I've heard of many people using brake cleaner to clean guns. The other day i was at autozone and saw this product

midwayautosupply.com/detailedproductdescription.asp?3042

It's a bucket of parts cleaner with a dipping basket. Just think how nice it'd be to drop your bolt, slide, cylinder, [insert dirty firearm part here] and let it soak. then brush the crud away.


Anyone ever use this? Thoughts?

There are a couple of companies that make a firearms-grade "Dunk-it" gun cleaning solution.

Same idea, a bucket full of cleaner mixed with a lube.  Drop gun in, let soak, take gun out and drain, gun is cleaned and lubed.

I feel about this stuff the same way I felt about clean/rinse/lube watch cleaners when I was a watchmaker:  Kind of like taking a shower with your clothes on.

Of course, there's always a chance the auto product could damage your gun.

Well... i wouldn't just dunk it and concider it clean. But sometimes i find soaking it for an hour or maybe even a few minutes loosen up alot of crap. Think of it as taking a bath with your clothes on and jsut soaking. Then take the clothes off and start scrubbing.


True....the auto stuff may cause some damage. I would assume that would be limited to plastic, which i would take off first. I don't really think it'd hurt the metal....after all....cars tend to be made of metal .

Another side note, this is for real guns (1911, revolvers, etc.) not "dishwasher safe" guns like glocks. LOL....

(NOTE: no dishwashers nor glocks were harmed in the making of this post. actually stickign your glock in a dishwasher is not advised)

I saw a similar product on American Shooter a few weeks ago that is made especially for gun parts. They showed a Glock being dunked unassembled so I guess it's safe for plastic and polymer parts as well. I didn't catch the name of the product. It was pricey though, something like $40 for 5 gal.

I'd be very careful with any plastic parts and such with carb. cleaner. I built a carburetor once and used similar suff and some of the parts that went in, didn't come out. Also, don't get it on you. Some of those cleaners require that you add water occasionally to them to keep evaporation of the main ingredients to a minimum.

Danny

What about that slip2000 choke cleaner?  I have the little bottle that I bought to clean the gas piston on my AK but I throw damn near everything in there now.  My ak bolt, pistol barrels, shotgun chokes, muzzle breaks, etc.  When this ones done I'm gonna buy the big ass bottle.  

I dont use it as a dunk-n-done solution.  I throw things in there for 10 minutes or so then hit them with a brush to work all the crap out of them.  Then I clp all my semi's and hoppes up the bolts.

Works great.

Just keep in mind:  Car parts aren't blued.

The solution might not harm metal, but may damage the finish.

If you really want to use this method, I'd recommend using the firearms type soak cleaner.

This comes in various sizes from around a gallon to 55 gallon drums, and in different grades for different firearm uses.

I have used "Dunk-it" on my 1911 and it worked great.  But I don't know about this stuff.

What I would be worried about is the "Removes carbon, varnish, paint, sludge and grease fast" statement.  What would it do to bluing or a Parkerized finish.  I don't think I would want to find out with any of my guns.

I've used carb and brake cleaner in cleaning my AR's...and once I sprayed some down the bore. And of course, there was some spillover onto the handguards.

I spent the next 20 seconds wondering why the hell my gloves (always wear latex gloves when cleaning!) kept coming away black...then I realized the cleaner had started to melt the handguards. Whoops.

Yes, I always wear latex gloves when cleaning firearms. Either the big heavy rubber kitchen cleaning gloves (you know, the kind people wash dishes with), or the disposeable ones you can get at your local drugstore for cheap. It not only makes cleaning your hands a lot quicker and easier, but given all those caustic chemicals...I'd rather not be dunking my hands in vats of 'em all the time, ya know?