Firearm & Gun Forum - FireArmsTalk.com - canebrake's 1911 platform pistol cleaning suggestions

michigan0626 posted a couple questions about cleaning his new Colt's Rail Gun so I thought I'd post this "canebrake's 1911 platform pistol cleaning suggestions" for you guys to digest.

THIS IS NOT THE BE ALL AND END ALL OF 1911 CLEANING!

This is not a FireArmsTalk.com endorsed or condoned procedure. It is however, a process applied by this 66 year old gun totin', retired engineer and grumpy 'ole codger that has served him well. So no flaming posts please, just PM me with your suggestions/corrections and I will modify this guide. ;)

Best advice, buy the highest quality cleaning supplies and tools you can afford!

Good cleaning tools are an investment and should have as much pre-purchase research as did your gun selection.

I've used them all and can save you the time and $$$ with my recommendations. (Just remember this is subjective and don't get yourself confused with the Chevy vs Ford thingie.)

Here are my minimum requirements for gun maintenance: (provided links are for visual reference, SHOP around!)

Hardware (get dedicated tools and keep them in a cleaning box marked 1911 Cleaning and don't mix them with your other gun/caliber equipment.)

Cleaning rod (gun specific, you don't want a 23" 223 stalk AR rod for your 4" .44 Smith)
I like/use Dewey. Dewey 1-Piece Cleaning Rod - MidwayUSA
Bore Brush nylon or phosphor bronze (get both & several, they wear out) Iosso Eliminator Pistol Bore Brush 44, 45 Caliber 8 x 32 Thread Nylon - MidwayUSA and/or DOUBLE-TUFF BORE BRUSH - BROWNELLS
Bore Jag (get one) Dewey Pistol Cleaning Jag 44 to 45 Caliber 8 x 32 Thread Brass - MidwayUSA
I like these; O-RING CLEANING JAGS - BROWNELLS
Bore Mop(s) Hoppe's Pistol Cotton Bore Mop - MidwayUSA
Chamber Brush (this is NOT a bore brush and when you need one nothing else works! Be sure it's stainless steel.) Wilson Combat Chamber Cleaning Tool 45 ACP - MidwayUSA and/or CHAMBER BRUSH - BROWNELLS
Cleaning Brush(s) OTIS : ALL PURPOSE BRUSHES
Silicone gun and reel cloth Kleen-Bore Silicone Gun & Reel Cleaning Cloth - MidwayUSA

Consumables

Solvent(s) Get the Hoppes #9
I like/use Hoppe's #9 Semi-Auto Bore Cleaning Solvent Hoppe's #9 Semi-Auto Bore Cleaning Solvent - MidwayUSA
Lube
I blend my own. Cane's "Mobil Mystery", 90% Mobil 1 / 10% Marvel Mystery.
http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/v...l_1_7wur-1.jpg + http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/v..._oil_MM13R.jpg
Patches (get caliber-specific size patches and DON'T mix them!)
Q-Tips (can't clean guns without them!)

For protection; I've just started to use this stuff, it looks promising.

Frog Lube

http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/v...FroglubeWC.jpg

As a rule I do two types of 1911 cleaning;

The "fast-but-necessary" post range trip buff
This consists of a field strip removing only the;
- mag
- slide release
- bushing
- barrel
- spring
- guide rod
Using the Hoppe's #9 Semi-Auto Bore Cleaning Solvent I clean the barrel. breech face and any other carbon deposits I see with a brush. I continue the cleaning until my wipe cloth/patch returns clean.

Wipe down and inspect the mag, recoil spring, guide rod, plug and bushing.

I do a complete visual inspection of the moving parts looking for wear witness marks, cracks or galling.

I then LIGHTLY lube all areas with my Cane Mobil Mystery custom blend. (NOTE: Lube must be present but.....NOT dripping wet!)

Reassembly looking for a smooth build with no exceptions.

Wipe down the gun's surface with your silicon rag.
The "Detailed Deep-Clean" scrub
Completely strip your 1911, everything except;
1. Sights
2. Plunger tube (remove the spring & plungers)
3. Grip bushings
4. Ejector
While you have it in this most revealing condition, inspect everything.

http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/v...s/DSCF4947.jpg
- Get your soap and mix with hot water in the bucket. If really dirty use Brakleen.
- Place the large parts (receiver, slide) in the bucket.
- Place your small parts in a strainer and dip in the soapy water. Attachment 39979
- Scrub all parts until void of any lubricant.
- Lay parts out on a clean shop towel and re-inspect everything. Look at the wear areas and for cracks or galling.
This is the time to visually inspect every part in detail..

http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/v...ools/strig.jpg

Trigger Bow ^

http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/v...Tools/slst.jpg

Slide stop ^

http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/v...Tools/sbbl.jpg

Barrel ^

Using your compressed air, clean all the nooks and crannies. Use the q-tips to clean the extractor and firing pin channels.

If you find any trace of dirt/lube, draw more hot water, add the Dawn and re-do the scrub thingie. Or re-spray with Brakleen.

I then LIGHTLY lube all areas with my Cane Mobil Mystery custom blend. (NOTE: Lube must be present but.....NOT dripping wet!)
After a deep cleaning especially with Brakleen, use an aerosol lube like Rem oil, or as I do, get a olive oil spray bottle and fill it with my Cane Mobil Mystery custom blend. The spray allows you to get deep into the nooks and crannies to protect the bare surfaces.

Reassembly looking for a smooth build with no exceptions.

And most important, after a complete tear-down, dry fire the gun with a squib rod seated against the breech face. Insure the firing pin is working by rotating the muzzle to straight up, dry fire and look for the rod to jump when struck by the firing pin. Do this before you return the pistol to service. (Trust the old man on this one!)

Tips:

Use only properly sized tools (if you don't have that .45 bore brush, get one!)
Clean your gun barrel in the same direction the bullet travels (on your gun, with the barrel removed, push the brush from breech to muzzle, remove the brush and pull the rod out, IOW, don't run it back-and-forth)
Use a fresh patch on each pass (patches are cheap, barrels are expensive)
DO NOT drag a dirty patch back through the "just cleaned" barrel
Disassemble your gun only to the level required to access areas where fouling reaches
Cleaning your gun requires a clean work area. The idea is to remove, not add dirt
When it comes to lube, lighter is better (pass a lightly lubed bore mop 2-3 times instead of a oil soaked and dripping mop once)
Lube needs to be present, not seen (visual) to work (see # 7 above)