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#21 ·
cowboy1964 said:
You really don't want to be atomizing spraying most solvents unless you have good respirator. At others said, it's not even necessary anyway.
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What he said , and who knows what kind damage it will do to plastic or finish on other parts of the rifle . Atomizing is not necessary in any case ... I never even heard of anybody atomizing its rifle to clean it up .
 
#22 ·
I can't stand the smell of Kroil, nor do I think it is safe to breath, or to leave on skin. It has solvents in it and is likely just as toxic as any other cleaner/lubricant. I have never had a can of Kroil that did not leak (it eats through the spray tip) or lose gas.

I like using brake cleaner, because it evaps with minimal residue, and does not smell for hours.
 
#27 ·
cciman said:
I can't stand the smell of Kroil, nor do I think it is safe to breath, or to leave on skin. It has solvents in it and is likely just as toxic as any other cleaner/lubricant. I have never had a can of Kroil that did not leak (it eats through the spray tip) or lose gas.

I like using brake cleaner, because it evaps with minimal residue, and does not smell for hours.
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Check out the MSDS sheets.....most brake cleaners are more toxic than Kroil
 
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#28 ·
Samuel_Hoggson said:
Then I'd go with something more a solvent, and less a general purpose gun product. Things at the volatile end - whether brake/carb cleaner or "gunscrubber" types - demand a well ventilated/outdoor setup. Plus they really strip metal bare, more than I believe necessary or desirable. Bare metal clean sounds like a good idea, but if you somehow fail to relube something.....and it's not hard to miss a spot.

Gallon of kroil is about $65.
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I agree that it strips metal bare - that's what it is for. I am of the opinion to clean something you have to scrub it with a cleaner and the remove the dirt AND cleaner since it has a bunch of dirt in it. Just wiping is off doesn't really remove everything. The 50 state brake cleaner sold at WalMart is just acetone in a can. I buy the acetone by the gallon and use a tall glass jar and just dip the parts to get the cleaner and dirt off. I use the spray stuff for things that are too big to dip in my jar.

Of course you have to oil it when you're done. The point is that you have removed all the dirty oil and dirt and are now putting clean oil back on. I find it pretty easy to not miss anything. The oil will migrate anyway.
 
#30 ·
Eric2340 said:
So what's the best cleaner/what are you guys using to clean your AR15s?

Looking to buy something I can use in a pressurized container I have that you can spray solvents in with air from a compressor as opposed to buying a cleaner in an aerosol?

Does NOT have to be an "all in one" cleaner necessarily if there is something better?


Thanks -

Eric
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There is a product sold at Home Depot that does NOT attack aluminum and can be used to soak or spray your rifle and the price is good. The product is called “simple green pro hd” and is not to be confused with regular simple green. I have called and talked to them and it can be used to clean guns. It does a very good job and it’s cheap.
 
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#32 · (Edited)
faawrenchbndr said:
Kinda,.....once again, read the MSDS sheets. Acetone is nasty stuff, even more so when in aerosol form.
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I have read the MSDS sheet. Acetone is not as nasty as most other things out there. If it were, women wouldn't be soaking their fingers in it to remove nail polish:

Walmart Finger Nail Polish Remover

I don't remember hearing of any finger or nail cancer outbreaks in the last 50 years. You make it sound like MEK. What do you mean by "nasty stuff"?

You can read about it here:

HSE Watch

This page also has a link to the MSDS sheet. My favorite part:
  • Acetone has been tested in more than two dozen in vitro and in vivo assays. These studies indicate that acetone is not genotoxic.
  • There is currently no evidence to suggest a concern for carcinogenicity pertaining to acetone.
  • Although exposure to high doses of acetone may cause transient central nervous system effects, acetone is not a neurotoxicant.
It is flammable, so use it with plenty of ventilation. Cancer causing or not, I would not breathe more than I need to.
 
#33 ·
I like mil-comm MC25. Non toxic non flammable non corrosive water based.

Works great for me. Spay on (squirt bottle) and let work for a few minutes.

Removes old lube, dirt, carbon fouling. No oder. I use it for the bore, BCG etc. wipe dry and then I lube with CLP.


Sent from my iPad using Glock Talk mobile app
 
#34 ·
Dude, you're overthinking cleaning an AR. Lots of fine cleaning/CLP products on the market, none of which need to be "sprayed" over and throughout an AR.

I've been through 5 armorer classes/recerts for the AR family (3 sources, 1 of which was Colt). Pretty basic cleaning works.
 
#35 ·
jbmillard said:
I am of the opinion to clean something you have to scrub it with a cleaner and the remove the dirt AND cleaner since it has a bunch of dirt in it. Just wiping is off doesn't really remove everything.
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Exactly. And just how are you thoroughly scrubbing your FCG holes without removing lower receiver parts?

It's even worse than that. Volatile hydrocarbon sprays do a better job removing lube than actually removing crud. I thought brake cleaner would be a great idea for hosing out Uzi lowers after extensive .22lr. Not. About all I did was remove lube. Unburned powder flakes and grit mostly stayed put. Worse, they bound even more tightly to the metal surfaces. Surprised me. Ended up using CLP and a toothbrush. That did work.

Any agent that removes more lube than dirt is not what I want entering hard to access locations like FCG holes, FP channels, ejector raceways, etc..
 
#36 ·
Samuel_Hoggson said:
Exactly. And just how are you thoroughly scrubbing your FCG holes without removing lower receiver parts?

It's even worse than that. Volatile hydrocarbon sprays do a better job removing lube than actually removing crud. I thought brake cleaner would be a great idea for hosing out Uzi lowers after extensive .22lr. Not. About all I did was remove lube. Unburned powder flakes and grit mostly stayed put. Worse, they bound even more tightly to the metal surfaces. Surprised me. Ended up using CLP and a toothbrush. That did work.

Any agent that removes more lube than dirt is not what I want entering hard to access locations like FCG holes, FP channels, ejector raceways, etc..
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I usually use Gunzilla to get the dirt off. Then I dunk or spray to remove the Gunzilla and the dirt. It works very well for me.
 
#37 ·
I used good old fashioned CLP for years. These days I use Ballistol and a bore snake for most cleanings. ARs can run for thousands of rounds without cleanings as long as they stay lubricated.

About once a year when they starting filthy to handle I do a detail strip and a proper cleaning with Shooters Choice solvent.
 
#40 ·
Here's another vote for Safariland's Break-Free CLP. I stopped using Hoppe's #9 more than 30 years ago; and, since then, I have never had any good reason to go back.

I get my Break-Free CLP in large 1 liter bottles, sometimes, with a trigger sprayer top on the bottle. Because I use so much of this stuff, the aerosol cans would be too expensive. Over the years I've tried every type of gun cleaner that I could get my hands on; and so far, for price and performance, nothing I have tried is better than Break-Free CLP.

Aerosol application really isn't necessary, either. If cleaning a very dirty barrel simply let Break-Free CLP soak in for an hour or two. A prolonged soaking can really soften all of the 'gun crud' up! (Sometimes I'll even soak a barrel or an action overnight—That works well, too!)

The other things I always do whenever cleaning guns is that I wear safety glasses (for the springs and such), and I always put on a pair of Nitrile (or latex) gloves. Why? Because once the fluid starts to turn black, I don't want that 'gun crap' and firing residue to come in contact with my skin.
 
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