I have some fouling in my barrel that I can't get out. Will a ultrasonic cleaner damage the finish? I've heard that it can have an effect on some blueing, but I wasn't sure on a Glock barrel.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Ultrasonic barrel cleaning
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BigMoneyGrip
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I have some fouling in my barrel that I can't get out. Will a ultrasonic cleaner damage the finish? I've heard that it can have an effect on some blueing, but I wasn't sure on a Glock barrel.
Thanks!
Thanks!
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159 Posts
I use one on mine with no issues whatsoever. So far I have only used the Hornady stuff in it though. When I run out of that Ill look for something more aggressive. You just have to be careful what you use in it.
Its great for dropping your whole lower in. Harbor Freight sells a cheap one that I have.
Its great for dropping your whole lower in. Harbor Freight sells a cheap one that I have.
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I'm not sure that an ultrasonic cleaner will get the fouling you can't get through concentrated manual scrubbing. Is it lead? If so something like the Lewis Lead Remover might be the answer.
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I'm not sure what it is. I let it soak in Hoppes for 10~15 minutes and that still doesn't get it. It almost looks like scuffs between the rifling. You can see it really good with a magnifying glass. I can do the Hoppes thing 10 times and I still get blackish fouling on patches. Maybe I'm being too anal, but I'd like to get it out. I can't tell and degrading in the accuracy.
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When you say soak, do you mean that you leave it submerged in Hoppes? If not then try that. Let it be submerged over night. Next day use a bronze brush to push out lead.
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You mean unchlorinated brake cleaner? Yeah, I've tried that and carb cleaner. It does look like compressed carbon smeared in the barrel.
I've cleaned my Glocks with Ultrasonic Cleaners for a while now and so far, nothing is wrong with them. I Bought a cheap Ultrasonic Cleaner from Amazon (around $ 70 and has heating feature), use hot water and dawn dish washing soap only. Put your frame, barrel, and slide first, then all upper parts and lower parts in separate zip loc bags - for your own sake - with some water and few drops of dawn. I usually let it run for about 20 min, turn off the machine, then wash away soap and stuff with hot water under running faucet, then dry using a hair dryer to make sure that there is no chance of water left on the parts; then re lube each and ever part while inspecting them for wear, then reassemble, then check for functionality.
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There are quite a number of commercial cleaning solvents that are specifically marketed to remove tough bore fouling. Perhaps try something specific instead of general Hoppes.
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I've made up a gallon of "Ed's Red" a few years ago and am still using it, recipe is available through a Google search.
That stuff will clean about anything off gun parts. I've used it with an ultrasonic cleaner as well. put your parts in a zip-lock baggie, add enough Ed's Red to cover the parts, then into the USC pan filled with distilled water.
this way the pan of the USC only has water in it so its easy to clean. the water transfers the USC action into the baggie of parts and Ed's Red (or whatever cleaning solution you use), just make sure to get the air out of the baggie around the parts, does a great job with minimum hassle for clean up
sig357fan
That stuff will clean about anything off gun parts. I've used it with an ultrasonic cleaner as well. put your parts in a zip-lock baggie, add enough Ed's Red to cover the parts, then into the USC pan filled with distilled water.
this way the pan of the USC only has water in it so its easy to clean. the water transfers the USC action into the baggie of parts and Ed's Red (or whatever cleaning solution you use), just make sure to get the air out of the baggie around the parts, does a great job with minimum hassle for clean up
sig357fan
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At first I thought you were a little OC, then I saw you were a Marine. I guess the Rifleman's Creed holds true for your side arms. Good job Marine!
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Back when I carried a Glock for work, the person doing our weapons inspections was a Marine. If I wasn't so naturally OC, it would have been a real PITA. One time, he literally put on white gloves first.
Both of my G42's have that same "problem." Days (literally) of soaking with various solvents and vigorous scrubbing with brass brushes (I wore out three) removed some of it but not all. I finally decided that what is remaining is actually a few small machining marks in the grooves of the barrel, and will never be removable.
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Talk about a timely thread - I have the exact same issue with my relatively new G30SF (Ultrasonic Cleaner, Overnight Soaks, and even several different Bore Cleaners/Polish). I've tried Remington 40X Bore Cleaner, J&B, Iosso, Montana Extreme Bore Polish, along with the regular cleaners like Hoppes, MPro-7, Break-Free CLP, Weapon Shield CLP, Bore-Tech Eliminator (as well as their C4 Carbon, and C2 Brass removal variety).
The Sonic Cleaner (using the Hornady Gun Part solution/concentrate) and Bore Polishes seem to have helped quite a bit, but the "smudges" are still barely present. So now you have me thinking, Jim, if it is just a machine mark, as I really have to look closely with a bore light hitting it a the right angle to see it's still there.
I'm still considering giving the Lee's Lead Remover a try, but I'm a bit skeptical that it's even lead, considering that I've never fired a non-FMJ bullet from the Glock in the 650 rounds I've put through it so far. For now, I'm just going to wait for someone smarter than myself (shouldn't take long) to post in this thread with a definitive answer for my specific situation.
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BTW, to the OP, I certainly wouldn't discourage you from buying an "inexpensive" ultrasonic cleaner, as they can be quite useful (not just with guns, but jewelry, glasses/sunglasses [without special lens coatings], you name it). Just pay attention to the true measurements of the "tank" when shopping around, as a lot of the advertisement pictures tend to make tiny "jewelry cleaners" look like you could drop a Desert Eagle in it whole. My Isonic 2.5L cleaner is what I consider "just big enough". If I want to clean a pistol frame (or possibly an un-assembled pistol, though I don't see myself doing that) I certainly have the space, and it has the heating option (it's part of their "Professional Line"). From everything I can research, it appears to be a completely exact copy of a Lyman model that Brownells sells (maybe one company owns the other). I've only used it for several weeks now, but it definitely helps. Using a 10 part water with a 2 part MPro-7 Cleaner mixture (though MPro-7 states on their website that it can be safely used as a 50% mixture, depending on severity of "dirtyness"), I've had some surprising gunk left in the tank from parts that had already been "Hand Cleaned". Just remember, that with most Sonic Cleaning solutions that are sold, when you do clean something ultrasonically, once the solution evaporates, the gun and/or gun parts are going to "bone-dry" with zero oil/grease or any other type of corrosion protection on any nook/cranny of the part/gun, so that problem needs to be addressed before too long.
Harbor Freight, Amazon, and eBay have plenty to choose from. Just make sure its ratings are high and its size/volume is large enough, and you can find a decent one for considerably less than $100 (mine cost about $80 on Amazon, with Free 2 day shipping included, but there were considerably cheaper options in the $50 to $70 range).
Best of luck on your decision.
Harbor Freight, Amazon, and eBay have plenty to choose from. Just make sure its ratings are high and its size/volume is large enough, and you can find a decent one for considerably less than $100 (mine cost about $80 on Amazon, with Free 2 day shipping included, but there were considerably cheaper options in the $50 to $70 range).
Best of luck on your decision.
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While I like a very clean gun, I don't think that a small amount of fouling in the barrel that is extremely hard to remove will hurt anything. There is definitely diminishing value with the effort you're putting into cleaning every last little speck of fouling when you're talking about handguns. And that's coming from someone who is pretty OCD about cleanliness.
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Oh, I totally agree. But I guess my OCD surpasses yours, lol. I know it won't affect the function, nor even the resale value, but everytime I'm cleaning after a range trip, I see that "smudge" and start thinking of methods I haven't tried yet. It's a DISEASE, dammit! I need help! :crying: :crazy: :crying:
:supergrin:
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I suppose my OCD is mostly limited to all the other surfaces of the gun. For some reason, good enough is good enough when it comes to the bore of the barrel.
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