I've started a thread in the Smithing section of this forum, and I think that Armada has given me a really good and simple answer to the questions I have here...he's gonna use the Breakfree CLP on his 325PD, and unless someone here has any other suggestions that might work for me, I'll probably use the same product. But I'll still ask this here... Could someone please tell me what solvents/oils are ok to use on the scandium-framed/titanium-cylinder 325PD's.

I spoke with S&W CS this afternoon, and the person there told me that Hoppes #9 is NOT recommended nor is any solvent which contains ammonia or chlorine, because of the aluminum in the alloys of the frame and cylinder.

He recommended Hoppes Elite, or Breakfree CLP, but I have no experience with either of these...I've used #9 to clean the bores and cylinder chambers, and I've used regular gun oil on the actions, and to lightly coat the barrel bore and cylinder chambers of my steel guns between shooting sessions.

I'll probably call S&W back tomorrow, but I was hoping to hear from some of you regarding how to clean and care for my new 325PD. The generic revolver instructions that came with the revolver don't go into much detail, except to say to buy cleaning supplies that are "specifically designated for my type and caliber of firearm", and to follow the instructions that come with whatever I buy. The manual also says not to use any abrasives on the finish, so I guess that means no lead-remover cloth on the face of the cylinder.

I've got a bottle of Hoppes Elite bore gel, and the instructions say to soak a patch and run it through the bore, let it stand for 5 minutes, soak another patch, followed by running a brush through the bore, and keep using dry patches until they come out clean.

Is a brass brush safe to use in the titanium alloy cylinder chambers, or should I use a nylon brush? I think the barrel is stainless, and so either brush would be OK.

Can I use regular gun oil when I'm through cleaning the gun, and can I wipe down the exterior surfaces of the gun with this oil?

For any of you that own a revolver made of the scandium/titanium alloys, could you please tell me what you use to clean and lubricate the guns?

I have Kroil, the Hoppes Elite gel, various gun oils, and the "dreaded" #9, but I don't have any .45 caliber bore brushes yet.

I know that I'm asking a lot of questions here, mainly because of the exotic alloys used in this revolver. If I could physically handle the 48oz loaded weight of a 625 4" since my shoulder surgery last November, I would have bought that stainless revolver, and this thread wouldn't have been started. Any suggestions would be really appreciated.

Thanks in advance for any help.

--Andy

SOTB - Nice lightweight .45ACP carry piece. I've used Ballistol Sportsmans Oil, in aerosol and liquid form, for cleaning my firearms, inside & out for many years with great success. Al Capone, (not the mobster) gunsmith/owner of King's Gunworks in Glendale, CA, a while back, recommended this product to my Dad and me years ago, and as recommended, found this product to be incredibly effective and safe as a lubricant/cleaner/protector. Brownell's and Midway USA both sell it, so I'd go to their respective web sites to check out more of the specifics. I'm going to try and post a few pix of a US Arms "Abeline"SA .44 w/ 7.5" bbl and factory "Magnaloy" (brushed chrome) finish, that I recently took out of storage after 30 years. After purchasing this sixshooter brand new, I shot a few cylinders thru it, bathed it in "Ballistol", inside and out, wrapped it in a gun cloth and stored it in a safe. Other than check it for corrosion a few times over the years, it basically remained untouched until I recently brought it home. I rubbed it clean of any oil residue, and was extremely impressed at how beautifully preserved it was. It literally appears no different than when I removed it from the box for the first time . A pretty good testament to the effectiveness of this fine cleaner/protector. Also, over the past several years, I only use nylon brushes on occasion, but pretty much only use patches dampened with Ballistol, changing the patches until they eventually come out white. This system works great, if you clean your firearm after every use. A year ago, a friend suggested I try "Triangle Patches TM" made for several different bore sizes, including your .45 ACP, and because of its unique triangular patch design, covers more area than square patches, and is made of 100% cotton flannel. These work great, and can be found on line at:rigelproducts.com.
This should give you something to think about. I'm new to this "photobucket" thing, but let's give it a try. Good luck.
Shadow SD

Shadow SD,

That finish on your SA .44 is truly special...and after 30 years!

Thank you for your reply, and for your recommendation of Ballistol, and for the recommended link to rigelproducts.com and their Triangle Patches.

I haven't known anyone that tried Ballistol, but I'll locate some of it, and give it a try...any product that doesn't need a lot of scrubbing to keep the bore, chambers, and exterior surfaces clean and protected sounds great to me.

A rep from Hoppes today admitted to one of my local gunshop owners that their #9 product might mess up the finish of the scandium and titanium alloys of my revolver, but that the underlying metal wouldn't be compromised.

If I have a choice, I'd rather keep the finish as "new" as possible for as long as possible.

Thanks again for the reply.

--Andy

Breakfree CLP has long been a "standard" of the U.S. Army. I have used it for a number of years with excellent results. Since S&W recommends it, that would be good enough for me. Incidentally, if you don't know it, CLP stands for "Cleaning", "Lubing", and "Protection".

Dale53

Somebody's giving you a bum steer on Hoppe's #9 being bad for aluminum or aluminum alloys. I've been cleaning aluminum alloy framed guns (Star PD, Colt Commander) for well over 20 years and they look like new. Most recently I use Hoppe's on the Ruger LCR. I also use Break Free, Hoppe's gun oil, Rem-Oil, WD-40, a lot of the Outer's solvents and lubes, and various greases. I've used, in areas where I couldn't get anything else, GI solvent, LSA, various motor oils, and transmission fluid. By the way, GI solvent was/is similar if not identical to Hoppe's and we used it to clean M-16s which are made largely of aluminum alloy. There is a lot of mythology on this subject, and it's just that. Fear not! Hoppe's is good for your gun, and in a pinch, can be used as after shave. Besides, it's the #2 smell of freedom, after burnt JP-4.

I talked with S&W for half an hour this morning, and part of the conversation concerned Scandium, and its care... Nothing with ammonia or sugar in their bases... The finish of the weapon would be harmed... I've used blued steel, stainless steel, and aluminum, and true, never saw the impact of using Hoppe's #9 on any of them... HOWEVER, as S&W does not recommend use of #9, I'll go with Hoppe's Elite or CLP... I know, I know, weapons are "just" tools to some. To me, they are functional "art." They give me pleasure in having, using, and maintaining...

I wish you well,

OA, out...

I talked with S&W for half an hour this morning, and part of the conversation concerned Scandium, and its care... Nothing with ammonia or sugar in their bases... The finish of the weapon would be harmed... I've used blued steel, stainless steel, and aluminum, and true, never saw the impact of using Hoppe's #9 on any of them... HOWEVER, as S&W does not recommend use of #9, I'll go with Hoppe's Elite or CLP... I know, I know, weapons are "just" tools to some. To me, they are functional "art." They give me pleasure in having, using, and maintaining...

I wish you well,

OA, out...

I use #9 to clean the barrel and chambers and lube with CLP on my 329's and a 317 kitgun, no problems yet...
shadow that abeline is a sweet heart, the abeline and seville are on my short list

I kinda agree. I've owned this 325PD for over 7 years and the only cleaner I've ever used on it is Hoppe's #9. The finish is like new.



I use regular bronze brushes in the bore and chambers. Think about the violence that happens in the chamber when you fire the gun. Using a bronze brush is pretty trivial in comparison.

The only allowance I make to the finish is to only use nylon brushes on the cylinder face.

Now... maybe one day the finish will slide off into the bottom of my hollster and the frame will crumble to dust, but I kinda doubt it.

Having said that... if S&W advised against Hoppe's, it's a pretty simple matter to just pick a different cleaner.

Good luck with the new gun.

__________________
Go NRA

I have used Hoppes #9 for most of my life.
I do know that is not recommended for nickel finishes on firearms.
It will wick under the nickel coating and cause it to corrode and eventually flake off.
I have a few Scandium pieces and have used #9 on them with no apparent problems.
I have recently started using something called M-Pro-7.
It is great at carbon removal and is benign to all finishes and metals.
It has the Constancy of thick water but really does a good job on cleaning.

I have 3 scandium guns. 2 black finish one with ti cylinder that I use hoppes on. My 337ti with the silver grey finish I use mpro7. I heard the silver finish can be damaged by hoppes.