[Voolfie]

Is Engine Degreaser a

A neighbor is getting rid of some and I'm wondering if I can use it like 'Gun Scrubber'?

What do we think?

JW

 

[timb99]

Probably ruin your stock finish, but I can't imagine it would harm the bluing.

 

[mike campbell]

Shouldn't harm a metal finish, but be advised it will remove every last trace of oil....rust preventative.... from every microscopic recess in the metal surface. So be sure to well oil after use. I like it for cleaning removeable trigger groups or actions with the wood removed.

 

[Brian in Oregon]

Be sure not to use brake cleaners containing tetracloroethylene. It breaks down under heat and/or UV light into phosgene gas. That's nerve gas. The problem is if you shoot the gun right after cleaning and you have some of this chemical in the bore or gas system.

The article at the link explains what happened to a welder who inhaled a tiny puff of this gas while welding.

(The article is in slight error when it mentions argon gas instead of UV converting tetrachlorethylene into phosgene gas. Argon gas is inert and is not the problem.)

 

[PAR8HED]

John,

Negative, completely removes any and all oil, grease, etc.
Positive, completely removes any and all oil, grease, etc.

In other words, good for a deep cleaning and getting that tough to get stuff off the gun. But you will need to apply the proper oil/lube/grease when you are done. If your completely mental like me about cleaning after shooting, it helps speed up the process. If you have a Perazzi with the easy on/off stock, no worries.

HJH

 

[timb99]

Interesting Brian. I had never heard that about brake cleaner. I've been using it for years on guns.

It's the same stuff they've been using for years in the dry cleaning industry.

From the internet:

<I>"At temperatures over 315°C (599°F), such as in welding, tetrachloroethylene can be oxidised into phosgene, an extremely poisonous gas. Tetrachloroethylene should not be used near welding operations, flames, or hot surfaces."</I>

599°F is pretty doggone hot. Not sure anything in a gun, except inside the shell when the powder is burning, gets quite that hot.

But certainly, a caution to be aware of.

 

[Mapper]

Brian is correct. Back when, Dad was a cop. He was buddies with some highway patrol officers who rode motorcycles. Before inspection, they would warm up their bikes and spray them off with carbon tet fire extinguishers. A few keeled over and they stopped that. Carbon tet is trichloroethylene. Aluminum and carbon tet make phosgene gas.

 

[Tron]

Use only Non-chlorinated brake clean!

 

[timb99]

Mapper,

"Carbon tet" is Carbon Tetrachloride. Not <I>exactly</I> the same stuff, but very similar.

Carbon tet is also known as tetrachloromethane, not to be confused with the very similar tetrachloroethylene.

Both have been used for cleaning, but they're not the same thing.

 

[Catpower]

Just to set the record right the phosgene comes from the second ingredient, the cloro stands for halogenated chlorine, when it is heated it breaks down to phosgene and some other nasty chemicals

If you are in doubt find a chlorine based refrigerant, and spray a little across an open flame like a torch, don't worry it takes very little to gain your attention

 

[Avaldes]

One might be careful in that some formulations of engine degreaser use acetic acid. I would think that might take bluing off.

 

[76481]

Just buy some number 9

 

[Porcupine]

Good Lord! I remember, back when I collected stamps (in the early 1960's!), I used carbon tet to display the watermarks in the stamps. I would buy the stuff at the local drug store. I was probably around ten years old, buying carbon tet.

LA in MA

 

[Catpower]

Porcupine, there used to be many good chemicals and stuff we could get when we were younger then the EPA came a long and that was all history

Thank God we have the giverment to protect us from our selves...........NOT

 

[plaw]

Navel-gel will clean your blue down to the white,so stay away from it also.

 

[Merlyn]

Chemicals my rear, I have bought dynamite at the hardware store and blasting caps---electric and fused! My how times have changed......m

 

[Catpower]

Merlyn, we used to do that too except we bought them at the county shed, 60 % DuPont, later it was 40%, The reason was the 60% was very volatile

We used to have to blast rocks out of the ground every spring, where we lived in NW Iowa was where they say the last glaciers form the ice age thawed out, great soil, easily grew 200+ BPA corn, but there were quite a few rocks, some huge ones that tore up equipment, My Dad loved to blast them as much as I did

Then on the 4th July we would take a stick of dynamite and put it on a nail driven into a wood post and see who was the best shot, we would back off about 25 yards, the 60% could be set off with a .22LR, the 40% needed a high powered rifle

The things we did for fun

 

[ILClaysshooter01]

Why would you even think about using a product (chemical compound) that is really made for cleaning automotive breaks & degreasing motors on your expensive firearm. They make all kind of products that are safe for cleaning guns that don't cost no much and won't damage your stock. Using the wrong product and you may save a little only to spend a lot possible latter.