Low-odor solvent

deep6blue · February 13, 2006, 06:53 PM

Anyone have a good recommendation on a low odor solvent. Hoppes #9 is good stuff, but very strong.

Additional question, what do you all use to clean small parts? And how do you get to the parts inside the receiver area? I have a Browning Buckmark, it seems to have been shot a lot. I used a toothbrush this past weekend with the H#9 and it did good, but I wonder how many parts are missed in the cleaning process.

I was shown many years ago how to clean a gun. A Colt 1911. But I only did it once. And now I find myself relearning.

Thanks

Tom2 · February 13, 2006, 07:37 PM

I smelled a bottle of GI bore cleaner, the little green plastic bottles, and Shooters Choice standard, and they don't have that weird sweet smell of Hoppes. But I guess they will all have some kind of odor, as they are made with petroleum products that produce volitile vapors to one extent or another. Black powder shooters have some compounds that are perhaps not petrol. based, more like detergents, as they have to break down the BP fouling, and maybe not smell much but they would not be all that good at removing smokeless powder fouling. If it just the odor of Hoppes that turns you off, go to the gunshop/dealer and open the other solvents and see how they smell. Inconspiciously, as the proprieter might think you are trying to get a cheap high! Try Qtips and old toothbrushes for cleaning inside guns. ALso spray can gun cleaning solvents for inside, or even disc brake cleaner. Both give off fumes and remove any oil or lube along with crud. Like "Gun Scrubber" brand name.

Jim Watson · February 13, 2006, 08:13 PM

M-Pro 7 is apparently a detergent mix, not a petrocarbon solvent, and has little or no odor. Not flammable, either. It will sure give you dishpan hands in a hurry. Gloves would help if you have sensitive skin. They are now advertising a copper remover without the ammonia stench of Sweets. I'll be trying that one out.

Anything I am uncertain about total disassembly of just gets toothbrush, q-tip, and dental pick treatment. The ones I am confident of taking apart and getting back together seldom get it more than once a year.

Kivaari · February 18, 2006, 10:47 PM

I'm not sure if you're talking about a parts cleaner or a bore solvent..

My parts cleaner is filled with Simple Green. It's very safe and very effective. Being water based, use appropriate common sense . Don't leave your favorite parts in there for a week or two is good advice. I also use a lot of compressed air to dry these parts, nooks, and crannies before applying whatever oil...

Bore cleaners are essentially carbon removers and copper removers. There are cleaners that do both, but not well, imho. Bores are cleaned with two kinds of cleaners, rinsing/drying before each (water patch/dry patch). Carbon and copper are layered so I usually clean for 2 layers of each and then STOP.
KG-12 for copper (water based no ammonia) and MP7 (Hoppes Elite) for carbon and clp to finish...I especially like the KG-12 for milsurps as extra insurance to remove corrosive salts I might have missed....

February 13, 2006, 06:53 PM	#1
deep6blue Member Join Date: January 24, 2005 Posts: 37	Low-odor solvent Anyone have a good recommendation on a low odor solvent. Hoppes #9 is good stuff, but very strong. Additional question, what do you all use to clean small parts? And how do you get to the parts inside the receiver area? I have a Browning Buckmark, it seems to have been shot a lot. I used a toothbrush this past weekend with the H#9 and it did good, but I wonder how many parts are missed in the cleaning process. I was shown many years ago how to clean a gun. A Colt 1911. But I only did it once. And now I find myself relearning. Thanks

February 13, 2006, 07:37 PM	#2
Tom2 Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 5,676	Chemical characteristic I smelled a bottle of GI bore cleaner, the little green plastic bottles, and Shooters Choice standard, and they don't have that weird sweet smell of Hoppes. But I guess they will all have some kind of odor, as they are made with petroleum products that produce volitile vapors to one extent or another. Black powder shooters have some compounds that are perhaps not petrol. based, more like detergents, as they have to break down the BP fouling, and maybe not smell much but they would not be all that good at removing smokeless powder fouling. If it just the odor of Hoppes that turns you off, go to the gunshop/dealer and open the other solvents and see how they smell. Inconspiciously, as the proprieter might think you are trying to get a cheap high! Try Qtips and old toothbrushes for cleaning inside guns. ALso spray can gun cleaning solvents for inside, or even disc brake cleaner. Both give off fumes and remove any oil or lube along with crud. Like "Gun Scrubber" brand name.

February 18, 2006, 10:47 PM	#4
Kivaari Member Join Date: August 7, 2005 Location: McKinney Texas Posts: 34	cleaner.. I'm not sure if you're talking about a parts cleaner or a bore solvent.. My parts cleaner is filled with Simple Green. It's very safe and very effective. Being water based, use appropriate common sense . Don't leave your favorite parts in there for a week or two is good advice. I also use a lot of compressed air to dry these parts, nooks, and crannies before applying whatever oil... Bore cleaners are essentially carbon removers and copper removers. There are cleaners that do both, but not well, imho. Bores are cleaned with two kinds of cleaners, rinsing/drying before each (water patch/dry patch). Carbon and copper are layered so I usually clean for 2 layers of each and then STOP. KG-12 for copper (water based no ammonia) and MP7 (Hoppes Elite) for carbon and clp to finish...I especially like the KG-12 for milsurps as extra insurance to remove corrosive salts I might have missed.... __________________ Kivaari quality SKS trigger tuning / repair www.kivaari.com

February 13, 2006, 08:13 PM	#3
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,543	M-Pro 7 is apparently a detergent mix, not a petrocarbon solvent, and has little or no odor. Not flammable, either. It will sure give you dishpan hands in a hurry. Gloves would help if you have sensitive skin. They are now advertising a copper remover without the ammonia stench of Sweets. I'll be trying that one out. Anything I am uncertain about total disassembly of just gets toothbrush, q-tip, and dental pick treatment. The ones I am confident of taking apart and getting back together seldom get it more than once a year.