paint thinner for cleaning guns?

samoand · December 6, 2006, 10:13 PM

it turns out I have too much of this stuff and trying to use it for all possible chores therefore. Paint thinner, gasoline, kerosene, and other light oils. They seem to do a lot of what designated cleaners and substance removers do. Yes? No? What substance would I need to supplement a good run in paint thinner, i.e. what does it NOT do? Copper removal for the bore perhaps?

Is there any danger to equipment (wood/bore/other metal parts)? I'm aware of the obvious health hazard (both fire and inhalation-related) if used in enclosed spaces. - Thanks.

mdatlanta · December 6, 2006, 10:31 PM

Samoand,

This is my first post on the forum, but it's about a subject I'm fond of...

Have you heard of "Ed's Red"? C.E. "Ed" Harris, a gunwriter whose articles you may have seen in American Rifleman, came up with a modern, home-made, equivialnt to the old Frankford Arsenal military bore solvent as seen in Hatcher's Notebook. It is extremely economical and is an outstanding powder and general use solvent, but it is not like Sweets or any of the other solvents with ammonia meant to remove copper fouling. The stuff you've got on hand will help make "Ed's Red".

Here's a link for the recipe or you can just Google "Ed's Red" and you'll find a million hits for it.

http://www.building-tux.com/dsmjd/tech/eds_red.htm

It will eventually soak into wood stocks like any solvent and it doesn't do a great job for copper fouling, as I said, but it is a great general purpose bore cleaner. I don't buy Hoppe's Outer's solvents any more. Ed's Red is great stuff!

Mike

samoand · December 6, 2006, 11:04 PM

thanks mdatlanta.. savings might seem insignificant until you decide to speed up cleaning process after a day with surplus ammo at the range and just fill up a mini-bath of this stuff

Dfariswheel · December 7, 2006, 01:26 AM

I've used paint thinner for many years as a cleaner/degreaser.

It does a good job of cleaning off powder fouling and grease and gunk, but does nothing for cleaning the bore.

For that, you still need a bore solvent.
It's also useless for cleaning corrosive ammo fouling anywhere. For that you need hot, soapy water.

JoeHatley · December 7, 2006, 11:09 AM

I clean all my handguns by 1st placing them in a bucket of homemade solvent. Equal parts kerosene, mineral spirits, and ATF fluid.

Works great...

Joe

samoand · December 9, 2006, 01:54 PM

Is there practical difference between kerosene and gasoline?

hodaka · December 9, 2006, 03:31 PM

The flashpoint of gasoline is much lower than kerosene making it very dangerous. It has slightly better solvent characteristics for disolving grease but it is much more flammable therefore dangerous to use. Not to mention the carcinogenic properties of benzene.

December 6, 2006, 10:13 PM	#1
samoand Senior Member Join Date: November 1, 2005 Posts: 211	paint thinner for cleaning guns? it turns out I have too much of this stuff and trying to use it for all possible chores therefore. Paint thinner, gasoline, kerosene, and other light oils. They seem to do a lot of what designated cleaners and substance removers do. Yes? No? What substance would I need to supplement a good run in paint thinner, i.e. what does it NOT do? Copper removal for the bore perhaps? Is there any danger to equipment (wood/bore/other metal parts)? I'm aware of the obvious health hazard (both fire and inhalation-related) if used in enclosed spaces. - Thanks.

December 7, 2006, 11:09 AM	#5
JoeHatley Senior Member Join Date: July 1, 1999 Location: Iowa Posts: 2,135	I clean all my handguns by 1st placing them in a bucket of homemade solvent. Equal parts kerosene, mineral spirits, and ATF fluid. Works great... Joe __________________ Go NRA

December 9, 2006, 03:31 PM	#7
hodaka Senior Member Join Date: April 23, 2006 Location: South Texas Posts: 2,010	Big Difference The flashpoint of gasoline is much lower than kerosene making it very dangerous. It has slightly better solvent characteristics for disolving grease but it is much more flammable therefore dangerous to use. Not to mention the carcinogenic properties of benzene.

December 6, 2006, 10:31 PM	#2
mdatlanta Junior Member Join Date: December 6, 2006 Posts: 2	Samoand, This is my first post on the forum, but it's about a subject I'm fond of... Have you heard of "Ed's Red"? C.E. "Ed" Harris, a gunwriter whose articles you may have seen in American Rifleman, came up with a modern, home-made, equivialnt to the old Frankford Arsenal military bore solvent as seen in Hatcher's Notebook. It is extremely economical and is an outstanding powder and general use solvent, but it is not like Sweets or any of the other solvents with ammonia meant to remove copper fouling. The stuff you've got on hand will help make "Ed's Red". Here's a link for the recipe or you can just Google "Ed's Red" and you'll find a million hits for it. http://www.building-tux.com/dsmjd/tech/eds_red.htm It will eventually soak into wood stocks like any solvent and it doesn't do a great job for copper fouling, as I said, but it is a great general purpose bore cleaner. I don't buy Hoppe's Outer's solvents any more. Ed's Red is great stuff! Mike

December 6, 2006, 11:04 PM	#3
samoand Senior Member Join Date: November 1, 2005 Posts: 211	thanks mdatlanta.. savings might seem insignificant until you decide to speed up cleaning process after a day with surplus ammo at the range and just fill up a mini-bath of this stuff

December 7, 2006, 01:26 AM	#4
Dfariswheel Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2001 Posts: 7,478	I've used paint thinner for many years as a cleaner/degreaser. It does a good job of cleaning off powder fouling and grease and gunk, but does nothing for cleaning the bore. For that, you still need a bore solvent. It's also useless for cleaning corrosive ammo fouling anywhere. For that you need hot, soapy water.

December 9, 2006, 01:54 PM	#6
samoand Senior Member Join Date: November 1, 2005 Posts: 211	Is there practical difference between kerosene and gasoline?