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View Full Version : Boiling A Pistol In Water


VirgilCaine
March 2, 2006, 06:33 PM
I was cleaning a few handguns last night when my neighbor stopped by for a visit. He's a retired Marine "Gunny" , and all-in-all a pretty good guy/ neighbor. So, we're talking back and forth and our dogs are running all over the place, and the whole while he's watching me clean my handguns. He finally says I'm wasting my time and all I need to do is boil some water and dip the parts and boil them for a while.

I've heard of this for blackpowder arms, and I seem to remember a few references here and there from some WWII vets at my VFW post concerning our Garands.

Is this a sound practice for cleaning hand guns???
I was cleaning my Colt Commander, Millenium Pro, and my Beretta 92f.

As always, thanks for the input.

Virgil

Petre
March 2, 2006, 06:38 PM
I hear that works exceptionally well if you add a few tablespoons of salt.



























;)

Wisby
March 2, 2006, 06:46 PM
Never heard that but I have a quick spray down with BrakeClean and a quick spray down of Rem oil does the Job fast. I've never tried it though, I kinda enjoy the long process of breaking down and cleaning. If I need a fast clean in the field I carry a bore snake.

theberettaman
March 2, 2006, 06:49 PM
I just use soap and running hot water and a soft bristle tooth brush.No need to get the big kettle out and start dunking them,although you could.Then I take them out to the garage and give them a blow job with the air compressor.A good hoseing with CLP,wipe and Done.5 minutes a gun.:)

ribbonstone
March 2, 2006, 07:00 PM
IF they get dunked in salt water, the boiling method works well...need to partially disassemble and relube.

For military guns using corrosive ammo or for black powder guns, prefer to bring the water to the gun rahter than the gun to the water...even a gun shot with normal ammuntion will give up a good bit of hard to clean barrel fouling if you pour a pint or two of boiling water through the bore. MAy use solvents after the water, but all chemical reactions happen more quickly/aggressivly when run with heat.

In the good old days, before marriage and when I rented, would often take the grips off and partially dissaseeble a percusion revovler, hang the parts in the dishwasher, and run it though a cylce or two.

superpelly
March 2, 2006, 07:34 PM
Berettaman......
"Then I take them out to the garage and give them a blow job"
Lucky guns:)

tipoc
March 2, 2006, 08:29 PM
"Boil some water and dip the guns".
Add tomato sauce, 1/2 finely chopped onion, 1 tablespoon oregano, 1 pd. ground chuck...

For evan 1 minute did you think your friend was serious? If he was he is deeply confused.

tipoc

Jkwas
March 2, 2006, 08:34 PM
I remember Steve Martin in dead men don't wear plaid. He cleaned his gun in the bathroom sink with a brush and soapy water. One thing's for sure... Rachel Ward can suck a bullet out of my arm anyday!:D

WhyteP38
March 2, 2006, 08:39 PM
I used to boil my guns, but they kept jumping out of the pot, until I learned that I had to turn up the heat slowly. (By the way, why would anyone want to spend 3 hours boiling a frog in an open pot when you could instead slap a lid on the pot and boil the little hopper in 10 minutes?)

Anyway ... I've never heard of or tried the boil-cleaning method. For most field-strip-level cleaning, it seems a tad excessive as you'd have to spend more time disassembling, boiling, relubing, and reassembling than what seems necessary for routine maintenance.

I could see using the boil method for an occasional full-cleaning, such as once a year or something. My only concern would be whether the heat would damage anything. I'm not a metalurgist, so I can't say it would or wouldn't. However, I've never shot my pistols such that every part on it gets too hot to touch; boiling the components would put that kind of heat on parts that otherwise don't get that hot. Also, I've seen a lot of people do things that might work temporarily, or might work in combat where you don't have the same considerations as a civilian gun owner (such as cosmetic appearances, etc.). Those same techniques are sometimes sub-optimal for civilian purposes.

Arnie4176
March 2, 2006, 08:39 PM
For evan 1 minute did you think your friend was serious? If he was he is deeply confused.

Metal + Water = Rust
Who figured out how to defy chemistry?

WhyteP38
March 2, 2006, 08:47 PM
Metal + Water = Rust
Only if you give the process sufficient time to start. I clean all of my magazines, blued and stainless, in warm sudsy water (Dawn dishwashing liquid) before I ever use them. After removing the dirt and oil, I dry them immediately and give them a good drenching of MagSlick, and then reassemble. I've been doing this for four years without any rust on any of my mags, springs, or followers.

mete
March 2, 2006, 08:50 PM
Done it many times .Boiling water with detergent gets rid of lots of dirt , oil ,etc. Rinse in boiling water ,it will dry quickly then while it is still hot apply gun oil !! Quick , easy and no it doesn't rust !:p

Rainbow Six
March 2, 2006, 09:09 PM
Never boiled 'em but I do clean the barrels with MPro 7 and rinse with scalding water from the kitchen sink tap. Also do the Glock slides the same way. The Glock frames get a Simple Green scrub with a toothbrush and then a scalding rinse. Not crazy about doin' that with a Sig slide or frame though... Usually just wipe them down really good with MPro 7 and then use a protectant. I was using CLP but the last Sig I bought came with a little thing of TW25B. After using it I bought a tube and haven't used CLP.

ranburr
March 2, 2006, 09:24 PM
It does work, but it is really only needed with corrosive ammo. If you do it, make sre you immediately apply something along the lines of CLP.

ranburr

kentak
March 2, 2006, 09:45 PM
I don't want to offend anyone or start a flame war, but I think the idea of using hot (or otherwise) water to clean guns is mostly silly, maybe even harmful. I just don't see the point when there are so many effective gun cleaners and solvents that don't require you to use water.

I certainly would use it if my gun got drenched in salt water, or other corrosive solution. Even mud, perhaps. But, I would follow that with a thorough drying with compressed air and immediate treatment with CLP or other protectant.

I know a lot of people like using Simple Green, followed by a water rinse. I'm not doubting the cleaning ability of this routine, I just don't like exposing my guns to water unless really necessary.

I know there are new, water-based gun cleaners on the market. I even have some. I have Hoppes Elite Gun Cleaner, and Gunslick Gun Cleaner. I use them mostly on the polymer parts of my gun, and once in a while on the bores. But the bore is easily dried with a dry patch run through.

I will admit, I don't like the thought of breathing in all the solvent fumes from traditional gun cleaners. If you are sensitive or worried about that issue, I certainly wouldn't quibble with your use of aqueous cleaners.

Just my prejudice.

K

joab
March 2, 2006, 09:52 PM
Did it with M16s in Basic ,no rust anywhere on any of the guns I saw.

The heat of boiling water is not going to be any greater or even as great as the heat generated by multiple rounds fired down the barrel.

If water +metal= rust why do we clean our metal BPs with water. ?

Pointer
March 2, 2006, 09:54 PM
If it works on black powder weapons, it would certainly work on other guns...

I have always cleaned mine with hot water a dish soap

I never had a gun dirty enough to BOIL it clean, but it makes sense to me.

Not bad for the weapon... water evaporates from hot metal just blow it out with compressed air while it is still very hot.

Oil displaces any slight water vapor left behind... very precious little oil...:eek:

Go 4 it! ;)

riverrat66
March 2, 2006, 10:04 PM
I learned that method in the Army 40 years ago and still use it today!

hatchet
March 2, 2006, 10:05 PM
I took the barrel of my muzzleloader into the hot bathtub with me one night. It cleaned up as well as I did after a long day of shooting. My wife things I now have issues though.

grimjaw
March 2, 2006, 10:31 PM
I've used boiling water to remove cosmoline from milsurps, but I don't use it to clean the guns otherwise. I don't boil the guns in the water. I heat the water to boiling, then pour over gun (in a vice or some such) and a bucket. Boiling hot water should evaporate much quicker. I've done this with several milsurps, no rust yet.

Normally use Hoppes and CLP to clean, though.

jmm

DerDer
March 2, 2006, 10:53 PM
I've used boiling water to clean my guns numerous times. Both revolvers AND semi autos. I've found boiling water coupled with methanol alcohol (25% solution) will remove all traces of dirt, grime, residue, etc... and leaves the gun sparkling clean. Only boil for several minutes because any longer and you risk damage. You can do this in your kitchn and you can gget the methanol from your local hardware store. Enjoy.

choochboost
March 2, 2006, 11:18 PM
Then I take them out to the garage and give them a blow job
ROTFLMAO!!! I have never read a post on a gun forum that made me laugh so hard I started to cry! :D

That would make a great sig line.

Double Naught Spy
March 2, 2006, 11:19 PM
Metal + Water = Rust
Who figured out how to defy chemistry?

I think you mean oxidation instead of rust. Rust would be for iron-based metals. A lot of other metals may oxidize in various manners, but in those metals, the oxidation is not rust.

I take it that you have never gotten a gun wet or run metal utensils through the dishwasher. If you have on the dishwater, how many rusty forks, knives, and spoons do you have that are now rusted?

---

For those that may not be aware, many chemical solvents that can be used to clean guns don't just clean the guns, but strip the metals complete of oils, producing a 'dry' gun. After doing so, you should be sure to oil all surfaces to replace the missing oils. The oils help prevent oxidation and accumulate in pits, grooves, or other surface irregularities. When stripped of oiils, those same imperfections can trap moisture and over time oxidation will occur. I never knew just how wrong my perception was in regard to the smoothness of the metal's surfaces. One my first time bore scoping, I was really surprised to fine all sorts of imperfections that apparently were the result of shooting. The bore's surfaces had a crazed appearance that was actually the fissures.

thunderboomer
March 3, 2006, 02:17 AM
Hot water should be ok for the gun but lead is bad for you. I would not take a bath with gun, would keep one away from my kitchen sink or any other place Likely to come in contact with food or eating utensils.

Especially if you have kids around. When they drop out of chess club and start watching baseball or nascar you will know why.

r.w. schrack
March 3, 2006, 05:19 AM
My Grandfather told me some Calvary stories about how thay would boil thier weapons and clean them with Ivory soap which took all the corrosive primer stuff out, He always used hot water, ivory soap and a bore brush, then 3 in one oil to lube it after drying it completely.

GMG1
March 3, 2006, 06:43 AM
I used to do that with my M-60 after use in the field, and it saves a lot of time, and you must relube everything anyway,lots of dirt and sand in there. Hot (boiling) water evaporates, and you will do a lube and wipe down afterward, so no rust as long as you complete the job... brake cleaner will ruin your blueing, and, it must be completely removed, and parts relubed. My issued M-9 turned a funky blue-green after several treatments of brake cleaner...OOPS

CajunBass
March 3, 2006, 07:33 AM
The only time I ever heard of boiling a gun was in W.E.B. Griffins novel "The Corps." The old sarges would have the new guys boiling their weapons to get the cosmoline off. in the meantime, the old sarges would take theirs and clean them in a tub of gasoline and do it better and faster. Any truth to it? I have NO idea, and have no intention of trying it.

That's why Wal-Mart sells "gun cleaning kits."

GUNSMOKE45441
March 3, 2006, 08:08 AM
When we turned in our M-14s, they had a barrel of boiling water to soak them in first, I thought they were nuts, but it worked great!!
I use hot water out of the tap, tooth brush(my ladys:D ) and soap.

Don't have any GOLD! ones yet.

Polydorus
March 3, 2006, 08:17 AM
the old sarges would take theirs and clean them in a tub of gasoline and do it better and faster.
I would guess the old sarges weren't smokers. :D

CajunBass
March 3, 2006, 09:30 AM
I would guess the old sarges weren't smokers.

You're right. They did make the point that the smoking light was definately OUT. (It was against regulation too IIRC.)

Dobe
March 3, 2006, 09:42 AM
Did the same thing in Basic at Ft. Polk. This was sanctioned by the DI, for what it's worth.

Dobe

High Planes Drifter
March 3, 2006, 11:04 AM
For those that may not be aware, many chemical solvents that can be used to clean guns don't just clean the guns, but strip the metals complete of oils, producing a 'dry' gun. After doing so, you should be sure to oil all surfaces to replace the missing oils.
--------------------------------------------
Double Naught, thats a very good point. If anyone has ever used a home-blueing kit the first step is to clean all parts to be blued with hot soapy water to remove any grease from the surface. I remove and clean my shotgun barrels with hot soapy water; run an oil patch thru them, and lightly oil the surface. Never had a problem. I have done it with my AR upper also.

Toney
March 3, 2006, 11:39 AM
When i was in the guards we cleaned our M60s with a steam cleaner. At camp we would clean them in the shower, the black crap would just pour out of them when the hot water hit them.

Edward429451
March 3, 2006, 12:07 PM
Never really boiled any but use hot water & simple green when I have lots to clean, even when detail stripping. Saves on solvent which is getting up there in price.

Rinse well. Bring in the dry nitrogen off the work truck and blow em off in the basement followed by oil cure & reassembly. Works great.

Pointer
March 3, 2006, 01:27 PM
the old sarges would take theirs and clean them in a tub of gasoline
Even Motor Pool Mechs were smarter than that...
Ever heard of static electricity?

Holy CheezWhiz! :barf:

Handy
March 3, 2006, 02:15 PM
This seems like a bad idea. I do hot water bluing, which uses boiling temperatures to get a mild bluing solution to attack the metal. As temps increase, so does oxidation. Sure, not an issue with chrome plated bores, but boiling water will invite immediate surface rust anywhere unprotected. It will boil the corrosion resisting oil out of a parkerized finish, possibly damage any polymer finishes and remove any oils from hard to get at places.


There is no gun made that is 100% rust resistant. Stainless Sigs have carbon steel barrels. All gunsprings are high carbon steel. Gungrade "stainless" isn't very.



There simply isn't a need to get a gun this clean. Don't do it for the same reason you don't clean with gasoline.

choochboost
March 3, 2006, 02:20 PM
I'd never do it to my guns.

Trip20
March 3, 2006, 02:22 PM
For those of you who boil your semi-autos, are you talking just the frame minus grips? Or are do you all put the slide in as well?

I'm tryin to picture how far you've stripped the firearm and what parts your actually boiling. It seems to me that unless you've got the pistol down to it's bare "nuts and bolts", it would be pretty hard to remove the water from the internals of the slide and to relube those same areas.

When I clean, I remove the slide, barrel, recoil spring, and grips (if possible) and give all surface areas and all the knooks and crannies a good scrubbing. I use a few little tools such as dental picks and what not... but beyond that, and a relubing - that's all I do. Oh, and I get the bore brush in the barrel of course.

VirgilCaine
March 3, 2006, 04:33 PM
So, maybe the 'ol Gunny was onto something, but didn't actually mean boil my pistols, but rather expidite the process buy using hot water to break up all of the powder crud. I doubt I'll try it tho'.:)

Edward429451
March 3, 2006, 04:58 PM
I'm tryin to picture how far you've stripped the firearm and what parts your actually boiling. It seems to me that unless you've got the pistol down to it's bare "nuts and bolts", it would be pretty hard to remove the water from the internals of the slide and to relube those same areas.


Like I said before, I don't boil mine but just soak/wash/rinse in hot water (& Simple Green), and for the record, it's not an assembled gun or frame, always fully detail stripped. Slide too. I don't see how I could get absolutely all the water back out if I did. Never have done it to a revolver. Nitrogen, Q-Tips, & pipe cleaners will get it all out from a detail stripped frame/slide. And, no, I'd never bake my guns to drive the water out, just seems over the edge.

orsogato
March 3, 2006, 05:11 PM
Water or an ammonia based solution is necessary when you have corrosive ammo with potassium chlorate primers. Old wwII "EC" .45 ACP ammo is corrosive. Water or Ammonia dissolves and flushes out the salt.

This is probably why the old timers clean there pistols in such a manner.

I use windex (ammonia) when I clean my .45s if I'm shooting the old mil surp "EC" ammo. Then flush it out with hot water. Particularly the bbl.

Orso

fix
March 3, 2006, 05:19 PM
I run my guns through the dishwasher all the time. They come out clean, dry, and ready for lube. No big deal...as long as the wife doesn't see it. My XD goes in 3 pieces. The AR goes in without the stock and handguards in 3 pieces. Revolvers go in minus grips. Anything with wood stocks that can't be removed in 30 seconds or less gets cleaned the old fashioned way.

pippin53
March 4, 2006, 09:52 AM
Are you fellas talking about blued finishes going through the dishwater, or just stainless? It seems to me that soapy water and whatever those chemicals are in the dishwasher solution would wreak havoc on the carbon steel and the bluing.

ribbonstone
March 4, 2006, 10:30 AM
Running boiling water through a barrel was the normal cleaning method of black powder for a long long time. Is still the easiest way to remove the wather soluable salts left behind from corrosive ammuntion. This is all long before stainless gun steel, and used on those muzzle loaders, early breech loaders, and right on up to WWII 30-06's. Can usually tell the ones that got cleaned with water as they are the ones that are just worn, not the ones with the dark crusty pitted barrels.

Boiling ho water, once it drains off, will have evaporate before it can rust steel...you will need to jmp right on that dry,bare, hot steel with some preservative. Usually will immediately use solvents designed for jacketed bullet fouling on teh dry hot barrel, then lube and preserve. But it's worth taking the gun out and checking the bore every day for a couple of days.

Not one for dropping a whole gun into boiling water unless the whole gun is somehow contaminated with water soluable (salts mostly) fouling. Will need to be blown out and re-lubed...and better that as soon as you can, it is fully dissassebled and detail cleaned.

dogngun
March 4, 2006, 11:01 AM
This is a method for removing Cosmoling or old grease from military guns. It worksd great if you dry everything carefully.

LISTEN TO YOUR SERGEANT !

Mark

Glenn E. Meyer
March 4, 2006, 12:58 PM
If you put some potatos and tabasco in the water , it will suck out the impurities from the gun. I saw Emeril do that but he forgot to unload the gun.

BAM - that kicked it up a notch. :eek:

AirForceShooter
March 4, 2006, 03:02 PM
Did the shower thing with M-1 carbine, M-14 and M-16.
Passed inspection every time.
and it really does get them clean

AFS

joneb
March 4, 2006, 03:16 PM
Boilng water, I've found this is the best way to remove cosmoline. that's + another one.

CajunBass
March 4, 2006, 04:42 PM
If you put some potatos and tabasco in the water ,

Toss in a few carrots, a little flour, a can of peas, some corn, and you've got soup.

pistol-whipped
March 4, 2006, 05:29 PM
totally wasn't paying attention.

pipoman
March 4, 2006, 07:46 PM
Does anyone use copper solvent in your bores? How often?

I will boil mine maybe once a year after reading this thread.

Hello123
March 5, 2006, 09:35 AM
Put the shotgun in the bathtub after many a duck hunt to get all the garbage out of it. After completely drying and oiling it, no rust yet.

ShelbyV8
March 5, 2006, 11:51 PM
Water doesn't hurt quality firearms, if they are dried and lubricated afterward. If a police department has a quilifaction scheduled and it rains they better shoot. If they have a shooting in the rain and the lawyers find out that they called off qualifaction due to rain, lost lawsuit.

Jack Malloy
March 6, 2006, 08:04 AM
A buddy of mine who was ex air force used to put a big kettle of water on, bring it to a boil then slowly put his guns parts in it.
He'd let it sit awhile then fish them out, dry them off and reassemble the guns (blued steel to boot).
He never had any rust problems, which completely blew my mind.
I guess it works. I know other black powder shooters who swear by this technique.

If rinsing out a plastic frame, I dont see the need for boiling water though.

SixForSure
March 6, 2006, 01:02 PM
"Boil some water and dip the guns".
Add tomato sauce, 1/2 finely chopped onion, 1 tablespoon oregano, 1 pd. ground chuck...

Is that pronounced "o ray GUN o"?

Dennis2
March 6, 2006, 07:03 PM
This is my twenty years of Army military experience, from cleaning M-16's to helicopter M-60 & .50 cal. machine guns. What do you want to clean?

In 1970 during basic training, training was called off because it was -7 degrees Fahrenheit. We had to spend the day cleaning our training M-16's all day long, and all day long the D.I. kept finding dirt and grit in tiny nooks and crannys, handing them back after doing 30 push-ups for turning in a dirty weapon. Well, after an hour of that crap, being creative, I took my disassembled M-16 to the housekeeping sink and cleaned it with brush and as hot of water as the spigot would produce. The next inspection by the drill instructor was amazing, he spent 5 minutes inspecting and found no fault. I spent the rest of the day polishing floors and other things worse than cleaning my weapon.

The point being, hot water did a great job cleaning dirt and grime from hard to get to places. It did not clean built up carbon and solids from firing the weapon, that had to be done manually. In addition, I noticed that the tiny places water could not evaporate started to corrode even with lubrication.

From combat experience I learned the best and fastest way to clean a fired gun completely, is to soak it in a solvent such as PD 680, slosh it around and brush it with a stiff brush. Wipe and blow out all the solvent then lubricate. Ready to lock and load... Water will not evaporate from tiny places in a weapon and cause rust and problems.

alston73
March 6, 2006, 07:48 PM
Hey, the next time somebody decides to put their Glock through a test, we'll just get out the Brooklyn Pork Sausages, Meatballs, and make a nice spaghetti sauce with a Glock in it. I wouldn't eat the sauce, but it would make a great set of pictures.