Have you tried this?

[jack1653]

Hey Guys,

I was telling a close friend who runs an automotive repair business about the frustration of cleaning the internal components of these rifles. I told him about using the old standby solutions, like Gun Scrubber, Sea Foam and a bunch of other products I have used over the years. He asked if I had ever tried carburetor cleaner and I told him "No" and he suggested I give it try. You can buy the carburetor cleaner at most automotive stores and it comes in a gallon can with a plastic container with a handle for easy removal inside the can. It may not be worth the expense of $27.00 per gallon if you only have one rifle. You can reuse the cleaner many, many time before having to replace it.

Put all the parts in the basket and drop the basket back in the can and leave it set for 24 hours. Remove the parts and wipe them clean with a cloth and you will be surprised at how well they will appear. The parts will look like they just left the factory. I spray all the components with Rem-Oil and reassemble. It will not remove rust but it will remove about anything else that has accumulated on the components. I do not put the receiver or trigger plate in for a 24 hour soak because I do not know what it might do to the bluing if it were left to stand for 24 hours. I will dip them and use a brush to remove any accumulation on the inside. So far I have not had any bad results with the bluing being affected.

I had not heard of this process before a couple months ago and I wanted to try it before sharing it with my fellow model 8 and 81 owners. If there are any concerns or issues with using the carburetor cleaner, I am sure someone out there will let me know. I like learning new processes when it comes to maintaing these old rifles and this one sure has produced some excellence results for me. If it would be helpful to take some before and after pictures, I could try and get some for viewing.

Regards,

jack1653

[Sarge756]

Good post Jack.Yep the Carb cleaner works great but Lord I hate the fumes. Maybe its just me but even with lots of ventilation it gives me a bad headache. I also am a little leery of how flammable it is. Cheaper and at about same danger level, gasoline does a fair job also. In my experience with Gun Scrubber about $8 or $9 a can there is a much cheaper and better alternative. Auto parts store brand brake cleaner does an excellent job. CRC Brake Cleaner if on sale at three or four bucks for a big can is even better. Fumes and flammable danger not near as bad as the carb cleaner. When you spray the parts or action do it over a container to collect the runoff and use it to soak parts with stubborn gunk. Use an old plastic coffee can and you can agitate them to speed up the cleaning. Don`t try the carb cleaner in a plastic container though.
Joe

[Sarge756]

OOPs I reread your post.I was commenting on the spray carb cleaner that has the nasty fumes. The gallon container is different stuff and contains similar chemicals (Chlorinated) that are in the brake cleaner I referred to. $27 a gallon would seem like a good investment and as you said it can be reused. I`m going to give it a try. Have used it many years ago for its stated purpose when rebuilding carbs. Duh! why didn`t I think about the gun parts cleaning possibilities. Thanks Jack. Who says old dogs can`t learn new tricks.
Joe

[Roger]

Hey fellas, I used the Carb cleaner in the gallon can,many years ago when i was seriously restoring old motocross bikes as a hobby. Dirt bikes receive some pretty hard abuse as they get some age on them. This leads to some pretty dirty components. I would advise only to be careful with it around your wood finishes, and factory bluing. It willdamage painted finishes on motorcycles. Those fumes are also flammable and we only used it outside. It is a great solvent, but please use with caution. Definitely be careful when used in close quarters with furnaces and water heaters,due to their pilot lights and burners.
Thanks for your time,
Roger

[81police]

great idea Jack, something I had never considered before. I always just used Hoppe's #9 and elbow grease. This method does seem to be much more efficient.

[imfuncity]

I found this thread on RimFireCentral to be interesting: "True scoop on Brake Cleaner cleaning" http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/sh ... or+cleaner

From another thread on RimFireCentral:
"As a heavy truck mechanic I use a lot of brake clean and would never use it on a firearm. The different materials it degrades to one extent or another is truly amazing. Since it evaporates quickly it has a tendency to act as a carrier pulling small particles into to cracks and pores and then leaving them there. Since aluminum is porous anyway the situation would be worse. No firearm manual I have ever seen recommends brake clean in any way and some say to not use aerosol cleaners as they may damage finish. By the same token I have never seen an engine service manual state to pull out your bottle of Hoppes powder solvent. Save a lot of trouble and use the correct product for the situation."

I've tried all of the stuff mentioned here... have now bought some replacement parts, pitched other stuff, and ruined at least one shooter (not one of ours, one with lots of plastic). "The-stuff-do-clean" but gotta be careful.