Lazy Man Gun Cleaning

[graycrait]

Go to Harbor Freight and pay 69.99 for one of the pictured ultrasound cleaners. This is exactly the same cleaner that Lyman sells for 139.00 and Cabelas for 109.00. I think mine cost 76.00 and change OTD and if you wait and get a 10% coupon you make get out cheaper than I did. Watch out for cleaning aluminum, pot metal guns, pearls or other soft "jewelry items." This is way cool. I stuck my eyeglasses in this thing and watched the crud bubble off. I stuck a guy's never cleaned 2nd Gen G17 in it, slide and parts first, frame and parts second and watched it get clean, probably the first time in its life.

[hipower]

Thanks for the information. I'll check it out. I definitely fit in that catagory.

[Dolomite_supafly]

Nice Gen 1 Glock. Don't see them very often.

Dolomite

[peejman]

Ultrasonic is excellent for cleaning most anything with lots of small spaces that are otherwise impossible to clean. As stated, be wary of cleaning anything soft. The ultrasonic works by cavitating (locally boiling) the water. The pressure wave created when the bubbles collapse knocks the crud off the surface. If the surface is soft and/or you leave it in for a long time, it'll erode metal. I doubt that one is strong enough to do much damage but you can put a coke can in the one we have at work and come back an hour later and it'll be gone except for the rolled edge around the top.

[hipower]

Not having any experience with this method, I need some basic information. Field strip as usual and place metal parts in cleaner? Whole firearm? Assembled? Disassembled? I appreciate any knowledge you have and would like to post.

Thanks.

[TNRobocop]

The cleaners we use in the military are bigger than this and use a few light solvents too, and we just have to take off the plastic stuff on our weapons, but the rest of the gun can be just put in.

I would "assume" just strip as far as you feel comfortable with and drop it in. For longer cleaning times, I would take the grips off if possible or just monitor Glocks and such with plastic frames, but anything steel or aluminum would be fine.

The NRA and Readers Digest magazines usually always have Harbor Freight 10% coupons in them just a heads up.

[dralarms]

I bought one of these a couple of months ago. Works real well, cleaned my son's M&P 40C with it (after I had cleaned it) and you would not believe the stuff that came off the gun.

[Garufa]

Does this method remove lead and/or copper fouling from the barrel?

[LeadWaster]

This is just the thread I've been waiting for. I'd like to know what kind of solution folks use in these to clean gun parts.... metal and plastic (I assume different solutions?). My S&W model 41 is starting to misfire, and I suspect if I put the slide in one of these things and cleaned it real good, it might go "pop" every time I pull the trigger, again!

[mikegideon]

Does this method remove lead and/or copper fouling from the barrel?

Good question. I think it safe to assume that it will remove all the lubrication.

[Guest bluecanary25]

Second part of the equation:

If ultrasonic cleaning removes lube....... any recommendations on relubing (izzat a word?) all the small internal parts?

When I cleaned parts by this manner (in a different life), I fully dis-assembled parts to be cleaned.

My thinking is one should also factor in having to relubricate internal parts.

[peejman]

Not having any experience with this method, I need some basic information. Field strip as usual and place metal parts in cleaner? Whole firearm? Assembled? Disassembled? I appreciate any knowledge you have and would like to post.

Thanks.

All of the above. You can put the whole gun in there and it'll clean out all the crevices, but you'll have to re-lube it after. Be sure the whole thing is submerged and swish it around to make sure the fluid fills all the passages.

Does this method remove lead and/or copper fouling from the barrel?

It might, but I don't think a little one like this has enough power.

This is just the thread I've been waiting for. I'd like to know what kind of solution folks use in these to clean gun parts.... metal and plastic (I assume different solutions?). My S&W model 41 is starting to misfire, and I suspect if I put the slide in one of these things and cleaned it real good, it might go "pop" every time I pull the trigger, again!

Start with hot water, it works surprisingly well. You can add some alcohol to help cut grease and make stuff dry faster. Non-foaming soap (dishwasher detergent) may also help. I wouldn't use it for heavy degreasing. A pan, some paint thinner, and a toothbrush is good for that.

Second part of the equation:

If ultrasonic cleaning removes lube....... any recommendations on relubing (izzat a word?) all the small internal parts?

When I cleaned parts by this manner (in a different life), I fully dis-assembled parts to be cleaned.

My thinking is one should also factor in having to relubricate internal parts.

Yes, you'll have to re-lube.

[A.J. Holst]

Craig,

Great post!

I wonder if this investment would be cheaper in the long run vs. traditional cleaning supplies?

[JPS]

How do you make it smell like Hoppes 9? I can't clean a gun if it doesn't smell like #9 afterward..

I just can't.

[Steelharp]

How do you make it smell like Hoppes 9? I can't clean a gun if it doesn't smell like #9 afterward..

I just can't.

I would think just pour it in the thing; clean and lube at one time...

[graycrait]

I did a lot of online reading on thehighroad and firingline, loads of info on those sights. The heater on this rig just warms the water, not really hot. Some guys use all kinds of crazy stuff from solvents to special concoctions. Electricity and petroleum products don't sound like a good mixture to me.

Most use Simple Green and water if cleaning non-aluminum. Also these seem to work better on "hard" dirt rather than greasy crud. I wish I hadn't just cleaned my AR bolt the day before I got this thing. That would have been interesting.

One of my friends put a Bryco slide in his US cleaner and it cracked . He did it on purpose. He also put an older Charter Arms in it and it took the hide right off that thing using some kind of citrus cleaner. He was using an even smaller US than the one I pictured. Pretty fascinating though. And some fun involved. Don't put that prized RG in that thing! Amazing how those little bubbles and right/wrong agent will attack certain things.

Bryco uses pot metal or Zamak (zinc alloy) in their slides. So I wouldn't put a Lorcin, Bryco, Raven Jennings, Phoenix, Jimenez, HiPoint, Walther P22, Sig Mosquito, Heritage, Austrian Arms ISSC M22 in one of these. I'm thinking the Walther P22 slide is Zamak and I think parts of the Mosquito are also. The slide on the M22 is certainly zinc alloy.

I'm not sure if I am saving any time with this thing. I suspect that the bigger and more expensive units would be much faster and more efficient. Those big ones cost a lot though.

[Guest tnxdshooter]

Second part of the equation:

If ultrasonic cleaning removes lube....... any recommendations on relubing (izzat a word?) all the small internal parts?

When I cleaned parts by this manner (in a different life), I fully dis-assembled parts to be cleaned.

My thinking is one should also factor in having to relubricate internal parts.

EEZOX hands down

[dralarms]

I use Comet multi surface spray cleaner, diluted with about 75% water 25 % comet. Cuts grease and crap real good. Not sure if it removes fouling but if you run a brush through the barrel and then slap it in there it works real well.

Also it gets hot enough to scald your fingers

Also don't stick your fingers in the unit while it's "on", feels like your fingers are on fire.

[I_Like_Pie]

You guys are all overthinking this.

The ultimate lazy man's cleaning is a plastic bucket full of kerosene. Soak it overnight, and blow the excess out the next morning with the air hose.

The containers you get to do oil changes work very well.

/Plastic guns need not apply.

[LeadWaster]

I'm thinking some dilution of Simple Green would be good. I keep a tub of the stuff for bicycle parts. You don't want to leave aluminum or zinc parts in for long.

[Guest buttonhook]

but wouldn't something like this work just as well?

PrimeTimeSolutions.com - McCulloch Handheld Steam Cleaner

[LeadWaster]

I'd think that would be good for external gunk and grime, but not between tight fitting parts, and most likely not for polymer frames. My wife has a household version of that, and it's good on some things like grout, tile, sinks and such. I think jewelers use it for cleaning rings.... might work better than I think. Still not a good idea on plastics.

[Guest buttonhook]

I'd think that would be good for external gunk and grime, but not between tight fitting parts, and most likely not for polymer frames....Still not a good idea on plastics.

I dont think it would hurt the polymer frames..they can withstand alot of heat and the water is not going to hurt them and I think they would get down in there and clean the tight fitting parts as long as they are not too far away from the nozzel.

[Oh Shoot]

.... bucket full of kerosene. ...../Plastic guns need not apply.

AFAIK, kerosene won't hurt any polymers used on guns?

- OS

[mikegideon]

AFAIK, kerosene won't hurt any polymers used on guns?

- OS

Yeah, but it will take the orange paint right off the muzzle