Brake cleaner

[dox1842]

How effective is brake cleaner for cleaning out your ar? i tried using the spraycan of break free clp thinking it would remove all the dirt and grime but all i did was over oil my gun.

[Colorado Osprey]

I've used it on most of my guns, but for some reason not my ar. Can't really say why. Just never done it.

Be careful how u use it. It can melt some plastics, and takes ALL the oil off. So be sure to do a good lube and leave a light oil residue on everything to protect stuff after the cleaning.

It will however leave powder residue(carbon) behind some times.

So it works great, for example, to clean an action that was over oiled and got dropped in the dirt, to remove the dirt and oil, so it will be spankin clean. Then of course, re-oil.

[TravisM.1]

A buddy of mines brother uses Brake Cleaner EXCLUSIVELY to clean his Ruger MKII. He has to remove the grips before spraying, but it beats the crap out of having them melt off the gun.
Ive used it on the reciever of my 22/45 Ruger, after removing the polymer frame, but how would the finish on an Oly lower hold up to Brake Cleaner?

[dox1842]

I wonder what the elfinators opinion is on this....

[NCarUSA15]

When i was in the Army we used carburator cleaner on our 16s although I wouldnt use it on my Rifle now we found as long as you oil it down real good it didnt seem to hurt them. I also used it on my M60 it sure got that sucker clean.

[usmcO311]

HELLO ALL, my local custom gunsmith told me to use autozone brake cleaner on my oly and M.M.C.(MOLECULAR METAL CONDITONERS) its a synthetic blended metal conditoner.there website is www.mmc-ltd.net.HE says he shoots in fast compeition and says never has a prob. its good on pistols too!!! I just bought some and it to try.

[WolfmoonCT]

When I bought my K3B back in January, Oly sent a small sample size of the MMC. I never used it. I am currently using Hoppes to clean and FP-10 for lube.

[103M 95G]

Try this, next time youre in wally-world pick up a can of Gun Scrubber then go the auto section and pick up a can of Break cleaner compare the ingredients some cleaners are the same as GS. some brake cleaners contain WATER
the brake cleaners are a whole lot cheaper than the Gun Scrubber

[Devil Dog]

Hmmmmm....sounds as if I'm going to have to try it

[Embfixer]

I have used LPS degreaser (brake cleaner) on most of my fire arms. I remove all plastic and wood parts before use. The only negitive affect is that it will brake down Locktight and cause screws to come loose. This happened to the MH3 front night sight on my GLOCK. I do not use it every time I clean a gun, mainly just for deep cleaning.

[mechanic]

Take this from a lot of experience brake cleaner will not hurt your gun. Almost all are acetone based and harmless to most things. It will not hurt plastic or paint, I cannot think of one thing I ever left a mark on with brake cleaner. I have used to clean the seats of cars too. It is very good stuff and I would not be afraid to use it on any of my guns. NOTE: be carefull with carb cleaner NOT THE SAME STUFF!

[wingnut247]

I have never tried automotive brake cleaner.

I primarily use break-free... but also various solvents, bore cleaners and oils depending on what the job is.

If I had one liquid (particularly in the field)... I'd use the break-free because of what it can do. As stated on the product... it cleans / lubricates and protects! ...and it does a GREAT JOB.

[Ductapeman]

Brake cleaner can be a big help in getting nasty grease and dirt deposits out-- I used to use it to remove cosmoline from new Chinese SKSes when I had my gun shop. Just be very sure that the product you use is non-chlorinated-- the chlorinated stuff will dissolve some if not all of your parkerizing! And as mentioned, avoid the products that contain water.

For cleaning after shooting, I just use BreakFree and a little elbow grease any more, and a quick wipedown with Windex with ammonia first if I've been shooting corrosive ammo in the Mosins or Mausers. That MMC is good stuff, though.

[ar_newbie]

This is what I use. Brownells sells it now but you can just mix your own. I like because I just dip my handguns and parts in a gallon of the stuff and then blow it of with some compressed air. For me, brake cleaner leaves the firearm too dry.

"Ed's Red" -- Revisited

By C.E. "Ed" Harris

Since I mixed my first "Ed's Red" (ER) bore cleaner five years ago, hundreds of users have told me that they find it as effective as commercial products. This cleaner has an action similar to military rifle bore cleaner, such as Mil-C-372B. It is highly effective for removing plastic fouling from shotgun bores, caked carbon in semi-automatic rifles or pistols, or leading in revolvers. "ER" is not a "decoppering" solution for fast removal of heavy jacket fouling, but because is more effective in removal of caked carbon and primer residues than most other cleaners, so metal fouling is reduced when "ER" is used.

Claude Copper and I researched the subject rather thoroughly and determined there was no technical reason why an effective firearm bore cleaner couldn't be mixed using common hardware store ingredients. The resulting cleaner is safe, effective, inexpensive, provides good corrosion protection and adequate residual lubrication. Routine oiling after cleaning is unnecessary except for storage exceeding 1 year, or in harsh environments, such as salt air exposure.

The formula is adapted from Hatcher's "Frankford Arsenal Cleaner No. 18", but substitutes equivalent modern materials. Hatcher's recipe called for equal parts of acetone, turpentine, Pratt's Astral Oil land sperm oil, and (optionally) 200 grams of anhydrous lanolin per liter of cleaner.

Some discussion of the ingredients in "ER" is helpful to understand the properties of the cleaner and how it works. Pratts Astral Oil was nothing more than acid free, deodorized kerosene. Today you would ask for "K-1" kerosene of the type sold for use in indoor space heaters.

An inexpensive, effective substitute for sperm oil is Dexron II automatic transmission fluid. Prior to 1950 most ATFs were sperm oil based. During WWII, sperm oil was mostly unavailable, so highly refined, dewaxed hydrofinished petroleum oils were developed, which had excellent themal stability. When antioxidants were added to prevent gumming, these worked well in precision instruments.

With the high demand for automatic transmission autos after WWII, sperm oil was no longer practical to produce ATFs in the needed quantities needed, so the wartime expedients were mass produced. ATFs have been continually improved over the years. The additives contained in Dexron include detergents or other surfactants which are highly suitable for inclusion in an all-purpose cleaner, lubricant and preservative.

Hatcher's Frankford Arsenal No. 18 used gum spirits of turpentine, but turpentine is both expensive and also highly flammable, so I chose not to use it. Much safer and more inexpensive are "aliphatic mineral spirits", which are an open-chain organic solvent, rather than the closed-chain, benzene ring structure, common to "aromatics", such as naptha or "lighter fluid". Sometimes called "safety solvent", aliphatic mineral spirits are used for thinning oil based paint, as automotive parts cleaner and is commonly sold under the names "odorless mineral spirits", "Stoddard Solvent", or "Varsol".

Acetone is included to provide an aggressive, fast-acting solvent for caked smokeless powder residues. Because acetone readily evaporates and the fumes are harmful in high concentrations, it is recommended that it be left out if the cleaner will be used indoors, in soak tanks or in enclosed spaces lacking forced air ventilation. Containers should be kept tightly closed when not in use. "ER" is still effective without acetone, but not as "fast-acting".

"Ed's Red" does not chemically dissolve copper fouling in rifle bores, but it does a better job of removing carbon and primer residue than most other cleaners. Many users have told me that frequent and exclusive use of "ER" reduces copper deposits, because it removes the old impacted powder fouling left behind by other cleaners. This reduces the abrasion and adhesion of jacket metal to the bore, leaving a cleaner surface condition, which reduces subsequent fouling. Experience indicates that "ER" will actually remove metal fouling in bores if it is left to "soak" for a few days so the surfactants will do the job, when followed by a repeat cleaning. You simply have to patient.

Addition of lanolin to "ER" is optional, because the cleaner works perfectly well and gives adequate corrosion protection and lubrication without it. Inclusion of lanolin makes the cleaner easier on the hands, increases its lubricity and film strength and improves corrosion protection if firearms, tools or equipment will be routinely exposed to salt air, water spray, or corrosive urban atmospheres.

I recommend the lanolin be included if you intend to use the cleaner as a protectant for long-term storage or for a "flush" after water cleaning of black powder firearms or those fired with military chlorate primers. This is because lanolin has a great affinity for water and readily emulsifies so that the bore can be wiped of residual moisture, leaving a protective film. If you inspect your guns and wipe them down twice yearly, you can leave out the lanolin and save about $10 per gallon.

At current retail prices, you can buy all the ingredients to mix "ER", without the lanolin, for about $12 per gallon. I urge you to mix some yourself. I am confident it will work as well for you as it does for me and hundreds of users who got the "recipe" on the Fidonet Firearms Echo.

CONTENTS: Ed's Red Bore Cleaner

1 part - Dexron ATF, GM Spec. D-20265 or later.

1 part - Kerosene - deodorized, K1

1 part - Aliphatic Mineral Spirits CAS #64741-49-9, or substitute "Stoddard Solvent", CAS #8052-41-3, or equivalent.

1 part - Acetone, CAS #67-64-1.

(Optional 1 lb. of Lanolin, Anydrous, USP per gallon, or OK to substitute Lanolin, Modified, Topical Lubricant, from the drug store.)

MIXING INSTRUCTIONS:

Mix outdoors, in good ventilation. Use a clean 1 gallon metal, chemical resistant, heavy gage PET or PVC plastic container. NFPA approved plastic gasoline storage containers are OK. Do NOT use HDPE, which is permeable, because the acetone will slowly evaporate. Acetone in "ER" will attack HDPE over time, causing the container to collapse, making a heck of a mess!

Add the ATF first. Use the empty ATF container to measure the other components, so that it is thoroughly rinsed. If you incorporate the lanolin into the mixture, melt this carefully in a double boiler, taking precautions against fire. Pour the melted lanolin into a larger container, rinsing the lanolin container with the bore cleaner mix, and stirring until it is all dissolved. I recommend diverting up to 4 ozs. per quart of the 50-50 ATF/kerosene mix to use as "ER-compatible" gun oil. This can be done without impairing the effectiveness of the remaining mix.

Label and safety warnings follow:

FIREARM BORE CLEANER

CAUTION:
FLAMMABLE MIXTURE
HARMFUL IF SWALLOWED
KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN


Contents: petroleum distillates, surfactants, organometallic antioxidants and acetone.

Flammable mixture, keep away from heat, sparks or flame.

FIRST AID: If swallowed, DO NOT induce vomiting, call physician immediately. In case of eye contact, immediately flush thoroughly with water and call a physician. For skin contact, wash thoroughly.

Use with adequate ventilation. Avoid breathing vapors or spray mist. It is a violation of Federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling. Reports have associated repeated and prolonged occupational overexposure to solvents with permanent brain damage and nervous system damage. If using in closed armory vaults lacking forced air ventilation, wear respiratory protection meeting NIOSH TC23C or equivalent. Keep container tightly closed when not in use.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE:

Open the firearm action and ensure the bore is clear. Cleaning is most effective when done while the barrel is still warm from firing. Saturate a cotton patch with bore cleaner, wrap or impale on jag and push it through the bore from breech to muzzle. The patch should be a snug fit. Let the first patch fall off and do not pull it back into the bore.

Wet a second patch, and similarly start it into the bore from the breech, this time scrubbing from the throat area forward in 4-5" strokes and gradually advancing until the patch emerges out the muzzle. Waiting approximately 1 minute to let the bore cleaner to soak will improve its action.

For pitted, heavily carbon-fouled service rifles, leaded revolvers or neglected bores a bronze brush wet with bore cleaner many be used to remove stubborn deposits. This is unnecessary for smooth, target-grade barrels in routine use.

Use a final wet patch pushed straight through the bore to flush out loosened residue dissolved by Ed's Red. Let the patch fall off the jag without pulling it back through the bore. If you are finished firing, leaving the bore wet will protect it from rust for 1 year under average atmospheric conditions.

If lanolin is incorporated into the mixture, it will protect the firearm from rust for up to two years, even in a humid environment. (For longer storage use Lee Liquid Alox or Cosmolene). "ER" will readily remove hardened Alox or Cosmolene.

Wipe spilled Ed's Red from exterior surfaces before storing the gun. While Ed's Red is harmless to blue and nickel finishes, the acetone it contains is harmful to most wood finishes.

Before firing again, push two dry patches through the bore and dry the chamber, using a patch wrapped around a suitably sized brush or jag. First shot point of impact usually will not be disturbed by Ed's Red if the bore is cleaned as described.

I have determined to my satisfaction that when Ed's Red is used exclusively and thoroughly, that hot water cleaning is unnecessary after use of Pyrodex or military chlorate primers. However, if bores are not wiped between shots and are heavily caked from black powder fouling, hot water cleaning is recommended first to break up heavy fouling deposits. Water cleaning should be followed by a flush with Ed's Red to prevent after-rusting which could result from residual moisture. It is ALWAYS a good practice to clean TWICE, TWO DAYS APART whenever using chlorate primed ammunition, just to make sure you get all the corrosive residue out.

This "Recipe" has been placed in the public domain, and may be freely distributed provided that it is done so in its entirety with all current revisions, instructions and safety warnings included herein, and that proper attribution is given to the author.

[abadrs]

Brake clean is like water ...It won't hurt too much, but it don't clean all that well either. If you mean carb cleaner ...now that stuff will melt some plastics and you def NEVER want to use it on anything with a wood stock. If you look at a can of gun scrubber its almost the same ingrediants as carb cleaner

[HKCollector]

Something to keep in mind when talking about cleaners. Night Sites. Night sight manufactures (e.g. Trijicon) have specific instructions on what cleaners will not adversely affect their sights. The adhesives/plastics/rubber used in the construction of night sights can be destroyed if certain solvents/petroleum come in contact with them. Just a word of caution in terms of cleaners.

[Evil_Lurker]

I spray the chamber, bore and gas tube of my Oly out with non-chlorinated brake cleaner first thing when cleaning it. It gets rid of a lot of grunge, and all the oil almost instantly. It doesn't get rid of the copper or carbon, I use Wipeout foam, a chamber brush and patches to finish up.
Then re-lube everything with WS CLP and run a wet patch down the bore.

It has no effect on anodized aluminum or stainless, or I would have seen it by now. I cleaned up a filthy upper assembly I had with the brake cleaner and it saved me a ton of time over hand-scrubbing it.

But yeah, don't spray it around optics, rubber, nylon slings or something like epoxied Tritium sight capsules, it may have an effect on those.

[NM bullseye]

Thanks for the tip to stay away from optics & rubber, hate to learn that 1 the hard way. How do you know the difference between non-colrinated and any other type of brake cleaner.

[Ductapeman]

[Evil_Lurker]

I've never been in a parts store that didn't have non-chlorinated on at least one brand, marked on the label. I'd figure if it didn't say "non-chlorinated", don't buy it.

I've got CRC and Carquest brands sitting here, the green cans are non-chlorinated.

Now, don't ask me why you want non-chlorinated, I have no idea.
From everything I read, it's probably due to breathing the solvents from non-chlorinated just makes you get stupid a little slower.

[Globemaster]

I’ve only used ‘Break Cleaner’ once on an AR15, and that was on a lower-receiver just prior to assembly, as it had some unsightly oil reside on it from the manufacture.

I’ll have to check my can, and see what it is?

[critterdoc]

[shootermcmillan]

critterdoc......did you just happen to have an MSDS laying around for that? Thanks for the info.

[critterdoc]

[shootermcmillan]

Thats solid reasoning doc! I had pitbull......dumb dog would eat anything. He was a kind and loyal firstmate on my sailboat.