Since it is summer now and I am carrying my S&W 638 more often, went to the range today for some practice (need a lot more practice with it).

Upon returning home I went out to the garage to clean it, much to my horror I was almost out of Hoppes and forgot to buy more. I did have an aerosol can of Breakfree CLP, which I used to clean my snubby with.

Man was I surprised, that CLP did a top notch job removing fouling, and carbon. It worked so well, I just might forget about using Hoppes. That's all.

Break free and other CLPs are decent. Seems like there is a new one every couple months. I have 3 or 4 different ones in my cleaning gear but none of them smell like Hopes.

I am waiting for Dick Marchinko to incorporate the smell of Hoppes into one of his novels. He often IDs the bad guys by their cheap cologne and cigarette smoke. Now one of my CLPs smells like grape and while I like how it works that doesn’t seem right somehow.

Breakfree CLP is all I have used to clean all my guns for over a decade. It just works very well.

I do occasionally use some bore cleaner to remove copper buildup in my barrels. Regards 18DAI

I believe S&W cautions against the use of ammonia based cleaners (like Hoppes) on their clear coated guns (like the current 638). Seems to me that info is in the owners manual. Supposed to destroy their crappy clear coat finish.

I've been using CLP or Ballistol.

try brake cleaner on those carbon rings.

I was in an M4 armorers class instructed by a Navy specwar guy. He told us how he had tumors in his body from handling CLP for so long. He was blown up in the sandbox from an IED and that's when they doctors found the tumors. Just a word of caution when dealing with CLP and solvents. Nothing wrong with going green.

I use only breakfree CLP on all of my pistols and it does a great job and I don't need any other cleaner. I do however, use Hoppes on my 12 gauge shotgun after going trap shooting as the CLP takes too much work to get that clean.

quote:

Originally posted by arfmel:
I believe S&W cautions against the use of ammonia based cleaners (like Hoppes) on their clear coated guns (like the current 638). Seems to me that info is in the owners manual. Supposed to destroy their crappy clear coat finish.

I've been using CLP or Ballistol.

That is nickel guns, hoppes separates the nickel from the metal

You can get them looking really clean with whatever your poison. I usually use gunscrubber and Boretech C4. Once I do, I soak the bore (paying particular attention to the throat) in a 50/50 mix of hoppes and kroil. after a few minutes i scrub it out with a brush and nastiness continues to come out. you will never notice until the carbon ring builds up so bad it throws fliers. I learned my lesson the hard way on my high round count .22s. Nothing gets the carbon ring out like soaking in hoppes. Kroil helps it soak in quicker. then scrub, scrub, scrub. my CZ 452 had started throwing fliers at around 12k rounds despite being cleaned regularly. It took 4 hours of scrubbing the throat and soaking in hoppes/kroil mixture to get all the carbon out. Next range trip my first 5 round 50y group out of the cold, clean bore was this with eley target.



dont let clean patches fool you, the ring is so baked in the throat it takes work to get it out. and whatever you do, be careful about getting CLP on the FP channel and breech. I would use something like gunscrubber because it dries completely and doesnt cause fouling to stick and gum things up. I dont ever really like an oily residue in the chamber, but thats just me.

Coincidence! I cleaned my revolver today as well. But first I had to look for some .455 Mk II reloads that I rolled up last summer(250 gr. lead, mild load of Bullseye), and put 50 rounds through the Mk. VI Webley. Still shoots straight at the advanced age of 101. Used Hoppe's #9 for cleaning.

quote:

Originally posted by DSgrouse:

quote:

Originally posted by arfmel:
I believe S&W cautions against the use of ammonia based cleaners (like Hoppes) on their clear coated guns (like the current 638). Seems to me that info is in the owners manual. Supposed to destroy their crappy clear coat finish.

I've been using CLP or Ballistol.

That is nickel guns, hoppes separates the nickel from the metal

From the owner's manual pdf:

"Some cleaners can cause damage to your firearms. You should avoid prolonged solvent immersion and prolonged ultrasonic cleaning of your firearm. Choice of solvent should be restricted to those products specifically developed for firearms maintenance. Damage to a firearm’s finish may occur if these cautions are ignored. Ammoniated solvents or other strong alkaline solvents, should not be used on any Smith & Wesson firearm. Cleaning is essential to ensure the proper functioning of your firearm."

The clear coat on airweight "stainless steel" S&W revolvers is easily damaged by a variety of cleaning products. It also chips easily. It's fairly regularly discussed on the S&W forum. And, yeah, I wouldn't use Hoppes on my nickel finished guns, either.

quote:

Originally posted by Clem Eastwood:
You can get them looking really clean with whatever your poison. I usually use gunscrubber and Boretech C4. Once I do, I soak the bore (paying particular attention to the throat) in a 50/50 mix of hoppes and kroil. after a few minutes i scrub it out with a brush and nastiness continues to come out. you will never notice until the carbon ring builds up so bad it throws fliers. I learned my lesson the hard way on my high round count .22s. Nothing gets the carbon ring out like soaking in hoppes. Kroil helps it soak in quicker. then scrub, scrub, scrub. my CZ 452 had started throwing fliers at around 12k rounds despite being cleaned regularly. It took 4 hours of scrubbing the throat and soaking in hoppes/kroil mixture to get all the carbon out. Next range trip my first 5 round 50y group out of the cold, clean bore was this with eley target.



dont let clean patches fool you, the ring is so baked in the throat it takes work to get it out. and whatever you do, be careful about getting CLP on the FP channel and breech. I would use something like gunscrubber because it dries completely and doesnt cause fouling to stick and gum things up. I dont ever really like an oily residue in the chamber, but thats just me.

I wnt with the little VFG weapons care pellets. in 22lr, 9, 40, 45 I also grabbed the agressive brass embeded pellets. These make cleaning that carbon ring much easier.

Breakfree is about all I use on guns anymore.

Some cleaners can damage the bluing on newer S&W revolvers, probably pistols too if blued the same way. Since nickel plated firearms are copper plated before the nickel is applied, any cleaner/solvent that removes copper will attack the copper plating and therefore cause problems with the nickel plating if there is a place the solvent can get under the nickel.

I doubt a standard cleaning would cause much damage to a nickel plated gun unless the finish has some damage already or you really soak in the solvent.

quote:

Originally posted by DSgrouse:

I wnt with the little VFG weapons care pellets. in 22lr, 9, 40, 45 I also grabbed the agressive brass embeded pellets. These make cleaning that carbon ring much easier.

I will have to try that! Thanks

quote:

Originally posted by Clem Eastwood:

quote:

Originally posted by DSgrouse:

I wnt with the little VFG weapons care pellets. in 22lr, 9, 40, 45 I also grabbed the agressive brass embeded pellets. These make cleaning that carbon ring much easier.

I will have to try that! Thanks

Brownells has them

Great to see a Webley .455. Mine -"Baby" resides in my bedside drawer- is 1917 vintage and great for when things go bump in the night (along with one of my Sigs! -Baby loves company). She saw trench action in the hands of the grandfather of a Canadian friend of mine.

Now to the topic at hand. I generally start my revolver (S&W, Colt, Ruger, Webley, new or vintage) cleaning with a liberal application of Ballistol on a couple of COTTON patches, alternating wet and dry patches, then scrubbing with a nylon bore/chamber brush and another wet patch of Ballistol. Hoppe's is just fine, too. CLP should work in a pinch. Use a toothbrush-type cleaner and toothpicks and cotton swabs as needed. Don't spare the solvent or patches! Let it all sit wet for an hour to overnight or even 48-hours. Time will do some of the work for you.

Be sure to wear gloves to protect your skin, and work in a ventilated place. Remember that unless your bullets are 100% sealed (base included) with a jacket, and certified as "lead safe" the gunk you remove contains highly toxic lead. So wear gloves, and wash your hands and face with soap and cold water when done. Remember to police your work area, too. Lead is a highly serious hazard!

Repeat the process, after the rest period, then clean with patches wet on a firmly-fitting nylon brush with either RemOil Bore Cleaner or J-B Bore cleaner. Be lazy! Let the compound do the work on the residue! Use it on a patch to also clean the carbon rings on the front of the cylinder. Used carefully, these are mild cleaners and not considered abrasives. Flitz metal polish can be used as well. Simichrome is a little too aggressive.

A brass or bronze brush can be used here, too. I prefer to let the aforementioned compounds cut the build up for me. This is where I save a lot of effort. Or use a specific metal remover. (If leading is ever bad, shoot a few jacketed bullets at the end of practice, and buy a Lewis Lead Remover from Brownells.)

Rinse everything with a spray of non-chlorinated brake cleaner that runs and drips off. That includes your brushes, jags, and rod. Inspect, and repeat as needed.

If you still have lead or metal jacket build up, now is the time to use specific cleaners, ending again with brake cleaner.

When I feel I am likely done, I sometimes leave some Hoppe's in the bore, chambers, and exterior of the firearm, and check the next morning to see if there are any indications that traces of fouling remain. This is mandatory, in my opinion, before longer storage. The foaming bore cleaners are quite handy for this. If fouling remains, remove it. Years ago, when corrosive primers were still used in some ammunition, the practice was to carefully clean a firearm three times, once on each of three subsequent days. It is still a prudent practice before storing any firearm, IMHO.

My final cleaning is with several wipes of alternating wet and dry patches, using naphtha. This is a good, safe solvent, available at any paint store. When it evaporates, you can be sure all traces of cleaners and old lubes are gone. It only remains for you to apply a quality lubricant/protectant. Use (1) grease for longer storage (I like RIG), (2) a liberal film of oil for shorter times (Hoppe's makes a good synthetic), or (3)thoroughly wipe first with a light film of a good oil on a patch, then next a single pass of a dry patch to be ready for action. Be sure the bore, chambers, and the recoil plate next to the primers are wiped free of oil if the revolver will be stored loaded. Finally, check all the functions of the revolver, and re-lubricate or otherwise tend where needed.

With experience, you can easily abbreviate this process. But then again, a carefully cleaned revolver can be lightly touched up between shootings, and is a pleasure to carry and even to just hold.

quote:

Originally posted by 10round:
I was in an M4 armorers class instructed by a Navy specwar guy. He told us how he had tumors in his body from handling CLP for so long. He was blown up in the sandbox from an IED and that's when they doctors found the tumors. Just a word of caution when dealing with CLP and solvents. Nothing wrong with going green.

What is your green option?

MPro-7, Slip 2000, Ballistol and Hoppes Elite are non toxic. Also, during the class we were told not to wear gloves as they cause your hand to sweat opening the pours up and the chemicals in solvents permeate latex gloves.

quote:

Originally posted by SIGWolf:

quote:

Originally posted by 10round:
I was in an M4 armorers class instructed by a Navy specwar guy. He told us how he had tumors in his body from handling CLP for so long. He was blown up in the sandbox from an IED and that's when they doctors found the tumors. Just a word of caution when dealing with CLP and solvents. Nothing wrong with going green.

What is your green option?

quote:

Originally posted by 10round:
I was in an M4 armorers class instructed by a Navy specwar guy. He told us how he had tumors in his body from handling CLP for so long. He was blown up in the sandbox from an IED and that's when they doctors found the tumors. Just a word of caution when dealing with CLP and solvents. Nothing wrong with going green.

BREAKFREE CLP used to have carcinogens in it, also a white glop that settled in the bottom of the bottle. Those particular chemicals were removed from the product in the 1990's and you will no longer see the white glop in the product.

I was a GM in the USCG and used CLP for all cleaning as it was required per the PMS card.

The BREAKFREE CLP sold today is "safer" than it was and will likely not cause the cancer it did.

Almost any petroleum product will assist in cleaning your firearm, the PMS cards allowed substituting hot water and soap for cleaning any weapon, but you had to dry the part and then oil it afterward.