Okay...I've switched to Butch's Bore Shine from Hoppe's No. 9 for cleaning the bores, but what are you all using for cleaning the action and wiping down the exterior of the weapon? Also, what parts do you leave wet vs. wiping dry?

Thanks for any advice.

That would depend on which weapon you are asking about. For general cleaning of bolts, receivers, triggers and most all parts, plain old Kerosene and an M-16 cleaning brush to scrub away reachable dirt work great. Dental picks, bore brushes and tooth picks round out most of the technical equipment. The weapon is a machine so you will want to provide a good film of lubricant to all parts that interact with another. I use Break Free and Tetra the most. Parts that twist, turn and otherwise work against another part get lubed. The exterior gets a wipe down to remove fingerprints and excess oil.

I store my personal weapons nose down to allow all oils and lubricants to run out of the weapon and away from the stock. Wood stocks can be expensive to replace and having oil accumulate and run back into the stock makes for a short life for the wood. I even do this with my composite stocks out of habit and to keep them dry as well. It can't hurt.

This is one persons way of doing it. It allows me to handle and inspect every piece as I am scrubbing it. It is an inexpensive and effective way to maintain your weapon. Whatever you do, wear Nitrile gloves when handling any solvent or fuel as it DOES cause cancer.

Malm

I normall take petrol or simmilar stuff and clean the whole action, then take what whe have called Q20 multi purpose spray and spray it into the action, then let most drip out and clean it with a cloth. Had no problems so far in dust and everything.

I clean with Break Free or odorless mineral spirits and nitrile gloves.

H. C.

What the heck are nitrile gloves?
Are they the big cumbersome gloves food service workers wear?
Source?

I use surgical gloves and they can be pricey and as many as I have fail, kinda make me the surgeons wash well!

LouisB

Nitrile gloves are the gloves you see Medical EMT's wear. They are like surgical gloves only they are not intended for medical use. They are tight fitting and solvent resistant. I use different solvents a lot in my gun work including acetone and these gloves are not affected by it. Acetone, kerosene and other petroleum solvents will eat surgical gloves. I pay $12.99 for a box of 100 gloves here in Utah. Check with industrial supply type stores in your area for them.

Malm

I never new my gun cleaning solvents were cancer causing I have been cleaning guns for years without gloves.

I will have to get some gloves, will those latex disposable ones work

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: I never gave it any thought either. Years of handling gun cleaning solvents never bothered me. One day I awoke and could not take that morning piss. I knew something was wrong when all that would come out was a couple of drops of blood. One of my gun customers happened to be a Urologist and he immediately seen me. That was 2.5 years ago and some $125,000.00 later, and now when I urinate, every 4 hours on the clock, it's done through a small hole in my stomach.

People wear patches on their shoulders for many reasons, to quit smoking, to avoid getting sea sick etc... The skin absorbs this stuff and it is sent to various parts of the body that deal with it. This stuff eventually finds it's way into the kidneys, into your bladder and out.

That which soaks into and is absorbed through the skin, can and will come back to haunt you. Take my word for it.

Malm

P.S. Almost forgot, The areas with the fastest absorption rate is the palm of the hands and the bottoms of the feet! Nitrile gloves!

Malm