Damage from Cleaning "Lower Receiver"

[plinx]

If I get cleaning fluid (Otis brand) or Ballistol into the part of my 15-22 which I think is called the "lower receiver" (has trigger-mechanism in it), does this damage the gun in any way?

Also, does it damage the 15-22 if you don't clean it before shooting it?

 

[imashooter2]

No and maybe.

The lower receiver is impervious to standard gun cleaning fluids.

Whether or not you damage your gun by shooting without cleaning depends on what sort of dirt or grit is present in the rifle and where that dirt or grit is.

 

[RedNeck Jim]

Also, does it damage the 15-22 if you don't clean it before shooting it?

I was always taught to clean before shooting. Assuming you verified the bore is not obstructed, I would think you would be OK to shoot... but why chance it? Cleaning a new gun helps you to familiarize yourself with the weapon, allows you to verify there is no obstruction, allows you to verify the moving parts are properly lubed plus allows you to perform safety checks.

I see lots of positives for cleaning first. None for shooting first.

 

[plinx]

Whether or not you damage your gun by shooting without cleaning depends on what sort of dirt or grit is present in the rifle and where that dirt or grit is.

I'm referring to a new fresh-out-of-box rifle that hasn't been cleaned & lubed before shooting; and still has whatever factory lubes (if any) were on it.

 

[Road Man]

I'm referring to a new fresh-out-of-box rifle that hasn't been cleaned & lubed before shooting; and still has whatever factory lubes (if any) were on it.

Fresh out of the box firearms can vary wildly with regard to cleanliness.

If the bore is not obstructed then it is likely that no real damage would be done. However, I agree that cleaning a new gun is an important first step in gun ownership.

On a 15-22 cleaning the bolt and rails may help with reliability. Cleaning the barrel may have some bearing on longevity.

Generally metal on metal areas will benefit form lubrication. Oil left on metal surfaces will attract contaminants that might eventually inhibit lubrication or even cause abrasion damage. Generally a trigger on an AR style rifle does not need lubrication. It needs to be clean. A very light lubrication might be beneficial, however there is a fine line between light and too much. Too much will attract dirt, and the dirt will likely be bad.

I don't lubricate any components in the lower receiver. I usually just blow out the lower with compressed air and call it good. Sometimes a wipe down with a lint free cloth, but I don't dwell on the lower.

In the upper I really only pay attention to the breech face. The barrel extension and face of the bolt are where I spend some cleaning time, but I try to wipe off any cleaning fluids and oils. I try only to leave a very light coat of oil on the bolt and barrel extension. The feed ramp needs some attention, but is left only very lightly lubricated. The rails that the bolt moves on get a light to moderate coating of oil, but not a heavy coating.

 

[tomcatt51]

I always run a patch thru the barrel of a new gun before shooting it. I like to KNOW there isn't left over crud in there. Fact is I tear most everything down before shooting it. Partly to make sure nothing is in there that shouldn't be and some things, like modding S&W revolvers for endshake bearings, are best done before the surfaces wear.

Some new guns are clean but some have a surprising amount of debris and machining chips inside. I just like to be sure.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

My guess is that a majority of guns sold are taken out of the box, loaded and fired. I've read a lot of crazy whacky things here, but I can't remember anyone posting they damaged a new 1522 due to not cleaning.
Run a patch through the barrel and inspect the gun for anything amiss. Enjoy.

 

[TheMaineEvent]

It's generally a good idea to clean a new firearm so you remove any protective material from the factory, ensure it's clean, and properly lubed and protected.

Some lubes, such as frog lube and ballistol, protect and lube by getting into the pores of the metal. As such, I think it's good to give a new firearm the first layer of protection if you're using something that "bonds" with the metal.

Also, follow up cleanings are easier since the carbon tends to come off much easier due to the base layer that was put down. Again, I'm referring to products like I mentioned above. I don't know as it would make a difference if you used something else, but you mentioned Ballistol, which is a great product BTW.

 

[thezoltar]

Chattanoogaphil is, sadly, correct. I work at a range and see this all the time. It's not only new shooters either. Lots of people buy a gun and head straight to the range. About half of them have no issues at all and half have all sorts of issues from just bad accuracy to loading or ejection failures on semiautos. I've seen revolvers that won't open because the packing grease is gummed up from the first six shots. So, if you choose to shoot before cleaning just be aware that any failures of proper operation are most likely not the fault of the gun itself.

 

[little_airwolf]

Being plastic. Arent some cleaners bad for the plastic?

 

[gm272gs]

Old and new gun cleaners won't harm any modern plastic/polymer parts. Some of the old bakelite parts on old guns (say, 1930s to 1950s) may be affected, though.

Don't ever use stuff that "works just as good" as gun cleaner on your polymer gun (like brake parts or carburetor cleaner) because some mook on YouTube said it was a great idea.

A lot of those automotive cleaners have acetone, toluene, heptane, xylene, and ethyl benzene in them. All of which can destroy certain plastics to a certain degree.

 

[little_airwolf]

Ya break cleaner and break oil is really bad stuff. I heard it does horrible stuff to paint jobs on cars.
I also heard solomi and other meats do this too.

Back to guns. Yes cleaning gun parts with cleaner that osnt used for guns is just silly.

 

[Road Man]

There is automobile brake cleaner. This solvent is made for cleaning car parts that get extremely dirty from the brakes on your car. Automobile brake cleaner is pretty aggressive stuff.

There are gun cleaners called "Break-Free". These are gun cleaners and not automotive parts cleaners. These "Brake-Free" gun cleaners are a lot less aggressive and should be safe on most gun parts.

I sometimes think that new gun owners may not know the difference. When cleaning a firearm use the solvent made for guns, not cars, they are very different solvents.

I am sure that there are people out there that use the automotive brake cleaner on their firearms. I don't, but "Break-Free" CLP is some pretty decent stuff.

 

[Boz]

A lot of those automotive cleaners have acetone, toluene, heptane, xylene, and ethyl benzene in them. All of which can destroy certain plastics to a certain degree.

As I understand it, destroying plastic is the least of the problems with certain cleaners such as brake cleaner. If the brake cleaner contains Tetrachloroethylene, the combustion (heat) of the gun powder might cause the brake cleaner to "decompose to harmful or fatal corrosive gases such as hydrogen chloride and possibly phosgene". Nasty stuff to breathe or get on your skin. Best to use approved gun cleaning solutions.

As to cleaning a brand new firearm, I would. As others have said, you want to make sure the firearm is in good working order before putting the first round through the barrel.

I see it as no different than someone handing you a firearm. Regardless whether the person handing you the firearm check to make sure the firearm was clear, it is your responsibility to double-check once handed to you. Smith and Wesson may have checked the 15-22 for functionality at the factory, but it is your responsibility to double-check functionality once the 15-22 is in your possession. Safety first.

 

[johncal]

Sorry, but I just have to say it.

You use BRAKE cleaner. It's for BRAKES.

You can BREAK your gun.

 

[plinx]

Tried shooting again today at ~25 yards. Didn't notice any changes in accuracy. I'm guessing things are working ok.

 

[Jaymo]

As I understand it, destroying plastic is the least of the problems with certain cleaners such as break cleaner. If the break cleaner contains Tetrachloroethylene, the combustion (heat) of the gun powder might cause the break cleaner to "decompose to harmful or fatal corrosive gases such as hydrogen chloride and possibly phosgene". Nasty stuff to breathe or get on your skin. Best to use approved gun cleaning solutions.

As to cleaning a brand new firearm, I would. As others have said, you want to make sure the firearm is in good working order before putting the first round through the barrel.

I see it as no different than someone handing you a firearm. Regardless whether the person handing you the firearm check to make sure the firearm was clear, it is your responsibility to double-check once handed to you. Smith and Wesson may have checked the 15-22 for functionality at the factory, but it is your responsibility to double-check functionality once the 15-22 is in your possession. Safety first.

Brake cleaner evaporates completely, leaving no residue.

Carburetor cleaner is a fantastic powder solvent.

Brake cleaner is a fantastic degreaser.

This is very over-hyped.

The Nylon compounds used in guns are impervious to auto solvents.
Now, if you cleaned your combat Tupperware with battery acid, you'd see some serious degradation.

 

[johncal]

Here's a list of chemical resistance for Nylon 6 & 66. You're pretty safe with almost anything unless you're a mad scientist just IMO. The stuff that would hurt it would only be if you soaked it for extended periods but most of that stuff would kill you before hurting the polymer. You can see what would hurt it on the list. Surprisingly bleach (chlorine) is really harmful, but I can't imagine cleaning the rifle with bleach.

Let me further clarify this. I have done a lot of research on the net, and this seems to be everybody's best guess. I also worked with a lot of nylon 66 in my day and I would say this looks, feels, performs, etc. to be exactly what it is. If anyone has proof positive that it's not nylon 66 from S&W please correct me. I don't want to mislead anyone. Regardless of manufacturer, all nylon materials will respond pretty much the same way. The big thing that improves the strength and stiffness is how much fiberglass is in the mix.

(click the expand box in the corner to see the entire document)

 

[Boz]

Brake cleaner evaporates completely, leaving no residue.

It's not about residue or allowing brake cleaner enough time to completely evaporate outside when there's no one around. In fact, just the opposite. Brake cleaner takes time to evaporate and a little pocket or puddle would take longer. Heat would speed up the vaporization. Breathing brake cleaner while it is evaporating or when vaporized by heat, is not advised. It's about before, not after it's gone.

 

[Mcwsky09]

I used brake cleaner on a part that didn't realize was painted and it took of some of the paint. Mosin Nagant caked in cosmoline. I have refinished the stock and had to reblue part of the barrel but have to refinish the magwell and some other parts yet.
I would only recommend brake cleaner for part that are similar to brake rotors, that is to say bare metal without any fancy finish and only as a first step in a cleaning/lubricating process.