SHOCKED AT PAUL HARREL CLEANING VIDEO!!

chief38

chief38

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I usually watch Paul's videos and agree with him about 85%-90% of the time. Last week he published a new video and on it he proceeds to clean an AR-15, a Beretta 92 and a S&W Centennial J frame outside on a picnic table. The shocking part is that he uses a bar of bath soap and water with a toothbrush. After cleaning, he douses the guns with more clean water from a 5 gallon dispenser! :eek:

While one could possibly make the argument that all the water would evaporate from the easily gotten to insides of the AR and the Beretta - there is no way in hell it is just going to evaporate from the inside of a Centennial without popping off the side-plate - and water will get in! Plus, who wants to leave guns laying on a picnic table in the sun waiting hours for them to dry! ?? :eek:

I left a post in the comment section of his video but he didn't really show any concern over that - just stating that he is never afraid of getting his guns wet and he has had them under water many times.

Why one would opt to use water which is about the worst thing I could think of in a region where he lives (very wet, damp and humid) instead of a proper gun cleaning solvent/lube/ preservative has me very perplexed - to say the least! You would think he'd want to get rid of all moisture instead of adding it.I could understand his procedure for Black Powder guns but these were all modern smokeless guns!

Everyone is certainly entitled to their own opinions but his choice for cleaning firearms really ruffled my feathers! Again, he does not live in the Arizona dessert - he lives in the Northwest where is rains/snows almost every day and is damp and humid! I'm still wondering of this video was published mostly for "shock value" or he really believes this is the best method for him to use in his area.

While he does state in the beginning that "this is not an instructional video and it is only the way he does it" - there will be plenty of "Paul Harrell Fanboys" that will duplicate what he does.

The video I am referring to came out on Oct 2nd and is on his Youtube channel if anyone is interested in watching it. Post what you think after watching it.
 
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I suspect that more than a few GI's will chime in about taking a hot shower with their weapon to get them past a fussy armorer.

A couple of white haired ones might even recall carrying M16s muzzle down during the monsoon season, for good reason. Rain counts as a bore obstruction...

'Course, the black powder cartridge guys, we use water all the time. Some well heeled ones use steam cleaners. Water displacing lubricants, and your wife's blow dryer can be useful too.

Gun's Turbo Cleaner, Accessories Professional accessories steam cleaning machine for muzzle loading and man.
 
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Senior moment?....Maybe he got himself and the guns mixed up. Would imagine that CLP would be a little rough on the skin :)
 
Don't see anything wrong with it-been using soap and water (actually dawn dishwashing detergent) and a toothbrush to clean all sorts of guns for years. Don't leave them in the sun to dry though. Last thing I do is pout boiling water from the tea kettle over them for a final rinse. They come out clean and lube free. Carefully relube and store. I was taught the boiling water method years ago in chemestry class as a way to completely clean lab equipment-had a "urethrea" moment realizing that it would work with guns as well and for the past 40 or so years have been happily cleaning guns that way. That is the absolutely best way to clean out a gummed up S&W revolver . Take the side plate off, loosen the built up crud with your solvent of choice and toothbrush, rinse it all off with boiling water and you are left with a totally clean and dry inside which you are not free to properly lube.
 
old tanker said:
I suspect that more than a few GI's will chime in about taking a hot shower with their weapon to get them past a fussy armorer.
Click to expand...

A 55 gallon drum cut in half, first one with boiling soapy water, the second one with boiling clean water will leave a rifle squeaky clean, in need of oil and grease as needed. :)


old tanker said:
A couple of white haired ones might even recall carrying M16s muzzle down during the monsoon season, for good reason. Rain counts as a bore obstruction...
Click to expand...

After a river or stream crossing, you had to hold the muzzle down and pull the charging handle part way back for the same reason, to drain the water.
 
Paul is a little short on armorer experience I'll wager. The big problem with water, and especially really hot soapy water (which tends to evaporate pretty quickly) on and in a firearm is that there are many nooks and crannies in there that will take on water by a sort of capillary action. The result is that the parts inside these holes and crevices will inevitably oxidize and their function will be compromised. The spring and plunger inside the rear of the bolt, the spring in the cylinder stop, the interior of the sideplate screw holes, and the parts inside the hammer and trigger would be classic examples. Just not a good idea IMO.

But, like one member posted, they're his guns. I wouldn't expect them to last very long using that water and soap regimen.

If you do have an accidental drowning of your firearm, remove the ammunition and grips, field strip or remove at least the sideplate and yoke/cylinder assembly if you are able, and use a hair dryer to blow hot air on the frame and removed parts until they are hot......so hot that you can't pick them up and hold them for long. Ten to fifteen minutes or so of this hot air on the parts will drive off any water on or in the gun. Compressed air is also good, and will dislodge water from the cavities, but it will not help dry the moisture after it is displaced.

After this treatment, I would still recommend taking the gun to the nearest trusted gunsmith (or your local armorer) for a checkup and re-lubrication of the interior.
 
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We took M16s in shower with us. This freaked me out. They also had cleaning station set up where water was so hot it evaporated off gun. We weren’t using soap it was GI bore cleaner. Stinking stuff I still have a couple quart cans from over 50yrs ago. Water isn’t going to hurt gun if it’s all dried off and relubed. I’ve fell in the creek with m34 and couldn’t rest until I took it totally apart cleaned and lubed. Carry 422 as fishing piece now.
 
It’s not unusual for Paul not to reply to comments about his videos. I like & watch him often, commented a few times but never received a response.
 
Hot soapy water works great If you’re shooting corrosive loads. I use it on my muzzleloaders, including a Ruger Old Army. It’s pretty easy to disassemble the OA action to scrub, rinse, dry and re-lube the internals. A modern revolver is different story. There’s no need to completely tear them down for routine cleaning when shooting non-corrosive ammo.

I suppose hot soapy water might work OK if you flushed the internals, blew the moisture out with compressed air, sprayed the inside with lubricant and blew it out again. Personally, I wouldn’t risk it.
 
I kinda liked the dishwasher idea, but mine is afraid to touch my guns! Actually, my washing machine has some sort of steam cleaning cycle and a removable basket to put in stuff like shoes, etc. I suppose that would work as long as you don't automatically throw them in the dryer. Then spray the Ballistol on everything and wipe it down. I don't let my guns get that dirty, but a new used one I would prefer electronic circuit board cleaner, rinse and repeat. That CBC cleans & dries like all get out and doesn't mess up plastic. But, the fumes are as fun as that PVC pipe cement & cleaner! Head-aches guaranteed.
 
I have boiled parts before in preparation for cold bluing. I’ve also washed Mosin parts in boiling water to pull cosmoline off the gun during cleanup.

I don’t think I’d trust myself with cold or warm soap and water-I don’t think I would be thorough enough in removing all of it.

But boiling water is A-okay.
 
He stated that he was taught that methods in the “Corps”. My buddy is a Marine. He disagrees, and was baffled by this suggestion. But, whatever works for you...
 
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I like some of what Paul Harrel publishes. But some of his methods are quite antiquated.

Someone described him as a sentient stack of Guns & Ammo magazines from the 80's and they weren't far off.
 
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