Cleaning Shotgun or Not

An older neighbour of mine in her seventies at the time, really got me a few years ago. She had seemed quite straight laced until the day she asked my wife is she ever "played" with her husband. SHe claimed to have a lie detector. Then she preceded to take the filters off 3 cigarettes place them in my wife's hand and pour in an ounce or so of nail polish remover. After a few hocus pocus words she told my wife to open her hand........
 
An older neighbour of mine in her seventies at the time, really got me a few years ago. She had seemed quite straight laced until the day she asked my wife is she ever "played" with her husband. SHe claimed to have a lie detector. Then she preceded to take the filters off 3 cigarettes place them in my wife's hand and pour in an ounce or so of nail polish remover. After a few hocus pocus words she told my wife to open her hand........

And what happened next?
 
Good old WD-40 is a great (and cheap) solvent for cleaning shotgun barrels along with a brass brush. Crummy lubricant but nothing better for getting crud and plastic residue out of barrels.
 
Sounds like you have MSDS-itis. Handle acetone in a well-ventilated area and keep away from open flames. Wearing gloves can also limit exposure. These precautions go for handling any gun cleaning products, most of which are a hell of a lot worse for you than acetone.

I know a little bit about chemistry labs too - I have one! (and sit on a university lab safety committee) ;)


For gosh sakes! It looks like acetone doesn't cause cancer when applied to animal skins and is not listed as a carcinogen. It does cause kidney damage, liver damage, nerve damage, birth defects and lowered ability to reproduce in males...all in animals, according to my brief survey. So, it is something to be very careful with. It also irritates various systems in the body, but it is unknown whether long term breathing or swallowing of acetone will cause cancer in humans.
I know where I got the impression it was a carcinogen and why I have treated it as such. It was in a lab I studied in many years ago where I was told it was a carcinogen and to work with it in a fume hood and wear rubber gloves. Should have checked my facts. Sorry if I misled anyone. I still wouldn't take the chance myself as not known doesn't mean doesn't. Still...:redface:
 
Sounds like you have MSDS-itis. Handle acetone in a well-ventilated area and keep away from open flames. Wearing gloves can also limit exposure. These precautions go for handling any gun cleaning products, most of which are a hell of a lot worse for you than acetone.

I know a little bit about chemistry labs too - I have one! (and sit on a university lab safety committee) ;)

OK MM I'll wear the gloves :D and quit sniffing Hoppes #9, honest. fred
 
Acetone:
I heard if you clean your gun with it you will want to do it more.:)
A search for how often to clean a shotgun brought this thread to life.
It really is an amazing product and I think I'll try it.
It should get the plastic out..
 
Cleaned my new and first shot gun after 75 rounds of trap last sunday.

cleaned the barrel but had a tough time getting what ever the hell was lodged in the vent holes near the tip out. Took about an hour of blowing compressed air and tooth bushing it.

Took the choke out and oiled it up aswell :D
 
I generally only give my pump shotgun a thorough strip and clean in the fall, and a light service and re-lube in spring. I run the boresnake through it most times I shoot, but not religiously. I find I can fire several cases of target loads in the summer before I see any impact on performance.

I do clean immediately after shooting slugs though, because of the crummy lead fouling.
 
I clean my 870 after every outing. Like other's said, I like taking the gun apart and it helps kill some time in the evening. I couldn't imagine letting my firearms just sit with residue and crap for long durations.

My 10/22 is filthy after some afternoon fun, I couldn't imagine not cleaning it.

My 870 doesn't get as dirty (after 100 rds) but it still get's a thorough cleaning.
 
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