I see that there are any number of barrel cleaning solvents on the market. Some advertise as being ammonia free while others advertise that they contain ammonia. What are the pro's and con's of using and/or not using a solvent with ammonia in it to remove fouling in a barrel? Are the ones with ammonia in them any more likely to cause pitting?
Suzy! Ron L here = SERESURPLUS As far as Cleaners go, I've used both the stuff with and without ammonia! If your shooting a lot, the amonia stuff seems to help with some great built up, but if your just like most of us, casual shooter, (Less than 1000 rnds per month) just about any Modern Cleaning solvent is fine! Worked for me for over 25 years and I was even shooting some that was Mildly corrosive! For that stuff I had to use some dish washing Liquid or use the Old Military Solvent to cut that junk out! RON L
I've never found anything that can dissolve copper like some of the good ammonia containing cleaners. Sometimes I've been known to use straight "Strong Ammonia" (also called Ammonia 26°). That stuff really cuts decades of copper build-up! The no-ammonia cleaners work fine and do remove copper, just not as agressively as the ammonia.
Cleaning Supplies Hello; I am new to this and I MEAN NEW. What kind of OIL'S or whatever do you use to clean the bore, and then the outside?? I hardly ever shoot them. I have a 12 guage that I have never fired and may not ever fire. I just want to clean them and store them. What should I use?? Thank You Jim59
Oh man!! There's a can of worms. Srsly, if you don't plan to shoot any particular gun for years (which is a crying shame; but you make the best decision for yourself, k?)... Find a can of LPS-3 it's a bit spendy, the LPS-1 and LPS-2 are common and inexpensive; but LPS-3 will keep unfinished steel from rusting when stored outdoors for 3 years. It sprays on as a sort of foam and dries to a waxy finish. It's messy to apply but once it dries it's only a bit sticky to touch. Take the gunstock(s) off, give the metal a spray, including inside the bore, wait a few minutes and reassemble, then leave it to air dry someplace warm for a day-or-3, put it in a gunsock and as long as you keep it someplace dry, your gun will be fine for decades (or longer). And when it comes time to bring it back into action, the LPS-3 is easily removed with LPS-1, WD40, Varsol or the like. For the cleaning, in your case I'd recommend Ed's Red or Hoppe's #9 (regular, not the 'Benchrest'). Both of these because they are perto-based and have anti-corrosion properties all on their own. And come as close to a "One-solution-fits-all" sort of thing. Which is probably a good thing. Currently my guncleaner shelf has 9 different bottles/cans of "stuff" on it, so one can go a little crazy with this, if you aren't careful.
i use Hoppes #9 for bore cleaning. for cleaning all the rest of the gun its breakfree CLP. i like CLP because it doesnt leave a big film of oil behind like rem oil does. oil + residue = mud. when i clean a bore i use the hoppes then run a patch with a drop or two of clp on it throught he bore a few times then run a dry patch through a few times and thats it. clp lets me carry a small bottle spritz it on a rag break a weapon down and do a fast wipe and you got a field expedient cleaning in a few seconds. regular gun oil and you just got a mess. normally i wipe down unused weapons monthly with a clp soaked rag and it seems to serve me fine for the last 20 years or so. weapons are free of rust. im sure other people have other opinions.
Try Gun Slick Foaming Boar Cleaner This stuff is great, it's ammonia free and the foam completely fills the lands and grooves in your barrel. Direction say "no brushing necessary" but I still run a nylon brush through 3 to 4 times, they patches till they come out clean. Runs about 9 bucks a can but that's good for 20 to 30 cleanings.
