Ultrasonic Cleaner and finishes.

[Valornor]

I ran some internal parts of my .22 Model 60 and it killed the bluing. So I'm a little gun shy about running finished parts like painted slides. My CZ Rami and HK M23 both have different painted/finishes on the slides.

I'm also a little hesitant about running polymer frames through the cleaner.

Anyone have experiance or advice?

[Peter M. Eick]

What cleaner did you use in it?

I have a big StuellerSonic (2 gallon) machine that was refurbed. I use Mpro7 and L&R gun oil in it. I admit I don't use it that often but have never had a problem with it. It just takes a lot of time to set up and operate so I only do it occasionally when I really want to clean something.

My approach is fill the unit with Mpro7. Turn on the heater and dump the first gun in. I cycle usually 3 or 4 guns through it 15 minutes at a time and then change over to the L&R gun oil. While one of the guns is in the Mpro7, I hit it with a toothbrush, bore brush and the usual clean up. After the L&R gun oil (15 minutes, I drip dry the gun as it is quite hot. Oil, and put the grips back on. That is it.

I have run my painted guns through mine along with my Glock and a walther P22. I never had an issue.

I have heard that some cleaners are problems with aluminum and tritium vials for night sights but again, I have not experienced the issue. I think the issue is simple green but don't go to the bank on that.

[guncrank]

Yes a alkaline cleaner like simple green or similiar will attack aluminum and alloys
Especially bare metal.
The vibration and heat just make the problem worse.

For that reason I use plain dish washing soap in mine for alunimum frames , parts and polymer.

For steel and really grease/dirt I use TSP, else just plain water and the above mentioned soap.

[Unclenick]

Valornor,

If you used an ultrasonic solution intended for cleaning brass, it will have been acidic and will strip various metal oxides, including bluing. There are hundreds of different ultrasonic cleaning formulations out there, and you just need to get one intended for what you are doing. An example would be Slip2000 725 Gun Cleaner, which works in ultrasonics, among other cleaning devices. Another that is currently on clearance at Midway is Hornady's ultrasonic cleaner for firearms. They make both a cartridge case cleaning solution and a firearm cleaning solution for their ultrasonics, but they are distinct and not interchangeable at these tasks.

[ranchito457]

I wish I had read this 4 months ago before I put my Browning buckmark slide in the cleaner-removed all the bluing. Not a big deal I just reblued it.I used the Hornady brass cleaner. Lesson learned went and bought the Hornady gun cleaner and haven't had another problem since.

[Valornor]

I have both the Lyman brass cleaner solutionad the gun parts solution. I don't think I mixed up my cleaners in my parts but I might have.

I think I might looks at using dish soap for my gun from now on to clean my gun parts.

[Unclenick]

Dish soap should get your general dirt and grease cleaned off, but effective carbon removal typically requires stronger specialized surfactants. One strategy might be to charge the ultrasonic bath with water and dishwashing liquid, but to mist on a little BoreTech C4 Carbon Remover fifteen minutes before you start the ultrasonic cleaner up, to let it soak in. The dishwashing liquid will then remove the C4 and whatever it has loosened.