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Posted: 9/26/2006 11:36:45 AM EDT
[#1]
I clean 1911 frames and slides the same way. I then use compressed air to dry and re oil.
Just wear thick gloves as water cuts. |
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Posted: 9/26/2006 11:55:44 AM EDT
[#2]
I would not recommend it. Under high pressure water will get in-between places like the FSB and barrel or between the barrel nut and upper receiver possibly causing corrosion.
There are lots of places for moisture to hide that you could over look while attempting to dry things out. I see your from MI so throw in the high humidity in your area and you could be asking for trouble. If your trying to avoid exposure to chemicals buy a pair of rubber gloves. ETA: 
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Posted: 9/26/2006 12:27:27 PM EDT
[#3]
I wouldn't use it to clean the exterior of the rifle or the lower receiver at all.
When I take the bolt assembly apart I usually wash that in the sink, but that's not high pressure. What I was mainly thinking about was the barrel, chamber, and receiver area where the bolt assembly is. I understand what you're saying and it made me think about the forward assist trapping moisture, so I guess the receiver area would be a no. But how about just the barrel, since that's the main cleaning area. The receiver I can get easily. The bolt assembly isn't a problem. But what I'd like to do is run a small pipe down the barrel, wrapped so as not to damage the sides, but flared at the end so as to spray the sides of the barrel. It'd be high pressure but since it's within the barrel it wouldn't get under handguards or anything like that. Assuming I block water from spraying out into the receiver, would the high pressure affect the barrel? |
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Posted: 9/26/2006 1:36:32 PM EDT
[#4]
By trying to come up with short cuts, I think your over complicating the cleaning of your rifle and taking the chance of possibly damaging it by using unconventional cleaning methods.
Stick to the conventional methods of cleaning AR’s. Read through the forums for previous posts on cleaning techniques and tips. 
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Posted: 9/26/2006 1:38:29 PM EDT
[#5]
One of the approved methods of cleaning in the Marine Corps is cold water wash........so it couldn't be that bad for it.......
edit...and we did it too, never had any problems, just used plenty of CLP to lube 'er up |
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Posted: 9/26/2006 1:44:27 PM EDT
[#6]
Do you have some Marine Corp documentation that recommends using water to clean weapons? |
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Posted: 9/26/2006 1:48:18 PM EDT
[#7]
No.....and I think it was more of a last resort way of cleaning. The only times we ever did it, were when the guns were covered in mud or dirt and competely filthy to the point where it was pointless to waste the CLP. So we would wash all the grime and grit off with cold water and then after letting the weapon dry we would CLP it all up to stop rust from occuring. edit: I'm going to glance through my stuff and see if I can find some kind of documentation to back this up.....but no guarantees. |
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Posted: 9/26/2006 2:05:16 PM EDT
[#8]
What your saying makes sense if the weapons exterior was extremely filthy and covered with caked on dirt or mud. This was probably just an excepted method used by your unit and nothing in writing by the Marine Corp. But take a look and see if you can find anything to support the use of water…….I’m interested to know! 
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Posted: 9/26/2006 3:33:38 PM EDT
[#9]
I guess water could work, but I am not willing to chance it. I will stick with CLP and elbow grease. But if I had a pos that I didn't care about I might test it out and see what happens.
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Posted: 9/28/2006 6:57:14 PM EDT
[#10]
Washing with water or pressure has not been a problem for me. Hot or Cold.
If you go swimming with your rifle or it takes a dunk, ride on top of vehicle in sever rain storms the water will find all the same spots as washing with pressure. As mentioned its very useful for removing caked on mud, sand etc. However if you use this method of washing I would suggest you total disasemble to dry,within a short period of time. Then clean and lube as environment requirers |
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Posted: 9/29/2006 3:41:58 AM EDT
[#11]
I was waiting for someone to bring that up! Everyone knows there will be times when your rifle is exposed to the elements. And there are necessary steps to ensure that the weapon is taken care of after exposure to water. But to subject your rifle to those elements every time you go to the range? And under high pressure? No thanks. 
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Posted: 9/29/2006 3:43:43 AM EDT
[#12]
Damn dial-up internet
 ........double-tap.
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Posted: 9/29/2006 8:05:52 AM EDT
[#13]
I only clean the bolt assembly with water maybe every 4 cleanings to do a thorough job with complete disassembly, complete drying, and then oiling.
As for the high pressure barrel washing: I've built the device I intended to after asking this question. Because of the answers I'll be sure not to use it on the receiver or anything else, it was intended for the barrel anyway. Since the barrel is chrome moly it won't rust, the pressure isn't really that high, it's not like a power washer or anything. Then I can dry with another device I'll create(if the cleaning works that is) using a fan and cone to force air down the barrel. Then oil. I bought a thin hollow pipe, smaller diameter than a cleaning rod. Some 1/4 OD piping and a fitting to attach it to an outdoor spicket. Throw them all together and nearly done. I still need to cap the end and cut/drill openings on the side of the pipe to make for the high pressure openings. I'll also put some kind of padding on it to guide it down the barrel with out dinging the sides, in addition to using the bore guide. The high pressure openings will be near the tip, but on all sides so I don't have to twist it. Then I'll go shooting, bring it home, run some hoppes, let it soak, then try out the device to see how well it works. |
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Posted: 9/29/2006 8:13:29 AM EDT
[#14]
Seems like an whole lot of extra work!
 Good luck! |
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Posted: 10/1/2006 3:28:16 PM EDT
[#15]
That is the most ridiculous,unnecessary thing I have heard of in a long time! The only time it MIGHT be necessary to introduce water into a firearm would be cleaning for corrosive primers or scrubbing Muzzle loading black powder rifles. Or as was already mentioned cleaning heavy mud from the EXTERIOR of the rifle. I would imagine if there was a need to use water to clean the barrel the military would have adopted it some time ago. Give your poor rifle a break and use a cleaning rod like the rest of the world..........axarob44
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Posted: 10/2/2006 5:49:18 AM EDT
[#16]
After coming in from the field with weapons filled with sand, grit, mud etc, we used to rinse out the lower receviers in the shower. It saved at least an hour picking stuff out of the lower and did a much better job than a brush. We also used water as hot as we could stand to heat up the lower and speed drying time. The aluminum warms up nicely and a good shaking, an air dry and a thorough lube was all that was needed. My understanding is that it was one of those unofficial things everyone in line units did that would have caused problems if that information were known much higher than the company level. We did not however use water on the upper receivers or bolt carrier - those were easy enough to clean the conventional way. That obviously eliminates concerns with water getting into the bolt carrier, in the gas system, between the upper receiver and barrel extension, etc. However when you consider that jumping into lakes, streams, etc in full combat gear was a routine training evolution, in addition to the time spent getting rained on, crawling through mud etc, I don't think getting water anywhere in the weapon was something anyone worried about. |
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Posted: 10/2/2006 10:20:48 AM EDT
[#17]
Well, then I guess it's at least good for my Mauser which I have a lot of corrosive ammo for.
The idea is to decrease the use of chemicals and make cleaning easier. If it doesn't work, then it's back to normal. I have problems with dizziness so I'm sensitive to chemicals. I wear gloves, but I don't really feel like wearing a respirator for an hour or more while I clean my guns. Plus I'd have to buy filter refills all the time. Is cleaning with water easier in your book? Maybe not. You have to run some Hoppes down to break it up, run the water device, drain it, run some dry patches, force air down it, then go back to it later to run another dry patch or two, then run some lube down it. PLUS I have to clean the receiver anyway, right? So maybe it's not for you. Maybe it's not for me either, but I'm going to try. Maybe I'm too thorough in my cleanings, but I can spend an hour on just the AR, not including the other guns I usually shoot on the same outing. I don't particularily like scrubbing the barrel, running wet, running dry. Still extremely dirty, keep going, still dirty, keep going. And like I said, avoiding the chemicals as much as possible. |
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Posted: 10/2/2006 11:01:13 AM EDT
[#18]
Mpro-7 is a non tox based cleaner that works great on carbon, will not do jack for copper. Windex is what guys around here use for corrsive ammo. Usally with a normal cleaning using ballistol after. You can also buy BP cleaners that are generally non-tox. |
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Posted: 10/2/2006 12:32:00 PM EDT
[#19]
I asked a freind of mine who is a retired military armourer. He states that cleaning M-16's in the shower was an officail non policy. Everybody did it, but it was not the offially approved technique.
His feeling was that given how they were used in the field, water is not an issue. He also stated it's a case where it's not a problem if you are smart about it and use some common snese but is a problem if you are in fact an idiot and/or lack common sense. In line with this he also made comments to the effect that the idiots are the intended audience for the cartoons that have becomes so prevelent in the military. Specifically, he noted two problem areas. The pin that retains the buffer assembly and the detents for the receiver dissasembly pins. Water can get trapped in these areas and cause corrosion so he indicated you want to be sure to lube these areas well, use water as hot as possible and shake/dry the receiver thoroughly. He also cautioned about using a pressure washer ohas it has the potential to damage the fibers in some stocks. He did not feel that the barrel, upper recevier, etc, would suffer at all from being washed or pressure washed and stated he often used a pressure washer on both uppers and lowers. |
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Posted: 10/2/2006 5:58:43 PM EDT
[#20]
The Army puts out PS Magazine in cartoon format because humor and cartoons will be more interesting to read and make retaining the info a little easier. PS Magazine does not focus on weapons alone, but covers all MOS’s and their equipment.
I’m more than familiar with how filthy weapons can get in training and when deployed. And back in garrison GI’s will do what ever it takes to cut down on weapons cleaning time. If they can get away with it, they do it! I’ve been in units where the weapon was not allowed to leave the Arms Room area during cleaning because soldiers would take the weapons to their rooms in the barracks and do exactly what PS Magazine warns you not to do! No one wanted to spend an hour or more sitting on the floor down by the Arms Room, fighting every other soldier over limited cleaning supplies. Then standing in line for 30 minutes to turn in your weapon for inspection by the armorer, only to be turned away for not doing a good job! So rather than go through all that trouble, “alternative” methods are desired. GI’s are very ingenious and will try anything to get out of weapons cleaning, hence the numerous articles in PS Magazine! 
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Posted: 10/2/2006 6:05:18 PM EDT
[#21]
When a gun gets really dirty or I shoot corrosive ammo I always clean with dish washing soap (Now I have been using simple green) & Very Hot water, Then I dry (With a heat gun) & lube everything well.
In close to 30 years I have never had a problem doing this. |
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Posted: 10/2/2006 6:16:50 PM EDT
[#22]
December 1972, Fort Leonard Wood Missouri.
Final inspection of M16s at the end of basic. The Sr. Drill Sgt. said that we absolutely could not run scalding hot water over the lower receiver to clean that part. He then advised us which sink in the latrine we could not use to do it, and that the Drill Instructors would be in meeting and unavailable for about two hours. No one failed final weapons inspections because of a dirty lower. I am not sure how hot that water was, but it evaporated bone dry in very little time after it was taken out from under the flow of that water! |
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Posted: 10/2/2006 6:19:29 PM EDT
[#23]
I use a dish soap / water mixture to clean the barrel and bolt of my 98k, but I don’t hose down the whole weapon with a steam cleaner or dunk it under running water either. Theirs a big difference between hosing down a rifle after ever range session and running a patch sopping wet with water down the barrel. |
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Posted: 10/2/2006 6:28:07 PM EDT
[#24]
I’m not doubting that the hot water rinse flushed out those lowers really good. And I know that weapons will become exposed to the elements, but again I must enforce the fact that after being exposed to the elements extra precautions should be taken to prevent damage to the weapon. Why subject your rifle to those conditions each and every time you take it out to fire by washing it with water? It just doesn’t make sense when there are alternative means to clean your weapon with materials and techniques that won’t possibly subject your rifle to corrosion or damage. |
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Posted: 10/3/2006 4:08:44 PM EDT
[#25]
The inention from the get go was to clean only the barrel with water. I asked about everything to make sure that it wouldn't get damaged in the process, such as if the high pressure water stripped the blueing in the receiver. But since I'll be using a bore guide, that won't happen either way.
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Posted: 10/3/2006 9:10:23 PM EDT
[#26]
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Posted: 10/28/2006 12:31:33 PM EDT
[#27]
Water and laundry soap sure..High pressure no way
Do not forget to lube.. |
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