Cleaning a titanium AirLite

RebBacchus · November 8, 2015, 05:50 PM

Can you use a copper brush on the barrel and or cylinders on a Smith and Wesson AirLite Ti? I've read the manual but I guess I am dense because it's just not clear to me.

Also, what sort of groups could a good shot expect with this pistol free standing at 10 yards, 20 yards and 50 yards? Okay @ 50 can you go 20/20 on a 81/2 x 11 target?

peggysue · November 9, 2015, 06:03 AM

Googled: http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-smi...-titanium.html

No heavy abrasives or scrubbing on the cylinder due to the coating on the titanium alloy.

S&W to use MPro 7 or Hoppes Elite which apparently are the same product repackaged. No ammonia.

Can't help with the shooting as I am just a collector now. Some one else will have to chime in.

gyvel · November 9, 2015, 07:12 AM

Never use anything with trichloroethylene on titanium. It will pit it. It was used as a solvent for various uses, but it was never to be used on titanium aircraft parts.

I believe Gunscrubber used to have that as an ingredient, but they have since revised the formula.

It is also possible that 1-1-1 trichloroethane can affect titanium as well.

darkgael · November 9, 2015, 07:27 AM

Quote:

what sort of groups could a good shot expect with this pistol free standing at 10 yards, 20 yards and 50 yards? Okay @ 50 can you go 20/20 on a 81/2 x 11 target?

With that gun....a good shot might be able to keep most of 20 shots on the paper at 10 yards. A very good shot might be able to do the same at 20 yards. Beyond that....? I suppose there are shooters who could hit that sheet of paper at 50 yards....maybe even some who could do 20 for 20.....they would be rare individuals indeed. Bob Miculek has done some magical shooting with snubbies out to 200 yards but there are not many Bob Miculeks.
With that short sight radius and the fixed sights, any use beyond seven yards is going to be iffy for most shooters.
There is a reason that they are called belly guns. A target pistol it ain't.
I have a similar gun....not titanium....and I plink with it at a variety of distances. With a few ranging shots, I can start to drop them onto a man-sized target at 100 yards but there is no group..just hits. At 50, I would only hit that sheet of copy paper a few times ...if I were trying hard.
Pete
PS: Google "50 yard shooting with a snubnose revolver"...lots of stories.

Mike_Fontenot · November 9, 2015, 04:24 PM

I always cleaned my 360sc with Hoppe's #9, and a bronze brush on the bore and cylinder holes ... there were initially no warnings (other than not to shoot lighter bullets than 120gr). I never saw any problems as a result.

November 9, 2015, 06:03 AM	#2
peggysue Junior member Join Date: May 20, 2014 Posts: 1,835	Googled: http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-smi...-titanium.html No heavy abrasives or scrubbing on the cylinder due to the coating on the titanium alloy. S&W to use MPro 7 or Hoppes Elite which apparently are the same product repackaged. No ammonia. Can't help with the shooting as I am just a collector now. Some one else will have to chime in. Last edited by peggysue; November 9, 2015 at 06:29 AM.

November 9, 2015, 07:12 AM	#3
gyvel Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2009 Location: Northern AZ Posts: 7,172	Never use anything with trichloroethylene on titanium. It will pit it. It was used as a solvent for various uses, but it was never to be used on titanium aircraft parts. I believe Gunscrubber used to have that as an ingredient, but they have since revised the formula. It is also possible that 1-1-1 trichloroethane can affect titanium as well. Last edited by gyvel; November 9, 2015 at 07:24 AM.

November 9, 2015, 04:24 PM	#5
Mike_Fontenot Senior Member Join Date: March 7, 2009 Posts: 568	I always cleaned my 360sc with Hoppe's #9, and a bronze brush on the bore and cylinder holes ... there were initially no warnings (other than not to shoot lighter bullets than 120gr). I never saw any problems as a result.