Cleaning

[pbwalker]

I know of no other way to say it, so I'll just lay it out there. I *used* to love cleaning my guns. It was relaxing and therapy. Hoppes 9 was my cologne. Today, after having two girls (2 years old and 7 months old), I have *NO* time anymore (or patience). I used to be able to clean until the cotton swab came out as clean as it went it. Nowadays, it seems I am fighting an uphill battle with dirty rifles, pistols, and lack of time. I've settled on "good enough" because it's all that my time will allow.

So my question is this...are there places that will do thorough cleanings? e.g., my deer rifle after the season is over or my G23 after 1000 rounds...

I still run a brush down the pipe, keep them oiled, and wipe it clean, but I no longer have the time to hit it with dental tools like I used to. So I'd rather do 'minimal' cleanings and just pay someone else to do a thorough cleaning. Is this something gun shops / gunsmiths do? Or will I be laughed out of the store?

Any suggestions for someone with not enough time in the day?

[USA1]

Is this something gun shops / gunsmiths do? Or will I be laughed out of the store?

I've noticed several gun shops and ranges that offer a gun cleaning service.
I don't know how detailed they are though.

Edited to add..I don't know if I want another mans hands on my baby.

[G26ster]

My local gun shop does thorough cleanings for about $25. No, they won't laugh you out of the store.

[Thomas]

I know a place in Conroe that cleans guns for $25 each. I don't know how detailed it is, but they are a bunch of nice folks.

If any store laughs at you for asking, there's no need to be mad. Just chuckle to yourself because you know with attitudes like that, they've driven away other customers and thus lost potential income.

I know of no other way to say it, so I'll just lay it out there. I *used* to love cleaning my guns. It was relaxing and therapy. Hoppes 9 was my cologne.

Agreed.

[A-R]

I'm amazed more ranges don't rent out ultrasonic bath gun cleaners. Seems it would pay for itself quickly and then be a money-making machine. Or is the chemical "bath" too expensive to keep replinishing?

[Dave2]

I'm amazed more ranges don't rent out ultrasonic bath gun cleaners. Seems it would pay for itself quickly and then be a money-making machine. Or is the chemical "bath" too expensive to keep replinishing?

Good question. Who makes that stuff?

[maverick2076]

The owner of the car dealership I used to work for bought one of those, and that thing was awesome. I'd love to have one.

[MoJo]

Clyinder and Slide sells a product called "Dunk-Kit" and "Poly Dunk-Kit" You simply field strip your gun put into the solution and leave it for the specified time remove dry and lube. If you hav a polimer gun buy the Poly Dunkit. It's pricey but lasts a loooooong time.

[Abraham]

austinrealtor,

Would you please elaborate on the ultrasonic bath gun cleaners - sizes/models they come in, brands, cost and whatever else you think may be pertinent to someone interested in buying one to clean his handguns.

I'm certain no matter how much care I take in cleaning my Glock 19 I don't get it clean enough as I have no clue (or willingness) of how to detail strip it down and clean it thoroughly. The idea of some tiny part getting lost or maimed as I stumble my way through stripping my pistol down into tiny components gives me the shivers... (my mechanical aptitude is marginal as is my fine motor dexterity therefore such a cleaning will never be manually performed by me)

It would seem, but I don't really know, that an ultrasonic type cleaner would get all the tiniest gunk out, so a guy like me doesn't have to be shade tree gunsmith to get his guns clean as a hounds tooth - am I right?

Thanks!

[MoJo]

Not austinrealtor but, I know a bit about ultrasonic cleaners. First, they work great! Second, they are high dollar items in the sizes that are useful for gun cleaners. Third the solutions for gun cleaning are a little pricey.

Harbor Freight Tool has an ultrasonic machine that is large enough for under 200 bucks and you could mix up some Ed's Red to clean the guns in without breaking the bank.

Here's an article on ultrasonic cleaners and cleaning. http://wmporter.com/ugc/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Beiruty]

If you were local J would do all your gun clraning on site or off site whichever works brst for u. $25 per piece is not that bad. Find few buddies and have gum cleaning day

[NavyGunner]

http://www.guncleaners.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; is a good source for ultrasonics cleaning gear, if you can shell out 600 bucks for a home system (they clean and lube) although I'm sure there are some less expensive models out there. We use ultrasonic cleaners at work on aircraft parts, both electrical and mechanical, and they do a great job plus they're pretty fast and the cleaner is practically odor free.

[A-R]

I was going to list http://www.guncleaners.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; that NavyGunner already listed. Also this link from Brownells http://www.brownells.com/1/3/ultrasonic-gun-cleaner" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Just google "ultrasonic gun cleaner"and you can spend all day researching this stuff. They are VERY EXPENSIVE - best it seems for large-scale cleaning operations like a police armorer, etc. Thus why I mentioned a range could use one as a service to offer to clients that would bring in lots of extra dough (of course, I guess there is some liability to it if the customer didn't like the outcome or it somehow damaged the gun from improper use? don't know enough about them to make an informed judgment on that).

Also really like MoJo's idea of using "Ed's Red" with a cheap ultrasonice cleaner from Harbor Freight. Might actually have to look into something like that

[A-R]

I'm certain no matter how much care I take in cleaning my Glock 19 I don't get it clean enough as I have no clue (or willingness) of how to detail strip it down and clean it thoroughly. The idea of some tiny part getting lost or maimed as I stumble my way through stripping my pistol down into tiny components gives me the shivers... (my mechanical aptitude is marginal as is my fine motor dexterity therefore such a cleaning will never be manually performed by me)

Taking a Glock down to it's 34 essential parts is actually very easy. I used/carried/shot my Glock for 10-plus years withOUT doing so and just kept it clean using polymer-safe GunScrubber spray. This worked reasonably well and Glocks are known to shoot well for thousands of rounds in horribly dirty conditions, so I don't know that extremely thorough cleaning is ever "necessary" with a Glock. But I'm kind of a neat freak with my guns, so I try to keep them as clean as I can (but like pbwalker, I have two young children so doing so aint' as easy as it use to be).

Cleaning is one good reason to learn how to break down a Glock completely, but the other is to replace/upgrade parts and generally check the wear and tear of things. CAVEAT: obviously the gun manufacturer and especially his lawyers want you to ONLY allow a Certified Glock Armorer to do this. But it's a free country, the information is available, and the choice is up to you.

A nice guy working the counter at a shooting range taught me how to break down a Glock about two years ago (he was breaking down one of the range's rental guns for detailed cleaning, and I asked him about it). If you're in Austin area, I'd be happy to meet you at range some time and show you how to do it. The entire process requires only a "Glock Armorer's Tool" ($8.00), or more simply a 3/32 punch ($5.00) from any hardware store. Or if you want to be a real cheapskate like me you can make a "Glock tool" from a piece of wire coat hanger and a wooden dowel, or even the end of an old toothbrush.

You can also learn this yourself by following along the directions at http://www.glockmeister.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and if you happen to lose or misplace a part, you can buy replacement/upgrade parts from them (also http://www.glockparts.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

http://www.glockmeister.com/Tech_Info.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.glockmeister.com/FiringPinSafetyCheck.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; VERY IMPORTANT to know this part if you plan to disassemble your slide

http://www.glockmeister.com/ReceiverDisassembly.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; RECEIVER

http://www.glockmeister.com/FiringPinReplacement.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; SLIDE

The only parts I've every really lost that I could not find again are the firing pin spring cups, and only lost them once when I was being very sloppy. But you might want to order them before you take yours down, just in case. http://www.glockmeister.com/Spring-Cups ... tinfo/G70/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; I always include a set of spring cups with any Glock parts order and have a few on hand in my "Glock parts box". Of course, you don't even have to disassemble the firing pin all the way down (and risk losing these little plastic parts), but I do like to do so about once a year now to get any build-up crud off the firing pin itself.

Also just a suggestion that has been working well for me. Glocks like to run DRY. They truly need very little lubricant (5 drops for the whole gun) and excess oil and dirt in the firing pin channel especially can be problematic over time. I've started detail cleaning all my Glocks with simple rubbing alcohol, $2/bottle at the pharmacy. This self-evaporating mild degreaser leaves all those internal parts clean and dry like they should be. You still need solvent to get off really caked on gunk, but after using a solvent I'll usually finish with rubbing alcohol to remove any remnants of solvent, which can also attract dirt etc. into crevices.

[Abraham]

austinrealtor,

Thanks for all the info and I will look at and study every link, but again, I'd rather not try stripping down my pistol, but knowing how, if I have a malfunction (with no gunsmith immediately nearby) is a plus.

If forced by circumstance, it's always good to know how to do whatever is required to solve the problem then and there, even if never attempted beforehand...

Part of my reluctance is my hands are so beat up from years of swinging a sixteen pound sledge, axes of all kinds, and other such hard use abuse has left my mitts rather stiff. (read arthritic)

Deftly manipulating anything small or worse, tiny, isn't in the cards for me.

I can see me asking my wife to pull a spring out of my eye and her fainting dead away...