Mildew on AR-15 - AR15.COM

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Posted: 3/14/2020 7:19:55 PM EDT

Hello folks. I've been shooting since childhood and been building ARs for the last 15 yrs. and I've never seen this problem.
A friend of mine told me he had mold growing on his AR and couldn't get rid of it. I told him to break it down, clean it real good and oil it and it should be fine even though it seemed weird that it would grow on metal and plastic. This went on for a year. He would tell me about the issue and I would tell him to clean it. So after about 18 mo. he got fed up and just gave me the damn thing, legally. This was 3 mo. ago.
I completely disassembled it, scrubbed down all the parts, wiped clean, greased and oiled it and reassembled it 3 times now and the mildew keeps coming back. I've tried almost every gun cleaner I know, I've tried 90%alcohol and nothing works.
I've stored it in my 24 gun gun safe with my other guns where it's kept moisture free with a dehumidifier and it keeps coming back only on this one gun. I've done everything I can think of short of giving it a hot bleach bath. Lol
Can anyone help me out here?

Posted: 3/14/2020 7:26:09 PM EDT

[#1]

Probably that hot bleach bath!

Where does it occur specifically?

Posted: 3/14/2020 7:38:35 PM EDT

[#2]

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Quoted:
Probably that hot bleach bath!

Where does it occur specifically?

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+1 to bleach if all else fails.

Like white spots/patches Op?

You tried brake parts cleaner?

Posted: 3/14/2020 7:38:57 PM EDT

[#3]

I go along with the hot bleach idea too. I would thoroughly clean it down to bare metal with gun scrubber, acetone, or something like that, then would soak it in a hot bleach solution for a few hours to make sure that the bleach solution penetrates everywhere. I bet your buddies house has a source for the mildew to re-infect the rifle after it gets cleaned too. Without moisture, mildew has a serious problem living. Sunlight, heat, and dry humidity are all enemies of mildew.

Posted: 3/14/2020 7:44:01 PM EDT

[#4]

bake it?

Posted: 3/14/2020 7:46:14 PM EDT

[#5]

Before we give advice, how do you know it's mildew?

Posted: 3/14/2020 7:58:41 PM EDT

[#6]

I'd say the rifle is contracting Covid-19, but would like to see any pictures you have of the mildew.

Posted: 3/14/2020 8:37:59 PM EDT

[#7]

The entire exterior, muzzle to stock, inside the mag well, bolt carrier at ejection port, about 2" inside the barrel from muzzle and breac, inside the buffer tube.

Posted: 3/14/2020 8:39:50 PM EDT

[#8]

It smells like fungi.

Posted: 3/14/2020 8:44:14 PM EDT

[#9]

Never heard of such shit...

Posted: 3/14/2020 9:07:06 PM EDT

[#10]

Quote History

Quoted:
Never heard of such shit...

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There's a reason.

Posted: 3/14/2020 9:09:49 PM EDT

[#11]

Can you post pics OP?

Posted: 3/14/2020 10:00:43 PM EDT

[#12]

Page 1 of troll thread I guess. Show pics please to prove me wrong.

Posted: 3/14/2020 10:10:53 PM EDT

[#13]

Was this his shower gun? Either that or its cursed and should be destroyed

Posted: 3/15/2020 5:49:46 AM EDT

[#14]

We get mold/mildew on the vinyl siding, treated wood decks, etc., etc. around here.

I spray bleach/water on the surfaces and it takes that shit right off - but it always comes back.

Awhile back my youngest son told me bleach won't kill it completely and it'll just come back.

He told me to use vinegar. He said the vinegar will "kill it down to the roots".

I tried it a couple months back on a section of my deck out back. After a damp/cool/barely cold winter that 3 ft. by 3 ft. section of deck is still clean of the green shit. It's about time to get a sprayer out and do the rest of the deck before the really warm weather hits.

Can't say what the vinegar might do to the metal/anodized/parkerized surfaces - might not be good for those. It shouldn't hurt the plastic though.

Posted: 3/15/2020 7:59:30 PM EDT

[#15]

Quote History

Quoted:
There's a reason.

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Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
Never heard of such shit...

There's a reason.

I'm pickin up what your throwin down and agree

Posted: 3/15/2020 10:29:57 PM EDT

[#16]

Pics of mildew?

Posted: 3/15/2020 11:44:12 PM EDT

[#17]

Quote History

Quoted:
Never heard of such shit...

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I second that.

Posted: 3/15/2020 11:59:48 PM EDT

[#18]

Peracetic acid cleaner.

Posted: 3/16/2020 12:06:44 AM EDT

[#19]

Just use bleach it does kill mold. Wipe it down let it dry. Do it for about a week. Then lube / wipe it down
with Mobil One. That should do the trick. I used bleach to kill mold at a heath club always was
wet somewhere. Use the good smelling kind if you
don't like a standard bleach smell. Good luck.

Posted: 3/16/2020 10:39:46 AM EDT

[#20]

Bleach does not kill mold on porous surfaces and can actually contribute to mold growth. Fact.

Still in for pics of the moldy AR.

(Look at it this way....it's already camo finish....sort of).

Posted: 3/16/2020 7:27:04 PM EDT

[#21]

Spray it with Lysol.

If that doesn't fix it, then it's not "mold" or "mildew".

Posted: 3/16/2020 10:32:44 PM EDT

[#22]

NOOOO! Spray it with Resolve.

No carpet stains will grow on that receiver.

Posted: 3/21/2020 1:00:21 AM EDT

[#23]

How does it shoot? Manufacture?

Posted: 3/21/2020 1:51:37 AM EDT

[#24]

Parkerizing is a porous surface, although very thin... I don't know how much room mold/mildew would need to establish itself. It might also be inside parts junctions such as barrel to receiver or something like that.

If it's really that bad I tend to think you'll never get rid of it without complete disassembly.

Posted: 3/21/2020 2:34:49 AM EDT

[#25]

Did your friend use old formula Froglube on it?

Posted: 3/21/2020 2:45:38 AM EDT

[#26]

If youre scrubbing it with solvent and it keeps coming back, then that guy has bred that mold into some kind of super fungus.

Bleach that thing before it takes over the planet

Posted: 3/21/2020 2:49:51 AM EDT

[#27]

Quote History

Quoted:
Did your friend use old formula Froglube on it?

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This!

Posted: 3/21/2020 2:57:15 AM EDT

[#28]

Odoban or Zep odor control might help, but being aqueous it might cause rust on your steel.
So I’d wipe it down, then oil it up.

Posted: 3/21/2020 2:27:02 PM EDT

[#29]

Can’t imagine mildew on a weapon
But, to remove it, I would use a bleach water solution followed by a hot water rinse.
Blow dry with compressed air, then oil liberally

Posted: 3/21/2020 10:49:00 PM EDT

[#30]

I've seen it on an old Stevens .22 with 'Tennite' (plastic) stock that was poorly stored. I rubbed it down with Ballistol on steel wool and it was fixed. Do not use steel wool on the AR 15 but a good spray-down with Ballistol and a wipe with terry cloth probably will take care of it.

Posted: 3/22/2020 8:32:56 PM EDT

[#31]

My guess is that it isn't mildew but something else. We really need to see pictures. My thought is if it is mildew the oil/cleaner would kill it and prevent it from growing.

I agree that this sounds like a troll thread and I really dislike how the OP decided to not post again.

Posted: 5/18/2020 10:09:24 AM EDT

[#32]

Quote History

Originally Posted By dalle0001:
My guess is that it isn't mildew but something else. We really need to see pictures. My thought is if it is mildew the oil/cleaner would kill it and prevent it from growing.

I agree that this sounds like a troll thread and I really dislike how the OP decided to not post again.

View Quote

The fungus got him silly.

Posted: 5/18/2020 10:13:56 AM EDT

[#33]

Frog lube seeping out

Posted: 5/18/2020 11:35:44 AM EDT

[#34]

That’s insane.

I’m retired military and have never heard of such a thing.

I’d bake it minus the plastic furniture at 220 or so overnight.

Posted: 5/18/2020 11:59:06 AM EDT

[#35]

My guess is its some type of surface corrosion and not mildew. I have seen it before and it wipes of with CLP..

Posted: 5/18/2020 8:07:45 PM EDT

[#36]

In for pics. Never seen a moldy gun.

Posted: 5/18/2020 8:35:40 PM EDT

[#37]

Forget about it. Just shoot it.

Posted: 5/18/2020 9:32:58 PM EDT

[#38]

Just a thought, maybe try shooting it a bunch in a row and getting the gun super hot.

Kill the microorganisms and have fun while doing it.

Bleach on guns can cause rust and corrosion as I found out while cleaning the house a few years ago.

Posted: 5/18/2020 9:52:50 PM EDT

[#39]

MOLDY TRIJICON

Posted: 5/19/2020 5:40:13 PM EDT

[#40]

Quote History

Originally Posted By KiltedAmerican:
It smells like fungi.

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I just saw you are in Washington. If west of the pass, over around Seattle, yeah, I can understand it. I spent years over there and never could get the rust out from under my nutsack............... fucking wet all the time. Mold and mildew everywhere.

give her a hot bleach bath, then bake the bitch!

Posted: 5/19/2020 7:12:17 PM EDT

[#41]

I suspect its the meteor shit.

Creepshow 1982 Meteor Shit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UBhUSnZKwo

Creepshow (1982) - The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill Scene (5/10) | Movieclips

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_nh3Rtyj-Y

Posted: 5/23/2020 10:54:40 PM EDT

[#42]

Quote History

Quoted:
Was this his shower gun? Either that or its cursed and should be destroyed

View Quote

This x100. Blow it up.

Posted: 5/23/2020 10:58:24 PM EDT

[#43]

Quote History

Quoted:
Can’t imagine mildew on a weapon
But, to remove it, I would use a bleach water solution followed by a hot water rinse.
Blow dry with compressed air, then oil liberally

View Quote

This but instead of oil use biosynthetic grease that has anti-corrosive properties.