How do you clean your plastic magazine followers?

TTSH · Apr 24, 2016

Okay, stupid gun maintenance question of the day: How do you clean your badly-fouled plastic magazine followers?

The main reason I'm asking is that I've bought a lot of used "pre-ban" 3rd Gen magazines lately and some of the older followers are fouled & crusted up so badly that you can't even tell what color they are. If it were not for the fact that some S&W 3rd Gen magazines are determined to be "pre-bans" by the color or shade of their followers, I'd replace them all with brand spanking new ones today!

But I can't.

Anyway, one reason I'm asking is that I've got an ultrasonic cleaner here and I'm wondering if it's safe to use it on my badly fouled plastic followers.

Or could it weaken them?

Likewise, I'd like to know if there is any harm in using a product called "Goo Gone" (or "Goo Gone Pro") on them?

Bottom line is that I don't want to weaken or crack them because I don't want to have to replace them with new ones and risk the wrath of the anti-2A cops and prosecutors in my moonbat state. On the other hand, I'd really like to get them as clean as possible.

So what do you do (or would you do) and what wouldn't you do with these nasty old followers to get them clean without cracking, weakening or otherwise damaging them?

bigggbbruce · Apr 24, 2016

Spritz of Remoil and a wipe down.

OKFC05 · Apr 24, 2016

I use CRC silicone spray to clean magazines. Disassemble, wipe everything clean and DRY, then reassemble. The Heptane solvent used is a superb cleaner....100 years ago was used to clean your suit, commonly called white gas (don't smoke while using it!!)

tcon · Apr 24, 2016

Really dirty mags, disassemble and wash everything in hot soapy water. Let dry completely. Spray parts with Hornady "One-Shot Gun Cleaner and Dry Lube". Reassemble. If there's a hole in the mag to allow access with the red spray tube that comes with the Hornady Aerosol, give the insides another quick squirt. The stuff dries and leaves a film. Once done this way, your mags won't attract dirt.

Oh... and don't use Goo Gone on anything plastic unless you test it on a non-important part. It melts certain plastics.

chief38 · Apr 24, 2016

I personally use Rig #2 Oil which removes all the fouling but does not harm plastic. Whatever you use - check the label to make sure it will cause no harm. Any doubts - call the Company.

Alk8944 · Apr 24, 2016

If you mean getting them CLEAN, all bright and shiny so they look brand new? Forget it, this isn't going to happen! The plastic is just porous enough that carbon (soot) is actually absorbed slightly by the surface.

Wipe them down with whatever you use to clean the gun such as Hoppes, Rem Oil, CLP, Naptha, Coleman fuel, etc. Organic solvents such as those listed, plus Carbon Tetrachloride, Perchlorethane, Trichloroethane, etc. will not damage the plastic.

TTSH · Apr 25, 2016

Thanks to all who posted their experience and suggestions. I have already tried the "usual suspects" and, for the most part, I'm not all that pleased with the results. Some of the less crapped-up plastic followers cleaned up fairly well as one would expect. Unfortunately, the worst ones are still pretty nasty; hence, my idea about using the ultrasonic cleaner (with or without heat) and/or somewhat stronger solvents. But again, I can't afford to ruin the followers just for the sake of getting them clean.

Alk8944 said:
If you mean getting them CLEAN, all bright and shiny so they look brand new? Forget it, this isn't going to happen! The plastic is just porous enough that carbon (soot) is actually absorbed slightly by the surface.

I'd like to know how to get them as clean as possible without getting to the point where I risk damage to them. That's the bottom line. I'm sure these "pre-ban" plastic followers have gotten brittle and weak just from age alone. I'm sure the plastic surface is "burnt" to a certain extent, especially on the yellow .40 caliber followers (which are clearly the worst ones).

I'm not seeing a lot of love here for the ultrasonic cleaner approach so I'll drop that idea. I also hesitate to let them soak in some of the harsher solvents for a long period of time. Maybe I've gone about as far as I should at this point and we should just call it good.

Thanks again for your input!

fiasconva · Apr 25, 2016

Just a quick thought...has anyone tried just sticking those plastic followers in the dishwasher?

TTSH · Apr 25, 2016

fiasconva said:
Just a quick thought...has anyone tried just sticking those plastic followers in the dishwasher?

Oh Lordy!

I think those old pre-ban followers of mine would disintegrate or melt from the heat in mine!

bountyhunter · Apr 25, 2016

TTSH said:
Okay, stupid gun maintenance question of the day: How do you clean your badly-fouled plastic magazine followers?

Mpro is good for plastic. You can also use regular dishwashing soap.

fiasconva · Apr 29, 2016

TTSH, even if you put them on the top shelf?

TTSH · Apr 29, 2016

fiasconva said:
TTSH, even if you put them on the top shelf?

Well, heat certainly rises... and we have lost a lot of plastic containers on the top rack to that heat.

If those pre-ban followers were replaceable, I might try it. But right now I just can't take that risk.

Fastbolt · May 2, 2016

How about some pics? I've seen nasty, but no doubt there's a level of nasty I've yet to see.

TTSH · May 3, 2016

Fastbolt said:
How about some pics? I've seen nasty, but no doubt there's a level of nasty I've yet to see.

LOL!!!

I guess I should have taken some pix before I started the whole clean-up project.

Funny thing is that I didn't buy the very worst ones of all. They are, no doubt, still back at the shop where I found them.

Next time I'm there, I'll see if they'll let me take a few pix.

++++++++

As a coincidental side note, I'm going to be pulling out the ultrasonic cleaner for some unrelated tasks today. I'm still not completely happy with where I ended up with the yellow followers so I'm going to try the ultrasonic on a sample or two and see where that gets me.

TTSH · May 4, 2016

TTSH said:
As a coincidental side note, I'm going to be pulling out the ultrasonic cleaner for some unrelated tasks today. I'm still not completely happy with where I ended up with the yellow followers so I'm going to try the ultrasonic on a sample or two and see where that gets me.

Well, about ten 8-minute runs (so far) on those nasty pre-ban yellow .40 followers and they are still nasty.

Better for sure, but still kind of nasty.

I can live with the remaining stains & discolorations at this point but I've gone this far already so I'm going to continue with the ultrasonic cleaner this morning. It's probably a case of diminishing returns at this point, but why not?

I will say this: My orange and red 9mm followers, which weren't nearly as bad, cleaned up very nicely using the ultrasonic cleaner. I was pleased with how they came out and will use that approach again. They practically look like brand spanking new.

Targets Guy · May 4, 2016

ballistol is what I use.

TTSH · May 4, 2016

TTSH said:
I can live with the remaining stains & discolorations at this point but I've gone this far already so I'm going to continue with the ultrasonic cleaner this morning. It's probably a case of diminishing returns at this point, but why not?

Well, after much more ultrasonic cleaner time, here they are.

Not so bad anymore.

And notice how I found there were three distinct follower colors under all that crusty old powder residue: Left-to-right, dark yellow (2), light or bright yellow (3), and sort of a greenish-yellow (3). What I thought were stains were really just followers of a different shade.

Well, at least I think that's the case.

Still not perfect and new, but 1,000 percent better than when I bought them.

I'm pleased!

OK Hog Shooter · May 4, 2016

Whaaaat??? [emoji50] Clean a mag???? If it functions ok... why mess with it?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

TTSH · May 5, 2016

OK Hog Shooter said:
Whaaaat??? [emoji50] Clean a mag???? If it functions ok... why mess with it?

Hmmmm. Not sure if serious.

Now I really wish I had taken a "before" photo so you could have seen how ridiculously nasty they were.

Just to be clear, these are not my regular .40's. These are extras I picked up this past year... all pre-ban (pre-1994) and not looking like they've been cleaned or cared for at all since then.

On top of that, I left the ones that were even worse.

Now I may go back and buy the rest!

They were pretty cheap.

2ffat · May 5, 2016

TTSH said:
Now I may go back and buy the rest! They were pretty cheap.

If you do, remember to send us pics. I'm curious.

How do you clean your plastic magazine followers?

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