My gun turned GREEN!

SW9M · July 6, 2002, 10:11 AM

I had an unusual event recently. I have a Colt Combat Commander 45 acp in satin stainless. I clean it with Hoppe’s No. 9. I lube it with Outers Gun Oil.

I took the gun out for a shoot on the 4th and it had a green film in various lubed places. It shot fine. The gun had been in the cabinet for about 3 months since last shoot and cleaning. It is not a humidity controlled gun cabinet. Just a standard wood upright.

What could be causing the green film? It’s like the oil turned green. Is there certain lubes to use with stainless steel?

Any help would be appreciated.

Dfariswheel · July 6, 2002, 06:30 PM

1. You didn't get all the Hoppe's off. It turns green as it lifts fouling out of the pores of the metal, and this is what you're seeing.

2. The oil is lifting fouling out of the pores, which makes the oil turn green.

This shows up over time. If you clean the gun and use it within a short time, this doesn't happen.
Let it stand for enough time, and the fouling works it'self out and turns clear liquids green. You may notice the green stuff is kind of sticky.

This all shows up more on stainless or plated guns because of the "white" color.

James K · July 6, 2002, 10:23 PM

That "satin" finish picks up more crud than anything I have ever seen, even Parkerizing, which at least doesn't show it as much.

I stripped the gun and threw it in the dishwasher. Came out looking fine.

Jim

SW9M · July 6, 2002, 10:25 PM

Thanks for the information. That explains it. I'll do a better job of cleaning it this time.

craigz · July 8, 2002, 04:05 AM

Remind me not to eat at Jim's house.

Ben Swenson · July 8, 2002, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Remind me not to eat at Jim's house.

Many people are afraid to do serious gun cleaning in the kitchen, but I have found that certain fixtures in the kitchen lend themselves to very thorough cleaning of firearms.

For instance:

Whenever I get used USGI AR-15 magazines in, I strip them down and run them through the dishwasher (no detergent - Aluminum doesn't take well to dishwasher soap) and then bake them @ 200 degrees to dry them.

Since all the 8mm I shoot is corrosive, in addition to my standard cleaning process I periodically completely disassemble my Mauser and pour boiling water down the barrel. Where better to do this than the kitchen sink?

When getting gun parts that are still soaked in cosmoline, I've found that after scraping off most of the grease, the smaller parts can be cleaned much more quickly if you run very hot water over them and bake them until dry.

As a bonus, cosmoline residue adds an unmistakable flavor that just can't be duplicated with "traditional" seasonings.

BigMike · July 12, 2002, 03:19 AM

My buddy has been washing his Glocks in his dishwasher for years, and though I never did with mine, his pistols are pretty clean for being old and well shot.

Mike

July 6, 2002, 10:11 AM	#1
SW9M Senior Member Join Date: April 11, 2001 Location: Free Plains of Texas Posts: 446	My gun turned GREEN! I had an unusual event recently. I have a Colt Combat Commander 45 acp in satin stainless. I clean it with Hoppe’s No. 9. I lube it with Outers Gun Oil. I took the gun out for a shoot on the 4th and it had a green film in various lubed places. It shot fine. The gun had been in the cabinet for about 3 months since last shoot and cleaning. It is not a humidity controlled gun cabinet. Just a standard wood upright. What could be causing the green film? It’s like the oil turned green. Is there certain lubes to use with stainless steel? Any help would be appreciated. __________________ Tyrants prefer: an unarmed and gagged peasant. Malo mori quam foedari. Malon Labe.

July 6, 2002, 10:25 PM	#4
SW9M Senior Member Join Date: April 11, 2001 Location: Free Plains of Texas Posts: 446	Thanks for the information. That explains it. I'll do a better job of cleaning it this time. __________________ Tyrants prefer: an unarmed and gagged peasant. Malo mori quam foedari. Malon Labe.

July 6, 2002, 06:30 PM	#2
Dfariswheel Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2001 Posts: 7,478	1. You didn't get all the Hoppe's off. It turns green as it lifts fouling out of the pores of the metal, and this is what you're seeing. 2. The oil is lifting fouling out of the pores, which makes the oil turn green. This shows up over time. If you clean the gun and use it within a short time, this doesn't happen. Let it stand for enough time, and the fouling works it'self out and turns clear liquids green. You may notice the green stuff is kind of sticky. This all shows up more on stainless or plated guns because of the "white" color.

July 6, 2002, 10:23 PM	#3
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	That "satin" finish picks up more crud than anything I have ever seen, even Parkerizing, which at least doesn't show it as much. I stripped the gun and threw it in the dishwasher. Came out looking fine. Jim

July 8, 2002, 04:05 AM	#5
craigz Senior Member Join Date: June 30, 1999 Posts: 395	Remind me not to eat at Jim's house.

July 12, 2002, 03:19 AM	#7
BigMike Senior Member Join Date: October 16, 1999 Location: North Central/Panhandle Florid Posts: 569	My buddy has been washing his Glocks in his dishwasher for years, and though I never did with mine, his pistols are pretty clean for being old and well shot. Mike