Handgun "Deep Cleaning"

**cerop** · 04-07-2011, 22:25

What chemicals do you use to wash the individual parts of you firearms that don't screw up the protective qualities of Eezox, Slip EWL, etc?

I'm thinking some good ol' soapy water will do the trick?

**Lian** · 04-07-2011, 22:33

heard a guy mention at the range the other day, that he soaks his pistol in diesel for a deep clean. apparently it dissolves all the fouling etc?
this true/possible?

**cerop** · 04-07-2011, 22:48

You can give it a shot with that 15-22 and report back ;-)

**Lian** · 04-07-2011, 23:50

erm.... nahh :)

**Scuba Steve** · 05-07-2011, 07:03

As far as i know diesel is not as corrosive as, for example, petrol and becails it is an "oily" liquid maybe it does work. Not sure I want to try it though...
Would like to hear from other users regarding this??

**ikor** · 05-07-2011, 12:11

Slip2000 725 Cleaner / degreaser. This stuff is brilliant! See Khumba.

Diesel will also work fairly well, but make sure it won't discolor plastic or wood attached to your gun. ALL these products strip lube from the gun (yes, diesel too...it just leaves a temporary oily film that quickly dissapates) so the gun MUST be relubed after any such deep cleaning. Slip2000 EWL is the best liquid lube I know of today and TW25B the best light grease.

**malcolmm** · 05-07-2011, 13:01

MPRO7 gun cleaner is also brilliant.

**Spike Pretorius** · 05-07-2011, 13:06

Once upon a time I was involved in receiving a consignment of weapons that had been stored in grease. We used diesel to clean them.
It was a very messy unpleasant foul smelling process but it got the goo off quickly. Then you must clean a second time to remove the diesel.
So it works for some applications but I'd rather not use it.

**Prodigal** · 05-07-2011, 13:15

as said, slip 2000 or BC Gun scrubber (nic yale)

**EltonMarcelPadia** · 05-07-2011, 16:05

Hi, everyone

I own a Colt M1911A1 and have done extensive research into how the weapon should be detailed stripped and cleaned. Therefore, I can share with you my personal methods based on a regimen that I have been using for just over 3 years now. I shoot fairly regularly, and can say that this works like a charm. After stripping the pistol completely, I take an ice cream tub, place the parts in the tub, and pour parrafin to cove. I place the lid on the tub and leave it there for about an hour. I usually agitate the solution by gently shaking the tub. Next, I take lint-free tissue paper, and dip it into the solution and gently wipe away carbon deposits. For the bore, I wad the tissue, saturate it in the solvent and push it from the chamber side to the muzzle end using a cleaning rod. I continue doing this until the bore is clean. Thereafter, I use my own gun oil formulation of 20 weight motor oil and 5% brake fluid, by volume, to lube the bore. I use the tissue and the solvent method for all parts and oil immediately by soaking a patch in oil and rubbing the parts with it. If i see green copper deposits fouling the tissue (usually after 1000 rounds), when I pass the tissue through the bore, I use cloudy ammonia to chemically remove the copper. I plug up the muzzle end with tissue and pour in the ammonia. I count 30 seconds, drain off the ammonia and spray alcohol through the bore to de-nature the ammonia. I wad tissue once again and pass it through the bore to remove all copper traces, doing so until it's all gone (2-3 times max.) then immediately lube my bore with oil. I cannot speak for anyone else, but my pistol was made in 1942, and the bore was reasonably well taken care of. With my cleaning procedure, there is no rust or pitting in my barrel, the accuracy is amazing, and deep-cleaning this way has not harmed the carbonia blue that was originally applied by Colt to the gun. if you shoot a blued GI 1911, this could be beneficial. I have not tried this on stainless steel guns.