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What solution to use for soaking gun parts?

43K views 24 replies 23 participants last post by  HSLDS  
#1 ·
I want to soak my trigger group but not sure what to use for a solution besides kerosene. Any suggestions?
Thanks.
 
#2 ·
I use lighter fluid.
 
#3 ·
Mineral Spirits/Paint thinner is what Perazzi suggests in their manual. After the soak and clean be sure to LIGHTLY oil the metal ( I use LPS2, spray on, let stand 30 min, and blow off with high pressure air. ) to help prevent rusting. On my MX 10 I remove my leaf springs and hammers and soak/wash them separately which allows a better cleaning and inspection of the rest of the trigger group as well as a check to be sure there is no excessive wear / bind points on the hammers as evidenced by shiney spots with resistance to free swing of the hammers with the sear tips raised so the sear face is away from the hammer ... Lighter fluid/naptha will work too but it smells funny to my nose.
Don T
 
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#4 · (Edited)
Like flashmax, I use Mineral Spirits. I buy the gallon cans at the big box stores. When I want to soak parts, I pour it in a metal cake pan I bought at one of those everything's a dollar stores. It's about 12"x12"x3". I scrub the real nasty parts with a brass brush or old tooth brushes. I then pour the dirty in an empty Mineral Spirits can and use it for the initial cleaning of heavily greased parts and equipment as well as for lighting my burn pile.
 
#5 ·
In the past I have also used mineral spirits to soak my trigger group. I bought a gallon of Slip 725 Gun Cleaner/Degreaser and use it now. It is water based and works very well. Rinse with water and let dry, then lube. Or, let dry without rinsing and use Slip2000 lube on it. BTW, no nasty smell.
 
#6 ·
I let the dirt settle, filter it through a Buchner Funnel and coffee filter, back into an old can and use it until it stops degreasing. I just HAD to find a use for some of the lab equipment I acquired during my field assay work.

Don T
 
#13 ·
Please don't use any water base anything.

Lamp kerosene from home depot is as good as anything and less volitile than most. Soak in kerosene, blast w/ brake cleaner and lube with TriFlo. The Holy Triumvirate
 
#14 ·
CLP works well for me for just about anything I want to soak. Hard to beat as it also lubricates and prevents corrosion; no need to use anything else or do any extra work. Just make sure to shake off the parts and dab them a bit with a patch to soak up the excess solvent. I'm sure you already know that, though. :]

Most people I talk to prefer non-chlroinated brake cleaner for heavy-duty soaking of gun parts.
 
#15 ·
purple power or simple green and scrub with a tooth brush, Followed by a soaking of wd-40 to displace the water, and CLP the heck out of it and blow out the extra with compressed air.

I have an ultra sonic cleaner and i just throw everything in there and 5 min later it is spotless everywhere. I then soak with aerokroil or wd40 to displace the water blowing it out with compressed air and then CLP and compressed air. Do this outside as the compressed air blows oil everywhere.
 
#16 ·
Just a word of caution - the OP did not mention what brand(s) the parts were from. Some trigger groups, for example Beretta 39x, have pins that are loose in the housing when the hammer spring is uncocked. Air or aerosol pressure can blow them out into earth orbit, never to be seen again. -Ed
 
#17 ·
Like mixer I use brake clean then I spray with a penetrating oil, let it soak in and then blow the assembly with my air compressor that is turned down to around 25 - 30 psi. When I clean the inside of the receiver I do this first so it lets the receiver set and any excess oil I missed with the air compressor can be blown out again just before assembly.
 
#18 ·
There is a gunsmithing course taught at Lassen College, in Susanville, Calif. Last time I heard, the instructors there recommended soaking the parts in a pan of Simple Green. After a good soak, brush the part clean and blow dry it completely. (I place the dry parts in the oven on low for an hour or two just to make sure) After it is dry, a small amount of the proper lubricant is applied to the parts and then reassembled. Has always worked for me.... I have also used Simple Green in an ultrasonic cleaner, however, I prefer to brush the parts after soaking as it seems to do a more thorough job...
 
#21 · (Edited by Moderator)
For gun parts and triggers I use either Mineral Spirits, lacquer thinner or spray carb/brake cleaner--- compress air blow it out. For triggers, after the cleaning, I spray it down with TriFlo and let it drain over night - blow it out with compressed air and good to go.

While I do not use Simple Green to clean gun parts, - I bet it would work. I will share with you a use of Simple Green that I have found. I have shot muzzle loaders since the early 1970's and have shot Black Powder Cartridge Rifles for many years. I have always used real black powder, not substitutes. I have found that Simple Green right out of the bottle is the best black powder cleaner I have used. I can shoot a muzzle loader or my 45-90, wet patches with Simple Green and swab the barrel........ about 3 patches usually does it - occasionally more. I then dry the barrel and apply a light coat of oil. What I use to oil them with depends on when I will shoot them again. Simple green is a great product.
 
#22 ·
I want to soak my trigger group but not sure what to use for a solution besides kerosene. By the way that is what Beretta uses, or at least that,s what a gunsmith at Beretta at Accokee
Just a word of caution - the OP did not mention what brand(s) the parts were from. Some trigger groups, for example Beretta 39x, have pins that are loose in the housing when the hammer spring is uncocked. Air or aerosol pressure can blow them out into earth orbit, never to be seen again. -Ed
Kolar also, been there done that.