Anyone use an ultrasonic cleaner to clean their AR AR parts?  I read that Leno article in the latest Popular Mechanic's magazine about removing carbon buildup and degreasing car parts with it.  It seems logical that it would work just as well on gun parts.

Quoted: Anyone use an ultrasonic cleaner to clean their AR AR parts?  I read that Leno article in the latest Popular Mechanic's magazine about removing carbon buildup and degreasing car parts with it.  It seems logical that it would work just as well on gun parts.

Yes,  I bought a empty paint can and fill it 2/3 full of Ed's Red bore cleaner then set the closed can in the water filled tank. Then I set my Bolt, Bolt carrier, my stainless colt 1991A1 (minus grips), what ever fits and is dirty.   It works extremely well,  but , do not turn the cleaner's heater on for this as the bore cleaner builds up enough pressure to blow off the lid.  Brownell's sell a cleaner made by "L&R" that is for guns and is not inflammable (I think) that I may try next.

Dogma

I use an ultrasonic cleaner as well. So far I've only been using Simple Green and it seems to work well although I've been wanting to try Ed's Red.

I am my departments Armorer. We have two L&R cleaners and I have a small (one gun) Crest at home. We have been using the L&R solvent and lube for the last 9 years. I love these things. They can clean a gun better than I ever could in ¼th the time. Just a few months ago I cleaned and inspected over 120 handguns, shotguns and rifles in four days. This included time for repairs and all the interruptions that occur with a major job like this.

If you can afford a sonic cleaner, get one. It’s like buying a safe. Once you have it you can not live without it.

prices of these, and how big are they?

They are VERY expensive. The bigger the tank the bigger the bill.

www.slip2000.com

They sell one and it is nontoxic and has no vapors. It is for guns.

I am kind of spoiled.

As our facilitys lead( Only) Armorer, I am tasked with quarterly cleanings, and have a Crest 2 rifle unit at my disposal.

Using the Crest solution at recommended dillution I can get rifles that have seen 600-1200 rounds 80% clean in 20 min. on average.

From there bore scrubbing and detail cleaning is the same as without.


Due to budget constraints, I have tinkered with several water based tank solutions to find a more cost effective product.

The stuff from  Crest, L&R , and the folks at MPro(X-it) all have sent samples and have been compared.

The Crest solution came out on top with a close second going to X-it.
So close that I suspect Crest is buying their solutions from the same company, and our Chemistry geeks cannot determine a difference.


Have run simple green in the tanks a time or two.
Works just fine. Though some will warn about the PH and anodizing worries.
Havn't seen any proof yet.

Sonic tanks are a godsend if you have 100+ weapons to babysit.

Just realze that you will also need a high volume air compressor, and the availability of a large volume of HOT rinse water.

Also have a L&R pistol tank.
Good unit.
Very effective, but too small in volume for our needs, except for the odd job of cleaning Padlocks and the occaisional sidearm that gets dropped in the mud now and then.


As a side note,
If you reload or shoot black powder....
Brass gets the best cleaning possible and the BP guns come out sparkling!!!

There is no replacement for elbow grease and attention to detail however.
Still gotta worship the things for what they are in the end.

S-28

Quoted: prices of these, and how big are they?

There's the Harbor Freight special for around $30 ... I think it's big enough to fit a bolt carrier, but don't hold me to it: www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=3305

If you have seven grand lying around: www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=47540

Personally, I use a Fisher Scientific, but it was salvaged from the junk pile so I don't know what they run normally.

Quoted: Quoted: prices of these, and how big are they? There's the Harbor Freight special for around $30 ... I think it's big enough to fit a bolt carrier, but don't hold me to it: www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=3305 If you have seven grand lying around: www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=47540 Personally, I use a Fisher Scientific, but it was salvaged from the junk pile so I don't know what they run normally.

lol i think my grandma has that 1st one.  

Any other available?