ROD and enjoy the down time. There are different cleaners for different types of fouling. I like Sweets 7.62 for copper, Hoppes for general cleaning, and a followup with Ballistol when I am done.

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I use CLP or similar and a bore snake. I assume they will make my guns "clean enough". How clean do guns need to be? I read that lots of people only clean their guns now and then and I've concluded guns don't need to be pristine, just "clean enough".

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old school all the way. Any product that claims to do it all, does it all but not the best. Clean a gun perfect with CLP so you are getting clean patches out. Then run some sweets 7.62 through it and see how clean you thought it was. Firearms are investment and sit and clean them the proper way with proper solvents witha ROD and enjoy the down time. There are different cleaners for different types of fouling. I like Sweets 7.62 for copper, Hoppes for general cleaning, and a followup with Ballistol when I am done.

 

+1. Nothing wrong with old school. Just doing it frequently as use dictates is more important.

 

Cleaning your firearm is a good way to intimate yourself with the inner workings and how it operates, if you are so inclined. It's a good proactive way to spot troubles as well. Just cleaning on a regular basis does wonders vs. not cleaning at all. The high-tech stuff today is better in some respects than what was used in the past, but keep in mind that there are a lot of firearms around today that are more than a century old that are in fine condition and still working. Who knows what they were cleaned with and how often years ago when firearms were really treated like tools. If they they were cleaned, they were lubed with a light coat of sperm whale oil (AKA - sewing maching oil.) Not the most high-tech stuff nor did it have a glamorous name either.

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Slip products (http://www.slip2000.com/), appropriate bore snake, 6 q tips and 10 minutes.

 

Play with it for longer and you will go blind.

 

Once a year my pistols get detail cleaned and springs/parts changed as needed based on the previous years's range schedule.

 

Avoid CLP as it neither Cs, Ls, or Ps adequately.

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I always question if my guns are cleaned and lubed enough or even excessively. I guess it depends on your guns. I see my guns as tools more than an investment. Function over form one might say.

 

I have boresnakes. Do you think they really work all that well?

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High exposure. Would you buy the whole kit?

 

No. I would just buy what I needed for the particular gun.

 

My cleaning kit:

Appropriate Boresnake (.40, .223, 12g, etc...)

Slip 725 cleaner

Slip Carbon Cutter (if needed)

Slip 2000 EWL

Old Toothbrushes

Old T-Shirt

Old Hand Towel

Box of Q-Tips

Chopstick (makes a decent punch for takedown pins and such)

Dental pick

All in an old Tackle box

 

I can clean any gun I have with that

 

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I clean my 9mm hand guns after every use on the range.  Not just because it is a good habit to have, but I find that the process is actually quite satisfying, providing sort of a therapeutic and relaxing aftermath to the focused concentration of aiming and shooting at targets at the range, in my constant quest to improve my accuracy.  Some additional benefits in doing this are that I have a better understanding and appreciation of how each gun is put together and operates, as well as being able to see the effects of shooting different types of ammo through my guns and obviously preventing the buildup of carbon and metal deposits in the bore and inside the pistol body that could lead to fouling and failures.

 

My approach iincludes “old school” cleaning process and tools, combined with “new school” technology, utilizing the most current advancements in chemical cleaning products, all made in America. 

The 20-step process I follow and products I use are:

 

Old School:

1. Pour myself a nice cold beer as a primer and play some relaxing music.
2. Lay out my padded mats then cover them with paper towels to absorb drips of the solutions
3. Put on a pair of disposable latex gloves for protection.
4. Clear, safety check and disassemble my firearm
5. I use Pro-Shot Products for my gun care tools, including a coated cleaning rod that accepts threaded tornado brass bore brush, or spear tip jag or brass jag holder. (http://www.proshotproducts.com/)

6. I also have an assortment of double-ended vinyl composit picks to use with patches to get into small corners and crevices.
7. I use cotton patches and cotton tipped wood dowels or Q-Tips.

 

New School:

I prefer to use separate chemicals to clean and lubricate my guns, instead of using one product that claims to do both, (i.e. Ballistol multi-use spray or Break Free CLP). 

I find it hard to believe that one product will do as good a job of cleaning, lubricating and protecting all parts of a firearm, as compared to different products that are formulated to do one specific task and do it really well.

Therefore, I use the non-toxic, odorless M-Pro 7 product line exclusively, using their specific products for each task, (http://www.mpro7.com/), as well as Mil-Comm Products for gun grease. (https://www.mil-comm.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&view=category&virtuemart_category_id=5)

8. M-Pro 7 Gun Cleaner spray solvent for the pistol slide and frame, outside of barrel and recoil guide rod & spring, as well as the magazines
9. M-Pro 7 Bore Cleaning Gel for the inside of the bore of the barrel, letting is sit for 2-3 minutes.
10. M-Pro 7 Copper Remover Solvent, on occasion for the bore as well.
11. Nylon and Brass brushes for cleaning the inside of the slide and frame, (followed by using multiple cotton patches until thoroughly clean)
12. Can of compressed air to blow out any remnants of the cleaner spray to prevent buildup in any hard to reach nooks and crannys.
13. M-Pro 7 Bore Snake, used 3-4 times, (probably a bit of overkill, but what the heck....)
14. M-Pro 7 Gun Oil, used sparingly, where needed in all the usual spots that require an oil instead of grease.  For the 1911, I use Wilson Combat 5772 Ultima-Lube II Gun Oil, as recommended by Wilson Combat.
15. Mil-Comm Products’ TW25B Synthetic Grease  -  When I bought my Sig Sauer P226 MK-25 it came with a small tube of gun grease, which Sig Sauer recommends highly.  That grease is the American-made Mil-Comm Products’ TW25B Synthetic Grease.  It has proven to have exceptional lubricating performance in adverse weather conditions which has made it the preferred gun grease used by US and European Military.  I like the fact that once applied, this grease does not migrate or seep around to other areas of the gun, specifically the exterior of the gun, the way more viscous gun oil tends to do.  The plastic, re-closable tapered tip is useful for applying a small drop or bead to specific or hard to reach areas.  I use this grease for lubricating the rails of the slide & frame, whether it is metal-to-metal or metal-to-polymer, on all of my handguns.
16. Reassemble gun and use a silicone-treated cotton flannel gun cloth to wipe off any excess oil and fingerprints and leave a light silicone film on the exterior of the gun to prevent corrosion.

17. Also, wipe down all empty magazines with the silicone-treated gun cloth and insert one magazine into the gun.
18. Rack the gun multiple times to distribute the lubrication and dry fire it.  Put cleaned gun into an appropriately sized Bore Stores P-2 Silicone Treated Gun Storage Case, (sort of a gun sillouette sock), for storage to prevent scratches and provide additional protection from corrosion from humidity. (http://borestores.com/index.php)
19. Dispose of the soiled paper towels, patches, latex gloves and Q-Tips.
20. Finish my beer…..
 

AVB-AMG

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I use brake cleaner with the straw attached to get out the deep down nasties, followed by a patch down the barrel with Hoppes #7 and then spray the whole thing down with  Blaster Silicone Lubricant and wipe off the outside so that it doesn't slip out of my hand.

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You all spend to much time cleaning your guns. Its fine if thats what gets your rocks off, but I have a lot of empirical proof that 5min with CLP is just fine for most guns every few thousands rounds.  

 

On the other hand, my guns are not heirlooms. Nearly everyone of them will either be worn out in 5 years or never leave the safe. 

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I use brake cleaner with the straw attached to get out the deep down nasties, followed by a patch down the barrel with Hoppes #7 and then spray the whole thing down with  Blaster Silicone Lubricant and wipe off the outside so that it doesn't slip out of my hand.

When I first started out I was anal about cleaning my guns, now not some much; especially my Glocks.  But I have used the above mentioned brake cleaner with great results when I needed to clean out the firing pin channel.

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When I first started out I was anal about cleaning my guns, now not some much; especially my Glocks. But I have used the above mentioned brake cleaner with great results when I needed to clean out the firing pin channel.

I failed to mention that I only clean it about 2-3 times a year. The only reason I cleaned it yesterday is because I'll be shooting my first IDPA match next Saturday and I want it to run flawlessly.

 

 

This signature is AWESOME!!!

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i had some spare time yesterday-like the whole day lol- so i put my deck back together and spent a good part of the day in the warm sunshine cleaning a bunch of my guns, even a few rifles I didnt even shoot in a year. Ahhh the sun, fresh air and the aroma of Hoppes and clp... then almost went to the range to dirty them again but took a nap instead : )

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Holy necropost! This thread was dead for almost 2 years.

While the posted thread may be old, the topic certainly is, and will continue to be, an interesting ongoing discussion, since everyone has their preferred way of cleaning their guns and new and improved products are continually coming to the market....

 

AVB-AMG

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I considered using Break Free CLP but when I researched it I found many people who had used it in the military and had unfortunate experiences.

 

Here is a repost from the reviews on the Amazon.com site for this product:

 

"Waaaaaaay back when, CLP was adopted by the MIL as the issued CLP for the AR15/M16 platform of weapons. It was later used on the M60 machine gun, the 240 machine gun, and the 249 machine gun. The use of CLP ceased on the 240 and 249 once operators realized that wear was not being mitigated and that CLP offered little protection from the high operating temperatures and overall violence of the guns. They quickly transitioned to LSA and LAW, and GMD (oil, oil, and grease, respectively) to lubricate these weapons.

 

Knowing several former M249-ers from the military, only one of them used CLP (because he had to, and hated it) and few used LSA. Most of them used MilComm TWB25, Mobil-1, Militec, & Slip2000 EWL. They all use the below listed newer lubricants on their AR15's now.

 

I used it for a LOOOONG time because there was nothing else available. But, now there are alternatives. Slip 2000 EWL, Rand Nano-CLP, FIREClean, etc......all do a vastly superior job on lubricating and protecting my firearms. Further (and ironically), they also make them easier to clean than the even the LIBERAL use of BF CLP.

 

Also, for AR15 owners, BF CLP is a failure and here's why: it contains particulate teflon. I can't think of a worse substance to insert into what is tantamount to the combustion chamber in an automobile engine (the tail of the bolt; i.e. the gas expansion chamber) than a thin petroleum distillate liquid with suspended pieces of particulate teflon.

 

If anybody has every wondered why you have to scrub the base/tail of the bolt with so much effort and vigor when using CLP...it's because BF CLP actually makes this carbon build-up worse than not using BF CLP at all.

 

Most old-timers don't realize this until they use one of the aforementioned superior lubricants and have that "ah-HA!" moment.

 

I clean the tail of my bolt using a paper towel and a few twists of my wrist. No scrubbing. No chipping. No dental tools. No bench grinder. No brass brush. None of that.

 

Also, CLP has petroleum distillates. If you have kids, pets....or just hate cancer, you wanna try and keep that stuff off your hands. The newer lubes I have listed are all available on Amazon and are all NON-TOXIC (i.e. no P-D's).

 

Do yourself a favor and upgrade to one of the following......you'll be glad you did:

 

Slip 2000 EWL 4oz

Rand CLP 4oz

FIREClean

 

Just cut-and paste the above titles into the Amazon search box."

 

 

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While the posted thread may be old the topic certainly is, and will continue to be, an interesting ongoing discussion, since everyone has their preferred way of cleaning their guns....

 

AVB-AMG

Fair enough B). With that said, anyone feel like cleaning my guns for me? I have a bunch I'm too lazy to do. I also love naps in my free time. I'm like a cat.

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Fair enough B). With that said, anyone feel like cleaning my guns for me? I have a bunch I'm too lazy to do. I also love naps in my free time. I'm like a cat.

DearSlayer:

 

To be fair, I certainly agree with you that after cleaning my gun(s) and having a beer, there is nothing better than a nice relaxing nap on the couch on either a Sat. or Sun. afternoon.... zzzzzzzzz.

 

AVB-AMG

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I hear that I usually have to sneak my naps in out in my garage reclining inside my jeep. I just pretend I'm out there working on something lol. Mrs . Deerslayer dosent understand the importance of weekend afternoon napping. -_-

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ahh..  i love cleaning threads... like countless others, i initially liked cleaning my guns...  i learned a lot about each of the guns that way....  i spent WAYYYY too much time doing it after a 1 hour range trip where i shot maybe 200-250 rounds..  now... not so much..  spray some hoppes elite, quick wipedown..  brush through the barrel..  cloth through the barrel..  dry, and put some grease on the rails, some oil on the springs/other moving parts..  put guns away...  30-45 minutes for all the guns total...

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don't over think cleaning. We only clean the barrel once accuracy starts falling off. Good ol hoppes is fine. once in a blue well use an ammonia based cleaner for fouled up barrels. btw, frog lube will freeze up during the winter months. I had frog lube in my bolt action and the bolt was ridiculously stiff. The action is a BAT tactical action.

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1) Field strip.

2) Old toothbrush with Hoppe's solvent on any areas that get in contact with the burnt powder.

3) Air compressor to dry. Wipe clean.

4) Very light Hoppe's gun oil on moving parts.

 

The barrel and chamber get more attention. First a soaked patch on a jag through the bore, followed by 5-8 bronze bore brush strokes. I use a chamber brush for the chamber. Finally patches until they come out relatively clean. I say relatively because when I lightly oil the bore, the patch gets dirty again as if the oil loosens up more grime.

 

I like the old fashioned method best, but my nickel plated 1911 uses CLP because it will not harm the finish. Even though I use CLP, I still dry the parts and lightly oil where needed.

 

The garage is getting humid and hot now, so the cleaning frequency slows down.

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1) Field strip.

2) Old toothbrush with Hoppe's solvent on any areas that get in contact with the burnt powder.

3) Air compressor to dry. Wipe clean.

4) Very light Hoppe's gun oil on moving parts.

 

The barrel and chamber get more attention. First a soaked patch on a jag through the bore, followed by 5-8 bronze bore brush strokes. I use a chamber brush for the chamber. Finally patches until they come out relatively clean. I say relatively because when I lightly oil the bore, the patch gets dirty again as if the oil loosens up more grime.

 

I like the old fashioned method best, but my nickel plated 1911 uses CLP because it will not harm the finish. Even though I use CLP, I still dry the parts and lightly oil where needed.

 

The garage is getting humid and hot now, so the cleaning frequency slows down.

 

I clean my guns after every use.  I find it oddly relaxing to field strip them and getting all the gunk out.  Like the poster said, I also find that more carbon come out of the barrel once I run a lightly oiled patch down even though earlier patches on the dry bore came out clean.  I thought it was just me.  I don't go back and reclean the bore either.  Figure it's close enough for government work.

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