Using solvents for cleaning a shotgun.

meathstevie

Has anyone here used acetone or similar to give the inner workings of a shotgun a serious deep clean ?

gunhappy_ie

meathstevie wrote: »

Has anyone here used acetone or similar to give the inner workings of a shotgun a serious deep clean ?

Yes ......DONT !!! As well as being on the expensive side.....

Acetone is an industrial solvent that will melt plastic/rubber/strip paint fairly rapidly. Its also a fire hazard as its highly flammable with a low evaporation point (fumes can ignite easily too)

Get in on your skin and itll remove oils from your skin..... get it in a cut and its worse than TCP..... only its not an antiseptic ! Get it in your eye........ Ouch and yes thats happened me ...... also the vapors can burn your throat.

Its what I use in tanks to de-grease before blasting and refinishing so its full PPE and Extractors on !

Cass

I'd say it'd strip the bluing off your barrels too?

There are generic cleaners that can be use don shotguns and some shotgun specific stuff that can be ordered online. You want a lead/plastic/carbon remover. If this comes in a two or three cleaners then so be it, but you can try get shotgun blend from BoreTech and use a "one for all" cleaner.

If you are concerned about leaving a cleaner in the workings or hard to reach areas then clean with a proper cleaner and wipe down with something like Meh spirits that removes the residual cleaner and leaves no trace itself.

cookimonster

As above post, stay away from it.
My father used it in the Commercial Art trade and had more than a few problems with it. They used it as a solvent due to its ability to melt plastics so not a good product to have around synthetic firearms stocks and parts.

Try white spirts and have a look here...

https://youtu.be/rZZOE_pzjLA

gunhappy_ie

Cass wrote: »

I'd say it'd strip the bluing off your barrels too?

There are generic cleaners that can be use don shotguns and some shotgun specific stuff that can be ordered online. You want a lead/plastic/carbon remover. If this comes in a two or three cleaners then so be it, but you can try get shotgun blend from BoreTech and use a "one for all" cleaner.

If you are concerned about leaving a cleaner in the workings or hard to reach areas then clean with a proper cleaner and wipe down with something like Meh spirits that removes the residual cleaner and leaves no trace itself.

Ive yet to see it attack bluing (not saying that it doesn't just I havent seen it) but it will strip oil/grease out of the action leaving metal on metal.

Even though I use it alot, in the case of an action I still have to completely strip and manually scrub every inch to get gunk/rust out.

Its also not great for carbon deposits like gas pistons etc (i use an ultrasonic cleaner for that) It wont clean away any corrosion your action but it will be rustier after cleaning because the acetone has stripped off the dirty oil that was hiding it.


Cass has given the best advise about using firearms specific oils cleaners to be honest ..... but it might take trial and error to fine one that works the best.

gunhappy_ie

cookimonster wrote: »

As above post, stay away from it.
My father used it in the Commercial Art trade and had more than a few problems with it. They used it as a solvent due to its ability to melt plastics so not a good product to have around synthetic firearms stocks and parts.

Try white spirts and have a look here...

https://youtu.be/rZZOE_pzjLA

On more than one occasion Ive seen it melt stocks, recoil buffers, O Rings etc

Cass

I've seen vinegar strip the bluing off an action of a rifle. Chap eating a bag of chips on the way home from a stalk let it fall onto his action. He wiped it off straight away but three days later the bluing on his action showed signs of stripping/wear. Had to get a suitable solvent to neutralize the acid in the vinegar and then get it re-blued.

gunhappy_ie

Cass wrote: »

I've seen vinegar strip the bluing off an action of a rifle. Chap eating a bag of chips on the way home from a stalk let it fall onto his action. He wiped it off straight away but three days later the bluing on his action showed signs of stripping/wear. Had to get a suitable solvent to neutralize the acid in the vinegar and then get it re-blued.

Who says chemistry isnt fun :P

Ya I see it a fair bit with Blued guns coming in for DuraBlue !

meathstevie

Thanks for all the replies folks. I think I shall resort to toothpicks, old toothbrush and cotton buds and something maybe a little less volatile.

It's intended to completely clean a disassembled boxlock action, unblued steel bits only, oil and grease back up.

Cass

Use something like KG1 carbon remover. Its safe on those parts and its designed to remove carbon. Use a healthy dose on it and let it work for a while before cleaning away. Sometimes the biggest problem with solvents is people not letting them sit enough to do the work.

After its soaked use a soaked cotton swab (with the KG1) and clean as much as you can reach. Spray liberally with Brunox or similar gun oil to remove excess solvent and if necessary apply again. You can then use meth spirits or similar cleaner to completely remove any trace of solvent or oils. Try to steer away from harsh stuff such as acetone. Meth spirits will remove solvents and oils but will evaporate leaving no residue and nothing that can burn onto the action/workings.

If the parts are unblued, and hence no fear or damaging the finish, then i'd even consider soaking the part in an oil/subtle solvent solution to help loosen fouling. If you have access to an air line it's also helpful in removing fouling just make sure it has a good water/vapour trap on it.

You shouldn't have much if any lead or other fouling in the action. It should be dirt an carbon so you shouldn't need much more than KG1 or similar carbon remover.

meathstevie

Cass wrote: »

Use something like KG1 carbon remover. Its safe on those parts and its designed to remove carbon. Use a healthy dose on it and let it work for a while before cleaning away. Sometimes the biggest problem with solvents is people not letting them sit enough to do the work.

After its soaked use a soaked cotton swab (with the KG1) and clean as much as you can reach. Spray liberally with Brunox or similar gun oil to remove excess solvent and if necessary apply again. You can then use meth spirits or similar cleaner to completely remove any trace of solvent or oils. Try to steer away from harsh stuff such as acetone. Meth spirits will remove solvents and oils but will evaporate leaving no residue and nothing that can burn onto the action/workings.

If the parts are unblued, and hence no fear or damaging the finish, then i'd even consider soaking the part in an oil/subtle solvent solution to help loosen fouling. If you have access to an air line it's also helpful in removing fouling just make sure it has a good water/vapour trap on it.

You shouldn't have much if any lead or other fouling in the action. It should be dirt an carbon so you shouldn't need much more than KG1 or similar carbon remover.

You're spot on Cass. It's mainly a several decades worth of old lubricants, some carbon and general crud that's built up on surfaces that are not in metal to metal contact. A mild solvent "bath" and an airline is no issue. A friend of mine has an excellent compressor in daily use in a carpentry workshop so no problem there.

cookimonster

Cass wrote: »

I've seen vinegar strip......

Lads used to use vinegar from the cookhouse to remove carbon from gas plugs, piston assembles etc from the service rifles and GPMG, contrary to regs and SOP of course..but a hell of a lot better than using a rough stone:eek:

Edit.. just remembered, blood will do a fair bit of damage to the bluing as well..