OK to clean semi-auto barrel by immersing it in cleaning fluid?

[Johnny-Baseball]

Curious thought: Would it be OK to soak - i.e. completely immerse - a barrel, a slide, or a revolver's cylinder in CLP or Hoppe's or some other cleaner?

I ask in part because that seems to be a very practical solution to thoroughly cleaning the front of a revolver cylinder, particularly one that isn't cleaned immediately after every range session. And it seems like that approach would work for the barrel of a semi-auto. Not sure about slides.

Thoughts please: pro and con.

 

[CBH44]

I soak mine in Hoppes. Brush it with old toothbrush. Wipe down n lube.

 

[Jeepnik]

Heck, I regularly remove grips and put my entire handgun into a ultrasonic bath. Not to mention running black powder handguns through the dishwasher.

No damage to finish or metal has yet to occur.

 

[Hvymax]

Heck, I regularly remove grips and put my entire handgun into a ultrasonic bath. Not to mention running black powder handguns through the dishwasher.

No damage to finish or metal has yet to occur.

My friend who shoots NSSA has a dishwasher in his shop just for that.

 

[redfernclan]

I take off the wood and use my solvent tank. Works great on the crusty old powder around the breech and the inner workings of the trigger assy without having to completely disassemble.. I clean it well including the barrel with a brush while submerged. Blow it completely dry, use brake kleen to "rinse" it off. My solvent tank is mostly diesel anymore. and then soak the whole thing down in your preferred lube. let it drip dry for awhile and then wipe all the excess off.

 

[Mobuck]

Does your pistol have 'HiViz' type sight inserts? If so, I wouldn't recommend soaking in solvent.
" particularly one that isn't cleaned immediately after every range session."
It is not necessary to clean after every range session. We're not shooting black powder anymore(at least most of us aren't) so the NEED for immediate cleaning is long gone.

 

[Tenbore]

I will remove the cylinders from my revolvers and soak them in Hoppes when the get real bad.

 

[XUSNORDIE]

It is not necessary to clean after every range session. We're not shooting black powder anymore(at least most of us aren't) so the NEED for immediate cleaning is long gone.

That's what I tried telling my LPO when I was low man on the totem pole at Range/Armory Division.....it wasn't received very well

 

[peachhead]

I take off the wood and use my solvent tank. Works great on the crusty old powder around the breech and the inner workings of the trigger assy without having to completely disassemble.. I clean it well including the barrel with a brush while submerged. Blow it completely dry, use brake kleen to "rinse" it off. My solvent tank is mostly diesel anymore. and then soak the whole thing down in your preferred lube. let it drip dry for awhile and then wipe all the excess off.

I've been known to use a plastic shoe box and a lot of diesel. I wish I could find good solvent tank or parts washer.

 

[Mobuck]

"That's what I tried telling my LPO when I was low man on the totem pole at Range/Armory Division.....it wasn't received very well"
Agree. Tradition is hard to overcome and far too many folks refuse to believe that what was necessary for Dad or Grandpa is no longer applicable. Cleaner & preservative technology as well as metallurgy & surface treatment has improved far beyond 1960's. I understand the 'nostalgia' of sitting around the woodstove after a day's hunt cleaning the old blunderbuss but presently that's more of a mental thing than a mechanical requirement.
I've made this statement numerous times. Most of my firearms are TOOLS. Some are more favored than others but only the very few inherited from Dad (or the actual collector items) are babied or not even taken outside.

 

[XUSNORDIE]

Well in the military nothing gets checked back in the Armory until it passes inspection. Whether it was 300 rounds fired or 30 rounds fired everything was stripped down, cleaned and inspected. Made for a long afternoon/evening on "ribbon shoot" days. Glad those were canned when Desert Shield started ramping up.

 

[Jeepnik]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but it is necessary to clean after every range session. And in between if they've been sitting a while.

 

[blume357]

Three times I took a multi-day handgun class and roomed with a retired Marine D.I. .... at the end of every day we immediately went back to our room and cleaned our weapons before we could go out to eat and socialize with the others in the class. I also believe it was not necessary but it was 'the rule'. And I learned a long time ago not to buck the D.I.

 

[Johnny-Baseball]

Amen blume357. Or the wiffe either.

As I tell people, "In my house, I'm a full bird colonel. And I report to a 3-star general."

 

[Hawk-in-Wi]

Amen blume357. Or the wiffe either.

I have to disagree with that one , nothing wrong with P oing the wife now and again ,

 

[Johnny-Baseball]

After 46 years of marriage, I've noted that I'm stuck in grade while the wiffe continues to climb the ladder.

 

[Hawk-in-Wi]

well you have me by 7 years but some times a guy just has to do what a guy has to do and if that doesn't set well with the other half oh well

at least you get a few days of being left alone

 

[Jayhawkhuntclub]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but it is necessary to clean after every range session. And in between if they've been sitting a while.

Define "necessary", if you don't mind.
Personally, I have guns I've let sit years between cleanings. Never noticed a problem of any kind. I would agree with you, if they're in a humid environment or shooting corrosive ammo or have heavy leading. But properly stored with modern ammo...not so much IME. Of course, do what feels right to you.

 

[Jeepnik]

Define "necessary", if you don't mind.
Personally, I have guns I've let sit years between cleanings. Never noticed a problem of any kind. I would agree with you, if they're in a humid environment or shooting corrosive ammo or have heavy leading. But properly stored with modern ammo...not so much IME. Of course, do what feels right to you.

: absolutely needed : REQUIRED

As I said, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. This is mine. The only caveat is that if things go wrong don't whine about it. Sadly most folks to day will whine and/or blame someone else for their failures.

 

[Star43]

well you have me by 7 years but some times a guy just has to do what a guy has to do and if that doesn't set well with the other half oh well

at least you get a few days of being left alone

Well I've been married almost 38 years and so many times the wife gets P O'd , and I don't even know what I did wrong. Like they say, it's a man's world as long as they let us think that !