Cleaning with Brake Cleaner

[clevalley]

Yes - I use non-Chlorinated brake cleaners with my shotguns - I do not worry about getting them on the synthetic stocks but am carefull with the wood ones. I do follow with a nice thin coating of CLP.

For ML'ers - I have been practicing cleaning with non-Chlorinated Brake Cleaner (to rinse and break up the crud) and follow with dry patches... I then put a coat of CLP behind it for long term storage...

Brake Cleaner - am I nuts for doing this? (hope not, has worked so far)

I was told not to use a petroleum based product (oil) down the barrel of a ML... any truth to this? I thought as long as you ran a dry patch down it and fired a few primers through it you were good to go?

 

[cayuga]

If you're nuts so am I. I use brake and carburetor cleaner to do muzzleloader dirty jobs all the time. Especially triggers. It works good, drys fast, and then I also use CLP or Birchwood Casey after ward.

 

[clevalley]

Great! I am not totally crazy - or we both are...

Do you worry about it being non-chorinated? I just do in case there are any plastic-type parts... but the brake cleaner would pay heck on them anyhow I guess...

 

[cayuga]

One of the best cleaners still is dishwater. Just like you would do your dishes in. That will remove fowling out of a barrel as fast as any other cleaner there is... And it is cheap.

 

[Cajun]

I had learned quickly as a young soldier that the break free the Army used didn't clean gun powder on an M16 worth a darn. It is good as a protector but not a cleaner. I used to keep a couple of cans of carburator cleaner hidden in my room so I could clean my M16 in 1/4 of the time it took with just break free. Break free is all they would give us and it was against the rules to have chemicals such as carburator cleaner in the barracks. Just be careful of plastics and finished (Wood) surfaces. Other wise, you won't hurt the metal, just oil it good after.

 

[jbargers]

+1 on the brake cleaner. I didnt know about it until my grandfater in law said that is all he has used for years. I use it on my shotguns, but have not yet used it on my Muzzleloaders.

 

[Spitpatch]

I want to hear from Dwight on this....R-Man???