Gun solvents and plastic

AL45 · November 23, 2013, 01:28 AM

Will the various commercial gun cleaning products harm the plastic furniture on AR 15's?

cryogenic419 · November 23, 2013, 05:52 AM

The only one I would be worried about is bore cleaners. Some are meant to get the plastic fouling from shotgun loads out. Other than that most of the products nowadays are safe for plastics but never hurts to be careful.

g.willikers · November 23, 2013, 11:28 AM

There's el cheapo plastic, like model cars and planes, and then there's the polymers, like modern gun frames.
Big difference.
Just make sure what the piece is made of.
Always do a test before getting carried away with using anything on a non-metal part.
Some plastics will positively melt and polymers will suffer no real harm.
Except maybe for the finish.
So, always test first.
Anyone want a thoroughly melted .22 magazine that didn't get tested before getting sprayed?

**Unclenick** · November 23, 2013, 11:56 AM

g.willikers,

I can't name a cheap plastic that's not a polymer. Polystyrene is probably most sensitive to solvents among common plastics, and it is a polymer material.

The first paragraph of the Wikipedia entry on polymers explains them well enough. They are just long molecules in which smaller groups called monomers are repeated by linking them together. It's an extremely common type of material configuration. A solidified epoxy is a polymer. Even DNA is a polymer. AFAIK, if you see the prefix "poly" in a plastic's chemical name, it's a polymer.

I'm thinking maybe you meant a polyolefin, or some other specific resin family that has good solvent resistance. Bottom line, though, is you are exactly right that solvents need to be tested on plastics in an obscured space to see if they will affect the surface. Gun makers select plastics to be solvent resistant, but that doesn't stop solvent makers from coming up with stronger solvents. I'd be careful with the spray solvent type gun cleaners, in particular.

November 23, 2013, 01:28 AM	#1
AL45 Senior Member Join Date: December 12, 2012 Posts: 761	Gun solvents and plastic Will the various commercial gun cleaning products harm the plastic furniture on AR 15's?

November 23, 2013, 11:28 AM	#3
g.willikers Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Posts: 10,442	There's el cheapo plastic, like model cars and planes, and then there's the polymers, like modern gun frames. Big difference. Just make sure what the piece is made of. Always do a test before getting carried away with using anything on a non-metal part. Some plastics will positively melt and polymers will suffer no real harm. Except maybe for the finish. So, always test first. Anyone want a thoroughly melted .22 magazine that didn't get tested before getting sprayed? __________________ Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez: “Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”

November 23, 2013, 11:56 AM	#4
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,063	g.willikers, I can't name a cheap plastic that's not a polymer. Polystyrene is probably most sensitive to solvents among common plastics, and it is a polymer material. The first paragraph of the Wikipedia entry on polymers explains them well enough. They are just long molecules in which smaller groups called monomers are repeated by linking them together. It's an extremely common type of material configuration. A solidified epoxy is a polymer. Even DNA is a polymer. AFAIK, if you see the prefix "poly" in a plastic's chemical name, it's a polymer. I'm thinking maybe you meant a polyolefin, or some other specific resin family that has good solvent resistance. Bottom line, though, is you are exactly right that solvents need to be tested on plastics in an obscured space to see if they will affect the surface. Gun makers select plastics to be solvent resistant, but that doesn't stop solvent makers from coming up with stronger solvents. I'd be careful with the spray solvent type gun cleaners, in particular. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

November 23, 2013, 05:52 AM	#2
cryogenic419 Senior Member Join Date: March 29, 2009 Location: NW Ohio Posts: 569	The only one I would be worried about is bore cleaners. Some are meant to get the plastic fouling from shotgun loads out. Other than that most of the products nowadays are safe for plastics but never hurts to be careful.