[ArmySon]

This is an old subject but worth rehashing again. How many of you use Simple Green and hot water to clean your firearms? There's a lot of false information floating around about utilizing water to clean guns because the fear of rust. However, I believe it's the American Gunsmithing Institute also highly recommends Simple Green and hot water.

At any rate, I use it in an Ultrasonic Cleaner and it's one hell of a degreaser. After using it in the UC, I rinse it thoroughly with hot water. Then it gets baked in the oven for 10 minutes for a thorough drying. Afterwards, the gun gets lubed.

 

[Lupey]

The only time I have ever used Simple Green to clean a guns was to take the cosmaline(sp?) off of my AK when I bought it. Man did it strip that stuff right off

Then I washed it down real good with water. Let it dry good and gave it a nice coat of oil.

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The defensive firearm is a special-purpose piece of safety rescue equipment, designed to extricate a person . . . from the immediate threat of savagely violent crime. It is like the fire extinguisher. . . . Neither piece of equipment will do you any good if you don't know how to use it or are not psychologically prepared to face danger with that gear in your trained hands in a terror situation.

 

[Tim C]

I tried Simple Green by just by itself on a stainless and it worked great. I just made sure it was dry before lubing. I wonder if it matters whether you use hot water to rinse it or not.

Tim

 

[Car Knocker]

Hot water evaporates faster plus it seems to combine with the degreaser easier.

 

[Jim V]

I have not used SIMPLE GREEN with hot water but have used a lot of dish soap and hot water to clean black powder guns and firearms I've shot corrosive ammo through. The hotter the water the better. I think that we tend to forget that hot water and soap was about the only cleaning agents that shooters had to use for years. Or just plain hot water with out the soap.


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Ne Conjuge Nobiscum
MOLON LABE
Leonidas c 480 BC
FFF

 

[Danomite 45]

Brownells sells a degreaser concentrate that you mix with watter. It works great! We use it at the shop constantly. cleanup is easy with a air hose. I have not used Simple Green, but it sounds like a great idea.
Daniel

 

[FrancisB]

ArmySon,

I've been using that for years on my glock lowers, and a couple of years ago said what the hell, and did it on the slides also. Works great. Hot wather, simple green, a toothbrush, and my firearm is clean in about 5 minutes.

I do also use a bore brush and militec-1 for the bore, and then coat the metal with militec-1.

I've also started doing this with my Les Baer Premier II, but I take the grips off before I do... It's scary how effective this is at cleaning, just make sure you oil your gun well afterwards.

Regards,
Francis

 

[ArmySon]

What's also great is the low cost of Simple Green when you buy it in the 'economy' size. It's one of the best degreasers I've found and it's even biodegradable.

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My Home Page

 

[scarman]

Be careful with Simple Green on aluminum frames. Simple Green will etch aluminum if left on very long.

 

[high_caliber]

Originally posted by ArmySon:
...Then it gets baked in the oven for 10 minutes for a thorough drying. ...

Son, at what temperature?

 

[Lupey]

Originally posted by high_caliber:
Son, at what temperature?

TreeFity

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The defensive firearm is a special-purpose piece of safety rescue equipment, designed to extricate a person . . . from the immediate threat of savagely violent crime. It is like the fire extinguisher. . . . Neither piece of equipment will do you any good if you don't know how to use it or are not psychologically prepared to face danger with that gear in your trained hands in a terror situation.

 

[Wit]

I'd like to give it a try. How hot is the water? Is tap water hot enough? Thks.

 

[Car Knocker]

Originally posted by Wit:
I'd like to give it a try. How hot is the water? Is tap water hot enough? Thks.

Yup.

 

[Finna]

ArmySon is correct I have the video and they do recomend simple green.I used it on my gold combat and it worked great.Except I noticed that my trigger on the chrome sides started to rust in like the pit marks but you would never see them with your eye until the rust started appearing.Has this happened to anyone else?This is the only part that started to rust on a complete disassembly.And no I didn't let it sit long in the water.

 

[ArmySon]

Fina

That's surface rust. It's probably from bad plating where bare metal is showing. When I clean my muzzleloaders in hot, soapy water, it surface rusts all the time. HOWEVER, it's easily removed with an oil cloth.

As for how hot, as hot as you can get it! If you're tap water is piping hot, good! If not, heat some water on the stove. The metal should be very hot to the touch but not so hot that it burns your skin

I just got back from the range and will be doing the Simple Green, Ultrasonic Cleaner, hot water routine in a bit.

[This message has been edited by ArmySon (edited 08-21-2001).]

 

[Havoc]

Nope, not me. I still aint-a-gonna do it. Plenty of products for me to choose from, and they're working just fine for me.

And remember...

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Rust never sleeps

 

[ArmySon]

Another note, the 'horror' of using water on a gun is overblown. If you send off your gun for finishing and/or a gunsmith, many use ultrasonic cleaners to speed up the cleaning process. Alas, some cases, they're using water

 

[ArmySon]

200 degrees for 30 minutes - dinner is served!

 

[Finna]

It looks better than what I had tonight.HA HA

 

[mn2deep]

Does this create any rust problems in the sight dovetails if you leave the sights in place?

Mike