Occasionally I come across posts on this forum that advise against using Hoppes 9 on newer blued Smiths. I have been using it on my 586-8 for the past 3.5 years and have not noticed any issues thus far. Used mostly in the bore, forcing cone area, and cylinder face with a bronze brush. Would like to hear from others with regard to their experience.

Thanks in advance for your inputs!

Lew

Hoppe's old No.9 is old, smells and is unhealthy and doesn't work nearly as well as newer stuff. Used it for 40 years. Then I got wise and used their Elite brand. Works a lot faster, does not smell and wont give you cancer. Saves me loads of time cleaning bores. Zero issues with finishes.

Geez, been using it for almost 60 years and now I find out it "smells and is unhealthy and doesn't work nearly as well as newer stuff and will give me cancer." Wonder why they continue to make it?

Jeff
SWCA #1457

Hoppe’s #9 smells like heaven. Use accordingly. If it’s worked for you for over three years, why switch now? That being said, Ballistol is great stuff.

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Some Might Say.

They changed the formula several years ago. My understanding is that the older formulation contained ammonia, and that's what caused the issues with the newer finishes. If I'm not mistaken, the S&W manual warns against using ammoniated solvents. Check the ingredients on your bottle. Chances are, ammonia is not one of the ingredients.

Even with the older formula, it probably helps if you don't soak your gun in it.

With that said, I currently use MPro7 as a cleaner and Lubriplate for lube since they're non-toxic.

I strictly use Liberal Tears brand solvent and lubricant for my guns. You can get it almost everywhere and it's extremely cheap, if not free, in most cases. The only downside to using it, you have to put up with the Whining Noise & Patchouli Smell coming from the dispensers.

Gotta give that MPRO-7 a try. Almost out of Remington Brite Bore, and CLP

I remember Hoppes Nitro Solvent dad used on his shotgun ,that stuff was very potent . Hoppes now is mostly oil, kerosene with small % watered down ammonia.

Ballistol for me but I've gotta try that Liberal Tears brand!

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Don't You Ever Wash That Thing

I love the smell; it takes me right back to my childhood. I am sure there are better, more modern cleaners out there for removing copper deposits in rifles
but Hoppe’s No9 is still fine for just getting powder residue out of handgun barrels.

My wife wanted a fragrance with a number on it for her birthday, so I got her a bottle of Hoppe’s No9...Much cheaper than Chanel No5...Willyboy

Been a few years, but a friend gave me his Smith. 22 m41 I think I, to play with. Total junk, not safe to shoot, and my old hoppes took the bluing off the barrel.

If he still has it i,ll try to get soom pics

I use Hoppe's No. 9 for cleaning my Model 10-5 & Model 58. Both have been re-blued by Smith & Wesson within the last four years. I clean the entire weapon and then wipe away excess. I leave a liberal coating in the bore overnight to bring out any fouling. This has had no deleterious effect on the finish of either revolver.

This system has stood the test of time for me. Others may know more though.

HTH.

JPJ

It's probably just another Urban Legend, like WD-40 resulting in Bluing turning Plum-colored.

That being said, there are more modern cleaners which do a better job, are non-toxic, and won't damage any kind of finish or material whatsoever, so there's no need to worry about anything while cleaning your guns.

Personally, I'm quite partial to Balistol and Frog Lube CLP, albeit the later is better used as a lubricant than as a cleaning solution, and the directions absolutely must be followed and used sparingly, otherwise it can gum up your firearm.

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Shooting Comfort is bilateral.

2 parts Shooters Choice and 1 part Kroil mix. Been using it forever and it works great.

I can't seem to find the info anywhere, but is Ballistol considered an ammoniated solvent?

My wife chases me out of the house when I've been using Hoppe's #9.
But I like the smell.

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Paul
Salome, AZ

I’ve had that happen as well, but only on guns that were touched-up with cold blue. I’ve used Hoppe’s #9 as a gentle cleaner for decades and it hasn’t harmed hot or rust bluing.

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"I also cook."

Nitro was very potent because it contained nitrobenzene. Unfortunately, it was very potent on humans, too.
It doesn't take fancy chemicals to do basic cleaning. Mineral spirits does a fine job of removing powder fouling.

Never heard of a problem with Hoppes and blued finish, but supposedly Hoppes and nickel finishes were a problem as the solvent could attack the underlying copper.

Not a problem with S&W's nickel finishes, no copper layer, just the base metal and nickel.



I have not had any problems with Hoppe's #9 and when I started, it was still Nitro #9. Then again, my blued firearms are old, I think the "newest" is a Taurus Model 96 that I bought in the mid-1990's.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

I have a really old bottle of Hoppe's #9 , late 1940 or early 1950 , full with instruction sheet still in the box . I don't clean guns with it ....
I use it for Aroma Therapy ... nothing smells so good as original #9 !
Brings back so many good memories of me "helping" my Dad clean his shotgun after a hunt . Love it !
Gary

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Certified Cajun
NRA Member

There are so many cleaning agents on the market. If you find one, and it works, why change your cleaning methods. I have been using MPRO7 for many years and they made a great bore cleaner. However, The company discontinued the bore cleaner and bought out Hoppy's #9 bore cleaner. I still use MPRO7 gun cleaner as my primary cleaner but now have better luck with using Hoppy's #9 bore cleaner to get rid of the fouling. MPRO7 copper cleaner works great for that copper fouling. I tried Remington bore cleaner and it is horrible. The product just does not do the job. Again, if you are using a product that works, why switch to another product?

Nick

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NRA Instructor\GCA Gunsmith

Nope, not at all.

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Old paratrooper in NC

Between the two of us, it comes to about 120 years of Hoppe's No.9 exposure, and we're still looking down at the grass.

But, as a Chem E. by training and education, I don't clean my guns with any solvent in a small closed space, I do wash hands thoroughly after use. I have several blued guns, including a couple Smith & Wessons that have been cleaned regularly with Hoppe's for over 50 years, and the only wear is holster and carry related.

The original Hoppes Number 9 had an agent in it that was harmful to the liver, but that was removed before virtually any of us of started using the product from what I've been told. If Hoppes was harmful to you, you can bet that the governmental health agencies would have banned it in the late 60s or early 70s when personal health matters became a banner topic for both politicians and bureaucrats.

Hoppes has never harmed any of my S&Ws finishes and I still use it almost exclusively on my revolvers and semi-autos.

If my wife had used Hoppes as a perfume when we dated, I would have married her much sooner than when I did.

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Keep your powder dry.

In truth you need very little solvent to get a gun clean. Honestly often I use none at all. Dry patches and brushes will do the job most of the time. Even cleaning a gun every week the amount you need to adequately get it done will have a 4 ounce bottle of hoppes ( or whatever other solvent you want to use) last a decade or so.
Insisting on white glove inspection clean after every use is time consuming and won’t gain you much for the effort.
In fact more guns are damaged or worn from overzealous cleaning than just about anything else.
If you need more than 10 minutes to get your revolver adequately clean to be depended on, you are most certainly wasting time.

I’ve tried them all. Currently using MPRO 7. Works ok. No better or worse than Hoppes 9 does. Bit I always finish off with a patch down the note and cylinders of Hoppes. Guns just don’t smell clean if I don’t smell Hoppes.

Here's a bottle from the late seventies or the early eighties.

Attached Images

DSC01769.jpg (219.2 KB, 36 views)

I used to buy Hoppes by the quart. I still use it with no problems. I think they just took the nitro benzene out, same with shooters choice. No more carbon tetra-chloride either. All the good stuff is gone.

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Pete
I ain't no fortunate son

I switched to Hoppe's Elite and Rand Bore and Bolt. Both work well, the Hoppe's Elite is indeed odorless, but I have a hard time getting it, so I've been using Rand Bore and Bolt lately. The Bore and Bolt does have a little bit of a scent, but works well, and supposedly is all natural and non toxic.

Sent from my SM-N976V using Tapatalk

Use on recentLy produced smith 57. No problems. I clean bore and chambers with number 9 . I will even use it on nickel but I do not leave it soaking or heavily covered with it.
Take what you hear on the internet with a grain of salt. This included😀

Thanks for all of your responses! According to their MSDS, no. 9 contains <1% each of ammonium hydroxide and diammoniun peroxodisulfate. Not a CE but seems to me to be a rather insignificant quantity of "ammonia". Any other thoughts on this? As for the smell - I use with adequate ventilation and it is not an issue. Also, the final step of cleaning my 586-8 is a light coat of Johnsons paste wax.

Lew

^^^ That right there, although I do not skimp on the solvent, which for me is usually mineral spirits.