CLR for cleaning rifles used with corrosive ammo.

[shiz]

So as the title states I was wondering if any owners of 858's or SKS' have ever used this product to clean the barrel and/or gas piston of their rifles? Haha seems like an ideal product to me, let me know your thoughts or experiences.

 

[Magellann]

It probably wouldn't hurt if rinsed well,but I'd test it first to make sure it doesn't hurt the bluing on a old scrap gun part first.
Plain hot water and a coat of oil is all thats required to do the job, why complicate a simple task that has worked for decades.

 

[MauserMike]

It has phosphoric acid in it and will ABSOLUTELY strip bluing. I wouldn't use this anywhere near a gun.

There is no magic to cleaning corrosive salts. The best cleaner is.... drumroll please:

 

[Eaglelord17]

Like others have said, boiling water and oil (I use CLP) afterwards. Why bother making it more difficult when there is a easy solution that works?

 

[kennymo]

Hot water, hot water, hot water. It works, it's easy, why mess around? Follow up with G96.

 

[Mark-II]

You see more angst over cleaning up a little bit of primer salts than you ever do about cleaning up a black powder rifle, and it's the same thing.

 

[sewktbk]

So as the title states I was wondering if any owners of 858's or SKS' have ever used this product to clean the barrel and/or gas piston of their rifles? Haha seems like an ideal product to me, let me know your thoughts or experiences.

Don't do it. You'd have to be absolutely sure that you rinsed every single atom of the stuff to preserve the integrity of the rifle, or it could eat through the metal. Boiling water is by itself a great cleaner, so why risk it?

 

[TRaTSeRiF]

Hot water.. For a bit of extra ooomph, I like to scrub my smaller parts in hot water with Simple Green dissolved in it. Been using the same gallon bottle of it for 2.5 years.

 

[the11]

I use windex at the range, right after I am done shooting. And then I clean it right after I get home. The ammonia in the windex neutralizes the corrosive salts. I know that boiling water is better, but that is a hassle at the range. Windex is convenient. I just spray windex down the bore from the chamber, and then run a boresnake (designated for that purpose) down right after that. And I take out the piston etc, give it a quick spray, and wipe down with paper towel. Easy sleazy.

But CLR??!!! Not a chance!! Way too corrosive.

 

[silverfoxdj]

CLR is pretty much useless for most things..

 

[EL34/6L6]

Hoppes#9 was designed to clean corrosive salts.

Windex to flush bore and action at range.
Brake cleaner on the bolt at home.
Bore cleaner and oil at home.
Hot water is overkill. Haven't needed it yet.

You see a lot fuss about cleaning these rifles, but its because there are so many of them in the hands of so many different kinds of shooters. Lots of over analyzing going on as a result.

 

[Dad003]

Windex is useless . if youre using CLR i think you have your place with the dishwasher guys

Hot water first and normal cleaning after ,

 

[phin11]

X2 on hot water . get a large electric kettle at salvation army . cost me all of 2 bucks !

 

[EL34/6L6]

Potassium Chloride is not soluble in ammonia, but I do not use windex for that reason. So toss any harsh dismissals aside please.
I use windex for the same reason as water, which it mostly is.
To flush the salts out the muzzle.
In addition, windex dries faster at the range, especially down a hot barrel. It's a preemptive step. Not the end solution.

 

[steamy teabag]

Boiling water, let dry and then oil lightly.

 

[shiz]

Thanks guys thought there was a remote possibility it was better than boiling water.

 

[kerfuffled]

I have never ever used boiling water on my SKS yet. I just can't bring myself to use water to clean my guns. Water and guns to me dont mix. When I shoot it I take it home, disassemble it, spray it with liberal amounts of g96 or rem oil and clean it. Call me old fashioned, but I have never had any rust yet in the 3 years I have owned the gun.

 

[TRaTSeRiF]

I have never ever used boiling water on my SKS yet. I just can't bring myself to use water to clean my guns. Water and guns to me dont mix. When I shoot it I take it home, disassemble it, spray it with liberal amounts of g96 or rem oil and clean it. Call me old fashioned, but I have never had any rust yet in the 3 years I have owned the gun.

Water used to be the order of the day for all black powder guns. Armies had cauldrons of water boiling that was used to rinse away the fouling. Also, field conditions sometimes have guns get wet. In this case nothing works better, especially in humid areas.

 

[MauserMike]

This is not correct. KCl (and various other salts in there) is water soluble and "ammonia", aka the household variety of aqueous ammonium hydroxide is mostly water. I think the theory is that household ammonia evaporates faster than regular room temp water. It does nothing to "neutralize" salts.

Incidently that is why you use hot water. So it evaporates.

Potassium Chloride is not soluble in ammonia, but I do not use windex for that reason. So toss any harsh dismissals aside please.
I use windex for the same reason as water, which it mostly is.
To flush the salts out the muzzle.
In addition, windex dries faster at the range, especially down a hot barrel. It's a preemptive step. Not the end solution.

 

[tjhaile]

Windex is a suitable cleaner for guns used with corrosive ammo, but not for the reason that most of its proponents claim. Compared with plain water, it is more effective against carbon fouling, which may conceal additional salt residue. The same can be said for any number of other water-based cleaning products, like Simple Green, TSP, or even water and dish detergent. CLR is absolutely not what you want to use on guns for anything but stripping bluing.

Salts are dissolved, not neutralized.