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REParker

REParker

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... which, as we all know, are like navels: everybody has one and they're all different.

I've been cleaning guns now for some 64 years and counting. I've always used Hoppe's, brass brushes, swabs and the usual accoutrement that we've all pretty much grown up with, with reasonable success. Here lately though I've heard that Hoppe's changed it's formula with differing opinions about the new stuff's value. Additionally, in the intervening years there are myriad new "gee whiz!" products that have surfaced with their various cheerleaders and detractors. Sprays, soaks and dunks, vibratory machines, etc., etc., ad nauseum.
What are you guys using? Any remarkable results you can share? Anything particularly good or particularly bad that you've discovered? I'm almost out of original Hoppe's and before I go squandering my cremation money on new stuff, I thought I'd ask.
Thanks in advance. Ed
 
Still using Hoppe's. It still works for about 95% of my cleaning needs. If I need to deal with some heavy duty copper fowling or serious lead deposits I have other options, but mostly Hoppe's still works. I prefer the smell of the old formula, but I isn't that big a deal, at least not to me.
 
First off let me say I clean every gun every time it gets shot so they don't normally get all that dirty. For regular routine cleaning I use G96 Synthetic CLP (yellow 4 oz. bottle). IMHO it is better than the old standby, BreakFree, CLP. BF - CLP is very good but I find that the G96 actually cleans a little better and still has the lubricating and protecting properties as BF does.

Once in a while I shoot the hell out of a certain gun and get a little more crud in the barrel and cylinders. For that I use Hoppes 9. Up until recently I had a bunch of bottles of the old Hoppes 9 formula and it worked GREAT! Well, I finally ran out and started using the newer Hoppes 9. It does not clean quite as well but it is a bit less toxic as they removed the Benzene from it. Benzene is really bad stuff and when I used it I always wore latex gloves and opened up my garage doors. I ran a fan as well. The new stuff still works better than most solvents I know of. I still wear the latex glove these days.

HINT: If you try and like the G96, Synthetic do not buy it in the 4 ounce bottles (after the initial bottle you buy to try) - too expensive. Buy it directly from the company itself and get a liter or larger bottle. They sell it direct and it is way way less expensive per ounce. I just keep refilling the small convenient 4 oz. bottle.
 

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MPro7 is a great all-purpose cleaner and pretty inexpensive. I'm normally in the "elbow grease over chemicals" camp.

I also use Mobil 1 synthetic for both carbon cleaning and general lubrication. It's stupid cheap and you can soak small parts in it. A Ziplock bag full of it and smaller parts like AR bolts work great in the ultrasonic. Ultrasonic is mostly for my suppressor baffles, and for those I use the "purple" all-purpose cleaner as my cleaning solution.

I stopped buying fancy gun cleaning stuff a long time ago, and am richer for it.
 
hkcavalier said:
MPro7 is a great all-purpose cleaner and pretty inexpensive. I'm normally in the "elbow grease over chemicals" camp.

I also use Mobil 1 synthetic for both carbon cleaning and general lubrication. It's stupid cheap and you can soak small parts in it. A Ziplock bag full of it and smaller parts like AR bolts work great in the ultrasonic. Ultrasonic is mostly for my suppressor baffles, and for those I use the "purple" all-purpose cleaner as my cleaning solution.

I stopped buying fancy gun cleaning stuff a long time ago, and am richer for it.
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You may be right - maybe wrong. Since I am not a chemical engineer I do not the know chemical property differences between gun and motor oils. A liter of the G96 lasts a few years so truthfully it won't make me much richer or poorer. No argument in that the Mobil One is less expensive but I would think there is somewhat of a difference since Mobil one is made mostly to fight the heat of an internal combustion engine. Again, you might be correct and I might just be throwing money away - but I do what works for me and I can sleep at night - lol. I know there are many who use Mobil One so I can't argue with you as I have never tried it.
 
Gun cleaners and lubricants are like ammunition....manufacturers are always coming out with new and "better" stuff. Really, almost all of the new products are simply designed to make a buck. I've been using Hoppe's No. 9 for almost sixty years and it has served me well. In my rifles, I will ocassionally run a patch of copper solvent down the bore to remove any copper build-up. I've never seen the need with handguns. I also use Break Free CLP as my lube. I maintained the GAU-8, 30mm cannon, on the A-10 for several years. Break Free is what we used on that. If it's good enough for the GAU-8, it's good enough for my guns.
 
I’ve used Slip 2000 or MPro 7, but mainly due to the odor, or lack there of. They seem to clean decent. I still have Hoppes for use on occasion.
 
I think I paid about $65 for a liter bottle of the Synthetic G96. I get about 2 years out of it so that comes to $2.71 per month. I can handle that. ;)
 
I'm still using Hoppes (traditional formula) for bore cleaning, but I also have some Ed's Red mixed up in a bottle in the garage. On the stainless guns I tend to use either Ballistol/water mix or Break-Free CLP. I find on the stainless steel and nickel boron AR bolt groups, that CLP use prevents the tarnishing and discoloration I sometimes experience with strong solvents.
 
oO_Rogue_Oo said:
If I'm soaking a gun then I use a 50/50 mixture of diesel and a good quality motor oil. For brushing / cleaning CLP/ For lead / copper fouling; I use mercury
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Mercury is great for removing lead, assuming that you want to use it in the first place, but it’s poor for copper. I have mercury, but haven’t had a problem not solved with more traditional bore cleaners and copper solvents.
 
10 years plus on all handguns...RIM oil
Rem Oil (by Remington) is a popular mineral-oil-based cleaner, lubricant, and protectant (CLP) containing Teflon®, widely used for firearms, fishing reels, and preventing corrosion on metal surfaces. It penetrates, reduces metal-to-metal wear, displaces moisture, and leaves a thin, long-lasting protective film, available in aerosol or liquid

1770076150997.webp
 
Hoppe's #9 is good enough for me. dissolves the lead rings on the cylinder face. wipe down entire gun with break free afterwards.
 
dben002 said:
10 years plus on all handguns...RIM oil
Rem Oil (by Remington) is a popular mineral-oil-based cleaner, lubricant, and protectant (CLP) containing Teflon®, widely used for firearms, fishing reels, and preventing corrosion on metal surfaces. It penetrates, reduces metal-to-metal wear, displaces moisture, and leaves a thin, long-lasting protective film, available in aerosol or liquid

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I used Remoil for 2 years or so and never had any complaints. I know there are hater's out there but Remoil never gave me any issues. The main reason I dropped it was because I do not like using aerosol sprays. Remoil also came in a 1ounce tiny dropper bottle at a ridiculous price but was never available in a larger, less costly size.
 
I've used Hoppes since the beginning. I learned about it from Dad and Grandpa.

I had 2 bottles that were umpteen years old and they worked fine. Just had to buy a new bottle last year and I don't see a difference in performance

I only shoot jacketed bullets for hunting. 99% of my shots are with hard cast liquid alox lubed home cast boolets. I don't get leading anyway.

All these other chemicals that y'all speak about are foreign to me. Before reading about it on the internet I would never have thought to use anything other than #9.
 
I have so much junk to clean guns with it’s crazy! Shotguns get treated differently. Mostly mineral spirits for them, and often I use that stuff for pistols. I shoot mostly lead bullets, and mineral spirits cleans up cast bullet debris nicely.

Nothing works for lead in pistol barrels except scrubbing. 🤬

There are lots of good copper solvents for rifles. I recently started using Patch Out and have to admit, so far, I like it. I have several other copper solvents, and all of them seem to work. I keep original Hoppe’s on hand, along with Marvel’s mystery oil, Blue Juice, LSA, Kroil, and ATF-Acetone mix. All are used for different things. Also keep two or three different greases - likewise used for different things. Super Lube grease is a favorite for shotguns since I can’t recall ever having it stain shirts or vests.

It’s great to have (too many) choices. 😁

Edit - Forgot to mention Sheath/Barricade, which is not really a cleaner so much as a metal protectant. I never use the proverbial “oily rag” anymore to protect finishes.
 
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series guy said:
I use Ballistol for everything. Works great and is skin safe.
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I don't doubt for a second how well it works - many here wear by it. That said, I just couldn't deal with the stench! I gave 3 brand new cans away to one of my friends down the street. Just last Saturday evening at dinner, his wife was telling me and complaining about how bad it smells and how it stinks up the garage. She was was not happy that I gave him the Ballistol! If they could get rid of the stench I would probably use the stuff but in its present form - no way Jose! Don't care how well it works or how safe it is - lol.
 
I still use Hopps if its really dirty but over the years I have gone to as much non toxic stuff as possible. Ballistol is a favorite. When I get a used pistol or rifle thats really neglected though I actually use rubbing alcohol for the cleanings far as small parts and the exterior goes. For barrels I use ... this will sound a little crazy...coconut oil. I cake the barrel chamber with it and let it sit then start scrubbing a few hours later. It works. After I clean everything out with hot dishsoap water and just put a light coat of ballistol on everything. No toxic chemicals to eat up my hands or give me cancer etc. Most of the time I dont need to resort to using Hopps but sometimes I still use it. Wife hates the smell though (even though I like it) so Hopps is usually on the backburner most of the time.

I really dont struggle keeping firearms clean but I clean them after every range trip so because I like them perfectly cleaned and lubed. Some of the used stuff I pick up though it seems they were never cleaned since before the factory put preservative oil/grease on them. this includes Magazines BTW. I learned a long time ago guns are a lot easier to clean if they are kept clean and dont have massive amounts of neglect. Ive also never found it a huge burden to clean my firearms. Put on a movie and set everything on the coffee table (on a towel of course) and do what needs to be done. Its a nice feeling to always pick up a clean and well lubed firearm thats been taken care of. Not to start a war on here but a lot of firearms owners are just lazy when it comes to their "stuff". It doesnt take very long and its not difficult. It also give you a chance to inspect things and look for wear so bad things dont start happening. People should respect what they spend their hard earned money on IMO regardless of how much "market value" it has. I treat our Hi-points the same as I treat our HKs. Makes no difference to me that one is cheap and the other is not. Its very rare I have any mechanical problems with firearms once they run correctly and are kept clean.

However... I dont go to the range and blow through 5,000 rounds in a weekend. Few hundred yes... all these people claiming they shoot thousands of rounds in a day though is foreign to me... IF they actually are doing it which I highly doubt unless they are sponsored competition shooters.
 
chief38 said:
I don't doubt for a second how well it works - many here wear by it. That said, I just couldn't deal with the stench! I gave 3 brand new cans away to one of my friends down the street. Just last Saturday evening at dinner, his wife was telling me and complaining about how bad it smells and how it stinks up the garage. She was was not happy that I gave him the Ballistol! If they could get rid of the stench I would probably use the stuff but in its present form - no way Jose! Don't care how well it works or how safe it is - lol.
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LOL .. My wife hates the smell of Ballistol as well. I like it and it doesnt bother me but yes it has a strong odor. Eezox is incredible too but it has a strong odor. My favorite for smell is Shooters Choice FP10 CLP but thats reserved for certain all stainless pistols where its required. Remoil gives me a headache.. I dont use that anymore plus I dont think its all that great for anything other than maybe a wipe down.
 
I've tried and still have just about everything offered in the past 50 years. I use the product that's intended for a specific task. Cleaners aren't lubes and lubes aren't cleaners. Smokeless powder cleaners don't work well for BPC, and vice versa. I've found most work well for their intended purpose. As far as smell, Ballistol smells like soiled underwear but works amazingly well. So I don't care about smell, only performance. Boiling hot water and a good brush still works as a bore cleaner, just a light lube after that.
 
Oil Field Trash said:
I've tried and still have just about everything offered in the past 50 years. I use the product that's intended for a specific task. Cleaners aren't lubes and lubes aren't cleaners. Smokeless powder cleaners don't work well for BPC, and vice versa. I've found most work well for their intended purpose. As far as smell, Ballistol smells like soiled underwear but works amazingly well. So I don't care about smell, only performance. Boiling hot water and a good brush still works as a bore cleaner, just a light lube after that.
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Like I stated, Ballistol is an excellent product and works wonderfully - - reported by many thousands of gun owners. I would never say otherwise - it's just that for me I could never use it because it makes me gage and want to heave!

Any CLP will never clean as well as a dedicated solvent. It will never protect as well as a dedicated product such as RIG Universal. It will never lubricate as well as a Moly will. All that said, it is a one shot product that does all 3 "adequately" as long as the gun you are using it on has has been kept up with and hasn't been neglected. Since my guns always get cleaned at the end of every shooting session, they never get all that bad. If I go out and shoot any particular gun 200 - 300 rounds I do not use the CLP for cleaning - I go straight to Hoppes 9, then use the CLP afterwards.

Some people are more sensitive to smells than others. Some are quite tolerant and don't care either way. If I see an opened can of Ballistol on a friends workbench I just walk the other way. On the other hand, I LUV the scent of Hoppes 9 - some don't.
 
chief38 said:
I don't doubt for a second how well it works - many here wear by it. That said, I just couldn't deal with the stench! I gave 3 brand new cans away to one of my friends down the street. Just last Saturday evening at dinner, his wife was telling me and complaining about how bad it smells and how it stinks up the garage. She was was not happy that I gave him the Ballistol! If they could get rid of the stench I would probably use the stuff but in its present form - no way Jose! Don't care how well it works or how safe it is - lol.
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Yes, I fully agree.

Ballistol doesn't just stink, it is a highly offensive puke-inducing stink. I bought a bottle but could hardly clean even the first handgun before having to leave the garage for some fresh air. My wife hated even more than I did. As the old saying goes, "it could gag a maggot".

Over the decades I have tried many gun oils and cleaners, including most of the ones mentioned in this thread. Some I like better than others and most work decently enough under good conditions. I even have some home mixed products (like Ed's Red) that my older brother has given to me. Also tried the synthetic motor oils. Each person has their favorite product(s). Since I'm also a cyclist, I see these same type cleaning/lubrication threads on cycling forums, including those posters who strongly favor the home mixtures. I'm not one of them nor a fan of motor oils on my guns or bikes. But that's just me and other opinions are as valid as mine.

Another old saying in shotgun circles is that "life's too short to carry an ugly gun". It's also too short to be smell offended each time I clean a gun, so I eventually put the Ballistol where it belonged. Zip tied in a plastic bag and dumped in the garbage can.
 
I still use Mineral Spirits/Paint Thinner mostly, but have some Trichroethane that works just as well. I quart of mineral spirits lasts forever.
 
Jimbo41 said:
Mercury is great for removing lead, assuming that you want to use it in the first place, but it’s poor for copper. I have mercury, but haven’t had a problem not solved with more traditional bore cleaners and copper solvents.
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Actually for stubborn copper the best I've found is a 50/50 mixture of hydrogen peroxide and white vinegar. That said, I have found that very often a few seconds with mercury will remove much of the copper fouling I have run into without the soaking needed with other solution such as mentioned above. As far as more traditional cleaners; mercury IMHO is more "traditional" than anything I can think of. And nothing I know of emulsifies lead faster. Also avoids any scrubbing or wear of parts. All in all the best solution available assuming use of common sense and a few simple safety precautions.
 
daveboy said:
Gun cleaners and lubricants are like ammunition....manufacturers are always coming out with new and "better" stuff. Really, almost all of the new products are simply designed to make a buck. I've been using Hoppe's No. 9 for almost sixty years and it has served me well. In my rifles, I will ocassionally run a patch of copper solvent down the bore to remove any copper build-up. I've never seen the need with handguns. I also use Break Free CLP as my lube. I maintained the GAU-8, 30mm cannon, on the A-10 for several years. Break Free is what we used on that. If it's good enough for the GAU-8, it's good enough for my guns.
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I agree with everything you said but the copper solvent. This can very easily etch the barrel if its a harsh copper solvent like Sweets. At one time Shooters Choice made something similar to Sweets but Shooters Choice also provided a second bottle of solvent to neutralize the ammonia in the first application out of the first bottle.

I have had Hoppe's always remove all the copper solvent if you are patient enough and use it if necessary more than once. I called Hoppes once a few years back and they told me that their Hoppe's no. 9 has very little ammonia in it and it is ph balanced so it will not damage the bore even if you never remove it. I have use Hoppe's since 1968 and never damaged any bore with it despite leaving it in overnight with very coppered up bores and not ever damaged any of them.
 
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