Cleaning Question
 

I use Hoppes #9 to clean my guns--good product, good price IMHO. My question is--how long is too long to soak gun parts in this stuff? I've never let em soak more than a few hours. Is overnight okay? My 22s get REALLY filthy after a long day of shooting. Thanks.

I've been using Hoppes #9 for over 20 years.. And have never had to soak parts overnight. Never.. Clean with #9 till the cloth is clean on every wipe.

Then lube.. That easy.

I've never had to soak parts, even after shooting all day. I've found that if you run a wet patch, then a brush(I use nylon), and go back and forth, my guns always clean up rather quickly. Sometimes I wet the barrel and let it sit for 5 minutes or so while I work on the smaller parts but that's it. The only time this doesn't work is if I wait more then 24 hours to clean them, which I no longer do.
I don't think you'll hurt any of your gun parts by soaking them for a while. I know hoppes won't hurt polymer frames but I wouldn't feel right soaking them in it.

Unless the solution is a caustic or an acid, you do not have to worry about soaking your metal gun parts. When I am working a new project on an old milsurp, I let the barrels and parts soak for days sometimes before getting back to them.

Please note that I mentioned METAL gun parts. I would not let plastic or poly parts set for very long simply because I do not know what affect the solution might have on those parts (if any).

I do annual inspection/cleaning of duty guns. They get detail stripped and dropped in a bucket of solvent to soak. The really nasty ones get left overnight. It just makes cleaning easier to soak them well.

This is not "routine cleaning". This is the detail cleaning and inspection that we mandate on an annual basis. I do not clean the "routine" areas (like barrels). The gun must be "clean" when brought in for this detail cleaning.

I've been using Hoppes No9 for decades, love the aroma.

I used to have a neighbor that was a retired LEO. Dave brought his deer rifle by the house and ask me if I could get it clean for him. I looked down the bore and it was freak'n green. Evidently Dave wasn't into cleaning his firearms and that was not what I expected from a law enforcement officer.

I used USP Bore Paste, soaked it overnight with Hoppe and Shooters Choice and finally after a week of cleaning I almost had it satisfactory for my standards.

Remember when using chemicals, read the label very carefully.

Just don't soak any nickel plated guns in it.

franklin67 :
The video, " Making Glocks Rock " from AGI discourages the use of Hoppes #9 on Glock Frame rails, which are plated.

No problem there, as I dont own a Glock-but I'll keep that in mind in case I ever do....

Thanks for all the feedback guys (and girls). I was talking about the metal parts of course. I feel funny about soaking my reciever, which is some kind of plastic (rugers--mark III .22, and a P95).

Anyway, I guess I'll just keep doing what Im doing--letting them soak for just a few minutes and using some good ol' elbow grease :)

BTW, I too love the smell of hoppes #9. I still try to clean my guns by an open window when Im using it though...