IOW, if that's the ONLY thing that you ever used in a non-chrome lined bore (rifle, shotgun, etc.) or elsewhere for cleaning, how well would it do at keeping rust away - using just the #9 solvent alone ...

I doubt that there are any rust prevention qualiites. It cleans it up and as long as no moisture (condensation, etc.) comes in contact there probably would be no rust. I would not rely on that if it were me.

Yep, #9 is good to go for rust prevention, but I would recommend a gun oil to send down the tube as well and patch out before you shoot again.

Good to know ... but to clarify, when you say that you used it as your "primary solvent", did you use only the #9 and leave it at that, or did you then follow it with some type of lube or oil afterward ?

Also, I've read the label on their bottle too; however, as you well know there are a lot of different products making a lot of "claims" that may or may not be all together accurate.

Anyway, I agree with you that living where we live, rust isn't really much of an issue relative to other parts of the country.  But I was recently remembering a shotgun I used to own when I was (much) younger that I used for bird hunting while growing up in the midwest.

At the time, my process was to clean it immediately after returning from the field and the *only* product that I used on it when cleaning was the #9 solvent.  I suppose I may have also put a drop or two of some type of lube on the action *just before* taking out to hunt again the next time - which may have been another week, or month, or year down the road - but that was it.  So 99% percent of the time, there was nothing but #9 solvent on 99% of the metal parts of the gun.

But the thing is that I (regrettably) no longer own that firearm, and haven't for some time now.  And while I don't *recall* there ever being a problem with rust using that method ... it was a long time ago, and I certainly didn't know as much then as I do now.

So for the most part it's really a hypothetical question, but I'm still interested in knowing what other people's experiences are.

Once again, agreed.

However, it's also true that their "formula" has changed over the years ...

Not sure ...

I do think that certain *cleaning* attributes may have been diminished over time, but I don't know about the rust prevention "properties".

Hoppe's #9 has mild rust preventative properties.

Inside a safe, I guess it would be ok.

I have been using Hoppe's #9 as a solvent for years.

The "new" version needs more elbow grease to work, it is less hazardous to your health.

Perhaps an "old vs new" head-to-head test is in order

Hummm, Benzene in the blood and bones.....no thanks.

Hoppes solvent contains some water and ammonia... not the best thing to leave in the bore long term.

+1, I agree.  I always use Hoppes #9 to clean my bores, but after letting it sit in there for a while, a follow-up patch always comes out blue, indicating ammonia action.  I follow up with a dry patch and then a light coat of CLP.

I think their "Benchrest" product might contain some water, but not the #9 solvent.

The #9 from way back smelled better (found a bottle from Dad's old stash) and seems to require about 10% less effort to do the same thing compared to today's #9

Check the MSDS ingredients list... unless the formula was recently changed, #9 has about 1/2 the concentration of water/ammonia as Benchrest.

I have ...

In fact, I just double-checked the copies that the company faxed to me; and whereas I find water listed as an *ingredient* in the Benchrest formula, I don't see it listed in the MSDS for the #9 solvent.

Feel free to post a link if you have info to the contrary.

I have no scientific studies to back me up, but.......Hoppes #9 is all that I ever used for the first 20 or so years as a gun nut.  Not only does it smell great, it is a great cleaning solvent and rust preventative.

CLP may be better, but Hoppes #9 has always worked for me.

What you are smelling is the Amyl Acetate.  Some people say it has a scent similar to apples, bananas, or pears.

http://www.copquest.com/knowledgebase/MSDS_Hoppes_No_9_Solvent.pdf

Ethyl Alcohol 64-17-5 <35.0 No No No 1000 ppm 1000 ppm
Kerosene 8008-20-6 <35.0 No No No Not Determined
Trade Secret Ingredient(s) Trade Secret <25.0 No No No Not Determined
Organic Ester Trade Secret <10.0 No No No 100 ppm 100 ppm
Ammonia, aqueous 7664-41-7 <10.0 No No No 25 ppm 50 ppm

Aqueous ammonia = ammonia + water

I'm certainly not a chemist but "water" listed as Ammonia, aqueous, is a whole lot less disconcerting (for whatever reason) to me than WATER listed as an individual component ...

Hoppes Benchrest 9 MSDS

Ethyl Alcohol                  64-17-5              <30.0
Kerosene 8                   008-20-6             <30.0
Trade Secret                 Trade Secret      <25.0
Organic Ester                Trade Secret      <10.0
Ammonia, aqueous      7664-41-7           <6.0
Water           7732-18-5          <5.0
Trade Secret                  Trade Secret      <3.0

I'd be curious to know whether or not the label on the Benchrest product makes any claims about "rust protection" as does the label on the regular # 9 solvent.

And my guess is that there are a multitude of gun owners who have used *only* the # 9 solvent over the years in the fashion alluded to above by myself, QUIB, etc; but based on the input from this thread at least, there doesn't seem to be anyone expressing a problem with rust when using that product.

There must be a reason for it ... even despite the ammonia, aqueous "factor".

I have heard that Number 9 solvent can damage the outer finnish of an AR and damage the barrel if left in it too long. Is there any truth to this?

+1

For what it's worth, Clint Eastwood uses Hoppes #9 to clean his M1 and 1911 in Gran Torino

All I use is #9 cleaner & oil.  It's all I have ever used. In everything. M9, 1911, G27, .84FS 380, AK47 & 2 AR's.

Haven't had a problem.

I heard that the legend chuck norris uses hoppes as an aftershave lol!!!

So do I.

But that's cheating ...