Polymer frame cleaning

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Timb1

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What are you using to clean your polymer framed pistols? I see little reason to completely strip the the polymer framed pistols to clean them. I have used brake cleaner in the past but I have always wondered if it if it was damaging the frame. I see videos of people using some type of simple green in ultrasonic cleaner. I do not have one yet but considering getting one soon. Anyone just field stripping your pistols and running them through an ultrasonic cleaner?
 
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I use Ballistol and water mix for the frame parts. I'll clean the bore with Hoppes #9 and/or Break-Free CLP. My Glocks usually get just CLP.
 
In the absence of a high quality ultrasonic machine (which very few of us can afford) and after field stripping, flush the lower with Tetra Triple Action Gun Spray, or your other favorite "polymer safe" aerosol cleaner.

Blow dry with compressed air if available, or allow to air dry.

Please read and follow the label warnings. When dealing with these types of volatile cleaners, always protect your eyes, and wear disposable gloves.


MSDS:

https://feeds.brownells.com/userdocs/MSDS/316-000-027_TETRA SYNTHETIC SAFE, 10OZ. - 316_default.pdf

My son is a Glock armorer. This is also the procedure he recommended.


Carter
 
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I have an Infante Ultrasonic in the shop that I will run guns through. It works well, as long as you follow all of the steps. I use their solution in it, as opposed to simple green.
 
I usually use the Birchwood Casey product, making sure to get the synthetic safe variety, but any of the appropriate sprays do a perfectly good job. I also bought a small compressor from Harbor Freight some while back and use that to blow dry everything. Air dry is acceptable but if I am cleaning more than one or two the compressor moves things along.
 
My Polymer frame guns are Glocks. Field stripping is all that's needed according to Glock. A light wipe down with CLP on a rag after a patch through the bore. Just a dab on the steel frame inserts.
 
I have a baby blue Walther CCP M2 that shows the dirt something terrible. To clean the grip area of the frame I have used a whitening toothpaste and an old toothbrush. It digs out all the crud that gets into the grip texture.
 
I only have one polymer gun and it's a Sig P365. I use either G96 synthetic CLP or Breakfree CLP in combination with a nylon toothbrush and a microfiber rag. They are both polymer friendly and do a very good job.
 
I use warm water, dishwashing liquid, and a tooth brush, and Q-tips. If the gun is super dirty, I'll simply will set aside 30 or so minutes to strip the frame while sitting on my couch watching a movie.

I did shoot 500 rounds of dirty 9mm range ammo through one of my handguns that ended up being caked with carbon, brass chippings, and a oily ooze. I had my LGS clean at in their ultrasonic cleaner, but it still didn't complete clean the gun or remove all of the wedged in debris.
 
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I'm cornfused. I have been cleaning EVERY gun with Hoppes #9 for over 60 years.

Do I need to do something different now for plastic guns? So far I only have a few. Have I damaged them?
 
You haven’t hurt anything using good old #9. I am wondering if there is a cheaper, easier, and quicker way to clean a polymer frame pistol. Just trying to keep up with new practices, but I still love #9.
 
Polymers all eventually experience 'reversion' (technical term for long chain polymer molecules releasing their bonds and changing material properties). it's only a matter of time before the slide on my Blamfire 6000 shears the molded in stops and flies back into someone's face. Since I rarely shoot it, I never clean it. I just keep it around in case of TEOTWAWKI. I keep it away from solvents, ozone and UV light to make it last longer. It will be some future person's problem.
 
Keep in mind they are polymer pistols. Made by the millions. Will never be collector’s items. If the plastic gets damaged, buy another one. They are cheap. Look at them as the cordless drills of the gun world.
I have never seen the need to use anything other than Hoppe’s #9 for all cleaning of non-black powder guns, including my Glocks. and I even use that on some of my BP guns.
 
Weaponshield CLP. Add CLP. Scrub. Wipe. Add more CLP to lube points. Shoot more. No reason to go all crazy cleaning handguns. We don’t eat off them!

The added chemicals, disassembling, etc just add wear and tear.

The CLP, functions by adding more. Cycling the action flushes out excess guck. Then wiping removes most of that. That is basically the CLP concept. Add CLP, cycle to flush out debris, add more CLP to lube.
 
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I’m pretty anal about cleaning my guns. I just bought a used M&P 2.0 Compact 3.6” and it looked hardly fired. I still cleaned it thoroughly. Magazines included. To get into the nooks and crannies within a frame a highly pressurized cleaner works great. Just use a polymer safe one on the frame and use non chlorinated brake cleaner on the slides. My 30 year old guns still look new and that’s the way I want my kids to inherit them one day.

Just make sure you lightly lube the gun after the spray treatment. Those spray cleaners remove all oil residue from the parts. And definitely wear glasses and gloves.
 
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