Deep cleaning a rifle

[smithmax]

I need to deep clean my 10/22. I'm thinking of stripping it all down then putting all the pieces in a container and soaking it overnight, but I'm not sure what to use. Acetone comes to mind but I've heard it will damage the bluing on the barrel. I'm mainly looking for something that wouldn't be too expensive for me to get .5-1gallon of.

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[gunnoob75]

I use laquer thinner for my deep-down stuff. Doesn't hurt Park'd stuff, just oil it afterwords. Not sure how it will work with Bluing, however.

Mineral Spirits would work well, though. It's pretty "gentle", so will probably leave your finish alone.

 

[Deavis]

Spray all with simple green, hit with tooth brush, blow it off with compressed air , relubricate and reassemble... done.

 

[Gunner3456]

Simple Green is corrosive to aluminum. Careful please.

 

[smithmax]

What about something like dish soap? Simple green sounds like a good idea too, but any idea on what's aluminum on a 10/22?

 

[Deavis]

I think the simple green corrosiveness on Aluminum is the old formula perhaps? Been doing it for a few years, multiple guns, have seen zero aluminum corrosion. I may try a test with some aluminum though to see.... perhaps a blazer casing,beer can, 10/22 part and a old aluminum screen piece. Wil suspended in SG and see what happens.

 

[smithmax]

Thanks for the help. I'm going to put the pieces in a PVC pipe with one in sealed and let it sit for a day or more (if needed). Hopefully this will make up for the years shooting without great cleaning.

 

[Gunner3456]

I think the simple green corrosiveness on Aluminum is the old formula perhaps? Been doing it for a few years, multiple guns, have seen zero aluminum corrosion. I may try a test with some aluminum though to see.... perhaps a blazer casing,beer can, 10/22 part and a old aluminum screen piece. Wil suspended in SG and see what happens.

From Simple Green's web site:

Link

"...aluminum is a soft metal that easily corrodes with unprotected exposure to water. The aqueous-base and alkalinity of Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner can accelerate the corrosion process. Therefore, contact times for unprotected or unpainted aluminum surfaces should be kept as brief as the job will allow - never for more than 10 minutes."

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I meant to caution to "be careful." Given that info above, I'd never use it on anything important which was aluminum.

Also, Simple Green does make an aircraft and aluminum cleaner but it's a different formula. It's found at that same link.

 

[raindog]

I need to deep clean my 10/22. I'm thinking of stripping it all down then putting all the pieces in a container and soaking it overnight, but I'm not sure what to use. Acetone comes to mind but I've heard it will damage the bluing on the barrel. I'm mainly looking for something that wouldn't be too expensive for me to get .5-1gallon of.

What exactly are you trying to get off? For the exterior metal, are you just trying to make it a little shinier?

For the bore, if you want it deep-cleaned, either buy or make an electronic bore cleaner.

I made one of these and it worked well:

http://www.surplusrifle.com/reviews/copperout/index.asp

 

[smithmax]

I'm just trying to clean out the gunk that accumulates over the years. A while ago I broke it down and cleaned it, but it was a lot off effort and I'm not sure I got everything. I was thinking that it would easier to soak everything and then use a toothbrush to clean the gunk off.

If nothing else works, I can just use Hoppes #9 and a toothbrush.

 

[tinman]

Maybe just spray the pieces with clp and let them soak over night and then brush clean and wipe off.

 

[elsullo]

Birchwood Casey "Gun Scrubber" is sold pretty much everywhere and works amazingly well on old gunk. It's a powerful solvent/degreaser in an aerosol can that works FAST. Just hose off your gun parts with the tube spray; scrubbing is rarely needed. Then oil up the parts quickly as they are completely degreased and will rust just from the atmospheric moisture right before your eyes.

WD40 is pretty good at this too, and is much cheaper and avoids the flash corrosion issue. It's just a poor long-term lubricant or rust protector.

Use a good copper remover for the bore after regular bore cleaning, but only with a bronze brush or brass brush, as a copper brush will disolve too. When your patches come out without any blue color you are done, just oil it up......................elsullo

 

[Gunner3456]

I like Birchwood Casey. Beware of WD-40. It is hygroscopic and attracts and absorbs moisture. It is a great lubricant but a lousy rust inhibitor and maybe even a rust promoter.

Among other things, there are two things in particular I'd never use on a gun. Simple Green and WD-40.

$.02

 

[Natty Bumpo]

I respectfully disagree with a portion of the above post having to do with the hydroscopic nature of WD 40 and the claim that is is a great lubricator.

WD 40 is a moisture displacing agent. That is the one thing it does well. Which is not to say it is a good "rustproofing" agent, because it really isn't. But it is passable in the very short term for that purpose and better than one might think. But there are much better products out there that offer better rust resistance for general use. Ordinary paste wax, ordinary grease and T9 Boeshield come to mind. It is also a very poor lubricant generally and it is especially poor for the lubrication needs of firearms. Almost any petroleum (not vegetable) based oil is better.

WDis ok for run of the mill cleaning of metals, but I would never use it on guns, nor would I ever use ordinary household cleaning products, such as simple-green, citrus cleaner etc any more than I would use ajax. And I wouldn't use WD40 for lubricating anything more important to me than a gate hinge. It is a better cleaning agent than a lubricating agent.

There are simply too many better products out there designed especially for cleaning and lubricating guns.

Firearms are expensive and they are valuable to us. Don't treat them like some rusty crescent wrench and don't experiment with household products. Stick with gun-products.