How do you clean yours?

[JohnfromUK]

Just now, CharlesP said:

I think you're right John, but I like to kid myself to preserve the dream. <Sob>

I still have a treasured supply of the 'vintage', and the difference in aroma is remarkable.  I think the Rangoon oil (another old favourite and used on the outside of the metalwork) has also been tamed down, but not so sure on that one.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

21 minutes ago, CharlesP said:

Spray with Napier cleaner, vigorous bronze brushing, push a couple of squares of kitchen roll down thew tube. Spray again, then another bit of kitchen roll.

On my damascus barrelled gun the vigorous brushing is extra vigorous, and the final act is a mopping with Young's 303 oil. This is primarily for the aroma, which reminds me of my childhood. It is also (remember the Parker-Hale advertising?) an antiseptic (that can be "applied to open wounds") and an insect repellant. Last of all it sort of dries a bit and preserves the bores. It is one of the last remaining traces of our Empire, and should be "listed" like buildings or even given a blue plaque.

The outside  of barrels and actions get a wipe with 303 or whatever oil is closest. Never WD40.

I do not slather my guns in sufficient oil to necessitate the barbaric practice of storing them barrels-down. That is the sort of thing that foreigners do, and it frightens the servants.

Been drinking early today?

[Harry136]

Motty, funny you should say that, I'm ex army and I used bore snakes on my pistol and assault rifle, never once got picked up on an inspection by any of the REME inspection teams!

[kyska]

1 hour ago, Westley said:

I just leave it for the Butler to do  !

You don't have an armourer? 

 

Peasant 

[CharlesP]

Quote: "Been drinking early today?"

Not that early, but it makes no difference anyway...

 

Rangoon oil....

...oh yes!

[Highlandladdie]

13 hours ago, JohnfromUK said:

1. Push crumpled loo paper (two sheets is a decent fit in a 12 bore) through to remove powder residue, soot etc.  This step helps keep the brass brush cleaner for longer.  When it gets very dirty wash in a little white spirit.
2. Couple of drops of Young's 303, followed by light brush with Payne Galwey pattern brass brush
3. Leave for 15 minutes for 'solvent' to work
4. Good brushing with the brass brush again
5. Push through crumpled loo paper a few times to remove the Young's until clean
6. INSPECT for leading, plastic streaking etc, and if present repeat steps 2 to 5 concentrating on any fouling seen.
7. Couple of drops of either Young's 303 or other oil/preservative and spread with a fibre brush to leave a very thin film of oil.
8. Give the whole gun a good look over to check for any damage, corrosion, dents etc. and make sure it is DRY before putting in the cabinet

Two things I don't use;

1. Wirewool - which leaves iron 'whiskers' everywhere that can cause problems or start corrosion
2. WD40 - which is a fair water displacer, but neither an oil or a solvent

Pretty much the same.

If the plastic fouling is bad a the forcing cones I put the first section of rod and the phosphor bronze brush in a battery drill on low speed. Saves on elbow grease and generates just enough heat to get rid of that plastic streaking. 

[Westley]

1 hour ago, kyska said:

You don't have an armourer? 

 

Peasant 

Cutbacks, cutbacks  !

[theshootist]

I use Napier vp90 spray and occasionally Eds Red.

Use one of the magic bore rods on a drill. It has a super stiff 4" brush. Shifts everything very fast.

[miki]

WD40 is not a good thing to use on a gun, appart from all of the good advice above it is hygroscopic (ie. it attracts water) so if you do use it, as a first pass cleaner, you must remove all traces and apply a thin coat of oil to finish. Legia Spray is a very good alternative has all of the positive properties and none of the negative.

[Ausgun]

I never used wd40 after one shooting day out and found rust already going on over the barrels...40 years ago in a gun shop i came acrosd 2 sailors of a battle ship docked in melbourne australia.they said they used a product called inox..and showed me a can of it.they used 44 gallon drums of it.ever since that time.i never used anything else.have shot in solty water lakes and the rest with no issues at all.once a year as old timmers do.i grab toilet paper the cheapest one..tuff and hard..and buff out my barrels.leaving them bright and shiny..those old tricks do work.so out side and in only go for inox spray..leaves the rest for dead.and in choke area..or screw in chokes you will need a solvent..to remove plasic..thats it...simply simple...old dog tricks that work.

Edited November 19, 2017 by Ausgun

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Interesting to see this Forum has Hatsan haters and WD40 haters.

[MR. BROWN]

1 hour ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

Interesting to see this Forum has Hatsan haters and WD40 haters.

 

Interesting perhaps .....

 

But, hardly surprising. 

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Really, I love my little old Escort and have in the past used WD40!

[Highlandladdie]

5 hours ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

Really, I love my little old Escort and have in the past used WD40!

Haha ? I must have a dirty mind lol 

[Uilleachan]

My .410's require a scrub with a bore cleaner and a stiff nylon brush, around the cones and chokes in particular, followed by a couple of cotton patch pull throughs, or more, until I pull a patch through clean.

My 12g gets a squirt of oil and a single pull through with a bore snake and a wipe over with an oily rag, after every use. So far on my browning, which I've had for a little over a year and shot several thousands of rounds through, the bores are still spotless showing no signs of leading. I do stick the snake in the washing machine every month or so. 

  

[TIGHTCHOKE]

1 hour ago, Highlandladdie said:

Haha ? I must have a dirty mind lol 

That brought back some Mammaries!

[Me matt]

Shamefully I must admit I'm not as big on cleaning as I thought I would be.... probably every 1000 cartridges, full strip down, trigger mech out - everything gets a scrub and a lube. I only use plas wads so does reduce the amount of carp that interferes with self loading. 

[Bungle The Bear]

On 18 November 2017 at 18:24, miki said:

WD40 is not a good thing to use on a gun, appart from all of the good advice above it is hygroscopic (ie. it attracts water) so if you do use it, as a first pass cleaner, you must remove all traces and apply a thin coat of oil to finish. Legia Spray is a very good alternative has all of the positive properties and none of the negative.

How does it attract water ..? does it not displace moisture

[miki]

20 hours ago, Bungle The Bear said:

How does it attract water ..? does it not displace moisture

 

It is immiscible with water , ie it mixes with water thus displacing it by soaking it up (that's not strictly correct but I can't think of a simpler explanation). WD40 is >90% hydrocarbons and petroleum distillates it is NOT a lubricant nor is it oil based. Spray it on leave a little behind and over time water will saturate it and the metal underneath will rust.

Edited November 20, 2017 by miki

[MR. BROWN]

WD40 ain't that good ....

( as a rust preventative )

http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=398836

 

Edited November 20, 2017 by MR. BROWN

[JohnfromUK]

There have been any number of studies and thousands of hours research, not least by the various manufacturers.  Most products have a purpose, but for guns that see powder combustion residue, handling with salty fingers, wet, dry, and a multitude of moving parts, wood/metal surfaces etc, there are far better things for use on guns as an oil, cleaner, corrosion preventer than WD40 - which as I said originally, is primarily intended as a water displacer.

[Uilleachan]

WD40 evaporates very quickly, thats the main issue. Great for penetrating cleaning removing water dirt old-grease etc. However it's pants for metal protection. Not really a surprise that, as protecting metal isn't what it's intended for. 

By all means use it to clean your gun, just remember that when you're done the gun still needs going over (and through) with an oily rag, to protect the surfaces from corrosion.  

 

     

[Highlandladdie]

On 19/11/2017 at 16:46, TIGHTCHOKE said:

That brought back some Mammaries!

Ha ha ha ? 

[evolution380]

Tried a few methods with the cleaning products i have to hand but this has worked best for me so far..

1. Spray Napier Gun Cleaner down the barrels 

2. Bronze Brush the barrels pushing all the way thru before pulling back all the way thru 

3. Wrap a wonder wipe around bronze brush and repeat, use another clean wipe afterwards as this removes A LOT of ****!

4. Quick squirt with gun cleaner again to counter the wonder wipe and remove all residue now the wonder wipe has done its job..

5. Plastic Jag with ultra clean wrapped around it pushed through numerous times focussing around the forcing cones.

6. Light Squirt of Napier Gun Oil (Arguably not required with Napiers gun cleaner but i like to)

7. Reverse the ultra clean to the polish side on the jag and buff the barrels

8. lambs wool mop to finish off the polish inside the barrels.

 

Edited November 21, 2017 by evolution380

[GingerCat]

A quick squirt of bore cleaner in each barrel.  Clean the action while that has a few mins to work. 

Followed by a rodding out with a bore brush, some kitchen roll on a jag and then and quick mop. 

Whole thing takes 5 mins. Wipe over with slightly oily cloth and some grease on the choke threads. 

Wd40 on plastic fouling if the chamber brush doesn' shift it.