I tried to search for it but it seems that my search-fu is weak.

Besides a coat of wax, what is the best cleaning solvent for a case hardened frame?

Will Hoppe's #9 damage it?

Is CLR safer?


Thanks in advance for the help.

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NRA Certified Instructor

It's been a long time since I had a case hardened gun but when I did I would clean it just like any other gun. If you have a nickle gun don't use any thing with ammonia in it. Hoppes # 9 has ammonia in it. Don

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"Don't worry be happy"

Don't use anything abrasive,,even the slightest bit abrasive, on case colors. You'll wear them right off.
You can lighten them up and take them off with something as common as an eraser.
It's used by engravers to give the 'gray' background effect sometimes around a figure or inlay inside of a border on a case colored or sometimes even a blued finish.
Much quicker and easier than messing around with a chemical to do the smaller tedious jobs.

Also chemical that would remove bluing,,will also remove case colors.
Any of the rust remover chemicals (Naval Jelly, ect) will almost instantly take them off.
The surface will still be hardened (case hardened) if in fact it was during the process,,but the colors will be gone.
Any of the home brew bluing removers & some bug sprays have a chemical that'll remove blueing & colors for you,,

Most case color jobs are coated with a clear or tinted coating after they are done. Anything from shellac (orange shellac was the most common original coating), laquer, a thin wiped on coating of most any decent stock poly finish, ect.

Oil will generally not remove the colors but can attract grime that becomes abrasive that will.
Another good reason for a thin protective coating on the metal.

They put some strange stuff in the bore solvents these days and not knowing what's in them, I'd keep them clear of the nice colors unless I knew for sure.

Case colors are just a fragile finish. No getting around it. Some will hold up better than others. Some will wear with little handling.

Most wear quicker than hot blued surfaces but since they are of a mottled look to begin with, general fading and wear isn't as noticable than patches of worn off bluing exposing grey steel underneath.

Are you referring to actual case hardened or case colored?

I have been cleaning case hardened parts on guns for 40+ years and I have used many different chemicals with no ill effects. In the old days Hoppes was my standard, but over the last 30 years RIG #2 Oil has been my go-to cleaner, lubricant and rust preventative. never had any case color issues.

Chief38

If it's case hardened w/colors,,all that I posted applys.

If it has case colors, but no surface hardening (it can be done),,it still applys.

It applys to both cyanide colors and those from the bone/charcoal process.

Even those colors produced by a chemical process as on the later Rugers and the Parker repro SxS's will dissappear quickly under any of the chemicals, rust removers or abrasives I mentioned.

Good old standard oil lubricant will not damage them. But the additives in many of todays super lubes can be suspect and finding out the hard way is a tough lesson.
Generally you'll only find something damaging in a bore solvent type cleaner.
Nothing fancy is needed. It's a nothing fancy process that's been around for centurys.
There's really no reason to 'clean' the colors anyway. They aren't going to get any brighter ,,only duller the more you rub & abrade over them. You can best protect them from wear and abrasion (and rust).
That's what a thin protective coating does best.

The only 100% guaranteed safe solution on case colors is hot soap and water, then throughly dry and coat with some Renaissance Wax.

I have a question about the case colored gun you may have...

If it is a more modern gun or a redone original with case colors, there is a slight chance than the finish may be coated with a thin coating of varnish. Most of all the S&W's with case hardened frames have a coat of varnish over the case hardening. It seems that Doug Turnbull and other refinshers/customizers started this process of coating the finishes in order to protect them, but in a very few cases it actually did more harm than good. If your is varnish coated, do not use any acetone/brake cleaner/gun scrubber or any harsh chemical compound on it because it will take off the varnish coating. Vintage pieces were never varnished- it seems that it is a 21st century phenomenon.

I've used Hoppes and Outers cleaners on case hardened guns and parts with no ill effects for decades so far...that does not mean they are 100% safe, but that has been my experience.

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Lost it all in a boat accident

So, CLR is gentle enough for cleaning and then dry and coat with Renaissance Wax?

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NRA Certified Instructor