Brake Cleaner....Who Knew?

[NDwalleyes]

I'm sure more than one guy on here has been holding back about using brake cleaner for cleaning guns so I'm going to share.

I was speaking to a gunsmith about a stuck muzzle break the other day and he said just spray some of the "green can" Brakekleen brake cleaner in it. Sure as $hit it cleaned that baby like new! No issues with blued finish or the poly finish on the stock.

So today I used brake cleaner on my 1100. I'm here to tell you boys that this is the best. Took out the trigger assembly and held it over a garbage can and blasted it for about 15 seconds with a stream of break cleaner and it looks like new. Choke tubes...clean in 30 seconds. Gas seals/rings...30 seconds. Sprayed out the chamber and barrel and the crap just runs out. Wiped things down with a paper towel and then lightly dusted the trigger assembly and action with rem oil. I did run a bore snake down the barrel and wiped the outside down with G96 when I was done too.

I run 250+ rounds per year through my 1100 and this is the cleanest it has EVER been. Every nook and cranny is clean!

For 30 years I've been using Hopes and damn Q-tips...never again.

 

[Wild and Free]

The green cans of Brake cleaner are non chlorinated so it dries almost instantly, the red cans of brake cleaner are chlorinated and leave a slight film and it doesn't dry instantly, but will when wiped down. I only use the non chlorinated when working on equipment and vehicles. I have always thought of using it on my guns but never tried, was wondering how it would remove power and lead fowling, I have a couple revolvers that get power and lead residue build up at the end of the cylinder and where it meets the barrel that is always a pain to get clean.

 

[Kickemup]

Brake cleaner is some good stuff. I prefer to use carb cleaner won't wreck rubber and plastic parts.

 

[guywhofishes]

Birchwood Casey Gun Scrubber Synthetic Safe works fine. Why brake cleaner? Save $$?

 

[SDMF]

Birchwood Casey Gun Scrubber Synthetic Safe works fine. Why brake cleaner? Save $$?

Same/same. Acetone.

 

[guywhofishes]

Acetone? Huh... acetone has not always been plastic friendly for me.

Maybe guns are all polypropylene type plastics and silicone coatings that are compatible.

- - - Updated - - -

MSDS for synthetic safe lists these - no acetone.

Description
Hexane
Isopropyl Alcohol
Carbon Dioxide

 

[cooter00]

3 bucks a can for green brake clean or 12 bucks for gun scrub I've always used the green can on my actions and triggers but I use hoppes on the inside of barrel switched from rem oil to slick 2000 on my autos and ar's works better I think

 

[NDwalleyes]

3 bucks a can for green brake clean or 12 bucks for gun scrub I've always used the green can on my actions and triggers but I use hoppes on the inside of barrel switched from rem oil to slick 2000 on my autos and ar's works better I think

I just finished my AR that had maybe 200-300 rounds run through it. It cleans those lugs like magic along with everything else. The metal is really clean/no oil anywhere so a dusting of something is required. Really saves time.

 

[Allen]

I too have been partial to carb and brake cleaners at times.

I worry about the plastic parts, but at the same time I always kinda figured they make more everyday.

 

[guywhofishes]

Brakeleen green contains 25-35% toluene. Trust me that toluene is very nasty crap - please wear nitrol gloves and get good air flow when using that stuff.

 

[USMCDI]

Been using ether for years on everything metal, 2.00 a can.

 

[SDMF]

Acetone? Huh... acetone has not always been plastic friendly for me.

Maybe guns are all polypropylene type plastics and silicone coatings that are compatible.

- - - Updated - - -

MSDS for synthetic safe lists these - no acetone.

Description
Hexane
Isopropyl Alcohol
Carbon Dioxide

Dad always called brake cleaner "acetone", gun scrubber seemed like pretty much the same stuff. So, it's all acetone. MSDS be damned, got it Colonel Sanders?!

 

[DJE]

Brake cleaner is the only thing my sbe 2 has ever seen works great.

 

[Tikka280ai]

I have used brake cleaner for a long time tried carb cleaner because that all I had. It did leave some marks on the bluing but it is no big deal because it is my beat around gun. Don't use the chlorinated brake cleaner because that will leave marks on the gun in my past experience