Using soap and water to clean your shield?

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nicozuna

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Hey all,

I just came across this video and saw that he was cleaning his shield with dish soap and water and wondered if anyone else has done this? Since he used compressed air to blow all the water out I was wondering what harm could it do to clean your gun this way.

I've never thought about this before but I would assume as long as you get all the water out you would definitely have a clean gun when your done.

What do you all think?

http://youtu.be/8aQQjfnJlvU
 
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Thorough...

I think that's a thorough way to do it as long as it's rinsed and dried well. When corrosive primers were used the method to clean was to pour boiling water down the bore. I don't think I'd do it as often as once a month, maybe every quarter for a carry pistol. Just taking it apart, cleaning and lubing should be adequate for regular cleaning.
 
Oy vey. There really is no need in all of that and submerging the slide and frame in water is just asking for corrosion issues.

If you really must obsessively clean your gun, learn how to completely disassemble it, clean it with solvent and properly lubricate it.
 
That will work but is really unnecessary. I only do that with black powder.

I use WD40 to displace any remaining water. Then clean normally and coat with CLP.
 
I'm all in favor of just using the dishwasher. Just don't use the pots and pan cycle. You might warp the frame with the high heat.:rolleyes:

Seriously? Hit the barrel with solvent, wipe off the carbon with solvent, dry with a clean rag, and lube in accordance to manufacturers instructions. It's a ten minute job.
 
I cringed when saw that video. As others have said, the M&P's are easy to clean. That method is over the top and I'd be afraid all the water didn't get removed.
 
I didn't think your were suppose to soak you're striker blocker and firing pin area with solvent.. Pretty sure I won't be doing any of this to my gun. Pretty sketchy.
 
Water and soap work well for removing black powder fouling from barrels. Key is to wash and rinse with boiling hot water so that the metal gets hot enough to evaporate any water left in the barrel. You still need to run a dry patch or two to make sure, then lube to protect the bare metal.

Not so good on a modern gun. I am sure it would remove the fouling, but probably not do much for the leading and copper jacket buildup. Better to use a proper solvent, then oil. Better cleaning, and less chance of rust.

Larry
 
I would never use soap and water. I have a habit of cleaning my guns every time I go to the range, even if I only shoot 5 rounds. A clean gun is a great gun. Take care of it and it will take care of you.
 
Didn't watch the video, the opening of which shows a bottle of Hoppe's No. 9. Why not just use the Hoppe's No. 9 and skip the silliness of soap and water? The Shield here hasn't dissolved yet for being cleaned with Hoppe's No. 9, a proper cleaning solvent.
 
Keep it simple

scorbing said:
I would never use soap and water. I have a habit of cleaning my guns every time I go to the range, even if I only shoot 5 rounds. A clean gun is a great gun. Take care of it and it will take care of you.
Click to expand...

I agree, Keep It Simple. It only takes a couple minutes to entirely clean the MP. A little solvent and a little oil does the trick. I will admit however that I use dish detergent to clean the swab and brush once I am done cleaning the firearm.
 
That method is the definition of 'making a mountain out of a mole hill'.
As mentioned, cleaning a modern pistol is at most, a 10 minute chore, unless you let it go a couple thousand round between cleanings. :)
 
I always drop my gun at the gunsmith shop to be cleaned at least twice a week. It comes bac on a hanger with a plastic bag......

No wait, that's my pants, I just wipe my gun down and run a patch or two through it every once in awhile. I don't think this guy's idea is a very good one.
 
Compressed air has tiny particles of oil from your compressor.. Those tiny particles are going to collect gun powder residue like no other the next time you go shoot. Doing more harm than good here. I think he kinda outsmarted himself.
 
He also missed the recommended lube point on the barrel. Like others, I wouldn't trust that all the water or Hoppes got removed, especially from the striker pin are. I remove the back plate and striker pin as part of my normal cleaning process.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Like I said before, if you get into the habit of cleaning your gun every time you use it at the range or wherever, it will never give you any problems. Also, if you don't use your gun for a long time, get into the habit of opening it up and lubricating it every couple of months, maybe every 3 months, rack the slide, just to keep it "in shape", if you know what I mean. Keep it clean and it will save you a lot of headaches in the future.
 
The problem, as I see it is, S&W uses a type of stainless that will rust. If you wash an M&P pistol with soap and water you will need to completely disassemble it to make sure all the water has been dried off. Including the rear sight to make sure there is no water on top of the strike safety plunger.
Many of you remember the video that was posted here of the Armorer that remover the rear sight of a shield and the striker safety plunger and spring where very rusty.
 
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Gee. Wonder why posts 18-20 aren't visible

**Nevermind. It appears that they were only missing on my phone.
 
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*IF* you subscribe to the belief that the Smith and Wesson-made M&P is a least as good as a Glock, you then therefore should be able to believe that this is absolutely fine for cleaning your gun and no problems and in fact a good way for thorough, thorough cleaning.

Glock people have been doing this for YEARS and even dishwasher'ing their Glocks. For years, for minimal problems really.

I myself thought, "Oh my I'd NEVER DO THAT!!" when I was a new Glock owner and shooter, 4 or so years later, my gun was filthy and i was tired, and I thought... hmm... why not... and I nice bucketfull (not really a bucket so much as a container, gallon or two size) of warm water, Simple Green, and a squirt of dish soap liquid... all my Glock parts in there, a nice washing and scrubbing with a toothbrush... then a good warm water rinse, it was totally clean and degreased. Purely. Cleaner any time I owned it since it was box-new. I bought a can or two of canned air to spray it out just for thoroughness, I lubed up properly according to Glock specs, and I was good to go. And someday I'll do it again when it's necessary.


I am a Glock guy first and foremost but love my Shield and carry it more than my Glocks. I believe my Shield could handle this any bit as much as the GLock, and someday when my Shield is older and dirtier, I will do the same thing and surely be satisfied with the results.


I wouldn't use toooo hot water, wouldn't use toooo harsh cleaners, and wouldn't do it often or more than it was really needed, but surely will continue doing it.
 
I've never used soap and water to clean my guns. Don't see the need.

If you choose to do so, you are just creating more work for yourself.

What often gets missed using this method are the firing pin chamber and the plunger chamber. If you don't COMPLETELY strip the gun and remove the water from these areas you WILL have rust issues. Compressed air will not remove all of the water from these areas.

The same for non polymer guns such as the 1911. The main spring housing should be removed as well.

As mentioned above compressed air could contain oil. But more likely to contain moisture from the air tank due to condensation.

My LGS cleans guns. I take mine there occasionally if I'm lazy.:rolleyes: They put the gun in an ultra sonic cleaner with some kind of water based cleaning solution. Then they completely immerse the gun in a light oil. Then hang dry. Then lube.
 
There's no need to but you can if you want. A lot of guys do this if shooting a semi auto rifle with corrosive ammo. Instead of stripping every single part down and doing it by hand they just use warm soapy water
 
If you drop it in a big mud puddle (or worse :() and the insides are coated with crud, I don't see the downside if you get all the water out. If you just put 100 FMJs down the barrel at your climate-controlled indoor range and need to clean it, I don't see the upside.
 
I'm never one to look for a fight nor post something with the sole intention of rudely disagreeing with someone; however, in this case, I would like to point out, if you say "I've never done something, but I know you can't do it and it's bad" , to someone who has just said, 'I've done it and nothing bad at all has happened or happened at the time nor 1-2 years post - and -currently etc doing it,"

you're either questioning that person's integrity and credibility or you don't realize what you're discussing - I am here to tell you, I did it, I have no corrosion problems, and it was very effective. People may not LIKE that, or think it's a bad idea and that is absolutely fine with me... some things others do I personally think it's a bad idea.

But it's hard for me to accept "it's going to rust and cause problems" when factually and practically that is not the case with the 2-3 guns I have done it to (having failed to mention I have also done this with my father's Kahr K40 and a Gen 2 Glock 19).

As long as you are dilligent with the drying and lubricating you are pretty much fine, as any of the 1000s of stories of people who also do this will tell you with a Google search.
 
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