Cautious about soaking in Ed's Red.

[rct269]

I guess I'm not only old, but old school to boot!

My cleaning routine for every beat-up old S&W that ever came to live here goes like this:

Step 1. De-lead (and de-any and everything else) the bores (barrel and cylinder chambers). That's done with a SPECIAL tool that'll cost you maybe 2-3-4 dollars---one time---and last for the rest of your life---and the lives of your children, and the lives of your children's children--and their children!! Tend to the lead/etc. on the cylinder face and hind end of the barrel with a Birchwood Casey copper/bronze/whatever toothbrush, and some Hoppes #9.

Step 2. Completely disassemble the gun (except for barrel and action studs)

Step 3. Put everything to soak in mineral spirits for 2-3 days---or until I get back to it.

Step 4. Scrub the living bejesus out of every last piece----and all nooks/crannies/screw holes---and rinse with clean mineral spirits.

Step 5. Blow everything dry with DRY high pressure compressed air (125 psi line pressure).

Step 6. Hose everything down with CorrosionX, and let it sit for 2-3 days or until I get back to it.

Step 7. Blow off all the CorrosionX that'll come off with DRY high pressure compressed air.

Step 8. Stuff it all back together.

Step 9. Remove all the CorrosionX from the exterior with Hoppes #9, dry and polish with a soft, cotton cloth---because there's nothing uglier than a shiny blue gun with traces of oil on it.

Step 10. Put the gun on a shelf in the display case-----where a whole bunch of them have lived ever since we had the case made-----30+ years ago----with NO further attention other than dusting with a vacuum cleaner about twice a year (because the display case isn't air tight).

I was about to make a few caustic comments about cleaning guns with the contents of spray cans, but figure a few words about fishing tackle should suffice. Most folks seem to think fishing tackle is made to catch fish----not so! It's made to sell to fishermen.

Ralph Tremaine

Ah the hell with it! Cleaning guns by spraying the contents of a spray can into the action can't be beat for moving crud inside a gun from one place to another place inside the gun.

 

[xsexcess]

I have used / like the soap and hot water technique. Sometimes ladle boiling water over if I feel like it (stocks removed). My oven is old school like me and has a pilot light. I put the bits and pieces in the oven on a cookie sheet (bachelors can get away with this) and the mild warmth from the gas pilot light quickly dries everything.

Agree on Brownells being out of stock on anything I would normally to to them for, Midway too. I wonder, supply chain issues? Accountants pushing to eliminate slow moving items (dead capital)?

I use my Brownell's screwdriver set a lot. Mostly is great, but I find with fiddly little screws the magnet tip often jumps them out of the hole while I try to get bit into slot.

 

[Marine Corps Air]

I am not sure whether or not this helps, but IF you want to clean a gunked up firearm, boiling water does work.

+1 for Pisgah and xsexcess!

In July 1965 I started my way in the Marine Corps at Parris Island SC. We were issued new M-14s that were full of cosmoline. You wouldn't believe their condition! There was no way that we could get those rifles cleaned. Our Drill Instructors filled 55 gallon cans with water and added a kersone burner to boil the water. We removed the stocks, and then lowered the "barrel and receiver group" in to the water using a coat hangar attached to the muzzle. It worked like a charm. The boiling water completely removed the cosmoline and also the high heat from caused the water to evaporate. No rust!

Then it was time to work out with our tooth brushes!

I have no doubt that this method will also work for CMP firearms.

If I had not seen it myself, I never would have believed it!

Cheers!

Bill

 

[glowe]

I will state again that choke-n-carb cleaner aerosol and compressed air will clean the mechanism very well. Sideplate off, stocks off, spray and wait, then use air blaster to flush out crud and cleaner. Repeat a few times until all signs of varnish/gunk are gone, then oil and you are done. I always remove cylinder/yoke and clean it by hand.