- Thread starter sparrow
- Start date
I can only repeat what I was told a long time ago. "Why would you, who are not a chemist, disagree with chemists who engineer and test the time proven formulas and senior shooters who agree with them."
There are a wide variety of Gun cleaning products available. Try one and see if it cleans well enough for you. If not try another type/ brand. Put brake fluid in the reservoir under the hood of your car/ truck/ motorcycle.
I suppose in some situation brake fluid would be somewhat better than nothing, but there is nothing to be gained by using it, when other purpose built products are available. Also most brake fluids (DOT3/4) are hydroscopic, which means they readily absorb water from the atmosphere. Not a good thing, when you're trying to protect your firearms.
fluid or cleaner?
Cleaning with break fluid?
Maybe he meant brake cleaner for the action/bolt/etc, which would be like a spray cleaner/degreaser? Seems like that would make a little more sense than brake fluid
Maybe he meant brake cleaner for the action/bolt/etc, which would be like a spray cleaner/degreaser? Seems like that would make a little more sense than brake fluid
I used brake cleaner on an gummed up AR bolt and an AK, never again, took almost a whole can and that cross isn't cheap.
I stick with gun designed cleaner now, not cheaper, just use a lot less of it.
I stick with gun designed cleaner now, not cheaper, just use a lot less of it.
A friend of mine always uses brake cleaner.
I don't. IMO...it's way too harsh of a cleaner to use around the many finishes found on firearms. Wood stocks and their stain/sealer, and especially plastic and rubber components. Some types of brake clean will eat right through them.
I don't. IMO...it's way too harsh of a cleaner to use around the many finishes found on firearms. Wood stocks and their stain/sealer, and especially plastic and rubber components. Some types of brake clean will eat right through them.
I would not use brake clean, it evaporates way too fast to really penetrate the backed on carbon that is in the bore. Will it hurt the metal, no more than likely not but it is hrad to give a definitive answer because there are so many different brands out there. However a VERY good commercial solvent to use it GM top engine cleaner. It has been used for many many years in the benchrest circle where squeaky clean is the way. It is not inexpensive but it does a great job on carbon.
or you could just stick with the inexpensive and very effective bore solvents on the market today like:
KG products
Butches
Montana Extreme
TM
Hoppes
Bore Tech
ect...
or you could just stick with the inexpensive and very effective bore solvents on the market today like:
KG products
Butches
Montana Extreme
TM
Hoppes
Bore Tech
ect...
I occasionally use break cleaner to clean out trigger assemblies of grease and crud...the high pressure spray tube really gets into the nooks and crannies of the trigger and dissolves and blasts grease, old lubricant, dirt and crap right out of there...thats the only use I use it for...everything else I use WD40 and a Stiff AR15 Issue .MIL Cleaning Brush, Bore and Chamber brushes, the WD40 penetrates, and is a very good solvent for cleaning...I use a copper solvent for bores...everything gets blown air dry or wiped clean with cotton rags...this leaves a thin WD40 coating on the surfaces, moving parts get a lube with the appropriate lubricant...
BRAKE FLUID will remove any paint from your stocks or metal surfaces...I avoid it around my guns...
BRAKE FLUID will remove any paint from your stocks or metal surfaces...I avoid it around my guns...
I think he meant cleaner.
Carb cleaner is better than brake cleaner for firearms, it dissolves carbon.
Brake cleaner will degrease like a mofo, though.
Neither does much for lead and copper fouling, that's where a proper bore scrubber comes in.
I've had good success with Butch's bore shine for a combination bore cleaner or alternating good old Hoppe's no. 9 and KG-12 for lead and copper removal.
Brake cleaner will degrease like a mofo, though.
Neither does much for lead and copper fouling, that's where a proper bore scrubber comes in.
I've had good success with Butch's bore shine for a combination bore cleaner or alternating good old Hoppe's no. 9 and KG-12 for lead and copper removal.
Last edited:
Brake cleaner is OK for washing out the barrel after you have cleaned it with a solvent and brush. I clean my barrel with a copper solvent and a brush. When the copper fouling is gone, I put 2 dry patches through the bore, then wash the bore out with brake parts cleaner, not fluid. I dry patch the bore with about 5-10 patches then run a oil soaked patch through several times following with one final dry. Try
not to get it on painted stocks. It speeds up my cleaning process. It will not clean for you. Only reason I use it is to save patches. I could put 50 through a rough factory barrel and still get crap out after
cleaning with solvent and brush. When I wash out with spray cleaner it takes just a few. But that takes all the oil out of the barrel so you have to follow with gun oil. I do it to save time because I am lazy... I am talking about brake parts cleaner, not brake fluid though. I use it as a rinse, not a cleaner. I have no idea what brake fluid would do besides really screw up a finish on a stock.
not to get it on painted stocks. It speeds up my cleaning process. It will not clean for you. Only reason I use it is to save patches. I could put 50 through a rough factory barrel and still get crap out after
cleaning with solvent and brush. When I wash out with spray cleaner it takes just a few. But that takes all the oil out of the barrel so you have to follow with gun oil. I do it to save time because I am lazy... I am talking about brake parts cleaner, not brake fluid though. I use it as a rinse, not a cleaner. I have no idea what brake fluid would do besides really screw up a finish on a stock.
Last edited:
Brake cleaner, which is basically Xylene, is a remarkable degreaser that leaves no residue. Because of this it is an excellent cleaner to use when prepping parts for treatments that require them to be clean such a painting them. This certainly has it's uses in firearms especially if you are looking to apply durakote or some other paint to metal surfaces. It might also be useful in degunking something like a really messed up trigger pack or bolt.
I don't see any possible use for brake fluid in firearms.
I don't see any possible use for brake fluid in firearms.
Thats what I thought.
Could he have meant "Break Free"?
If you're going to use brake parts cleaner, I'm pretty sure the non-chlorinated variety would be the best choice.
In that case, no. That shit is neither a good cleaner nor a good lubricant. Only Uncle Sam would spend your money on that on purpose.
1 part Dexron II, IIe or III Automatic Transmission Fluid - GM Spec D20265 or later
1 part K1 Kerosene
1 part Mineral Spirits or Stodard Solvent/Varsol
1 part Acetone
I leave out the Acetone to avoid issues with plastic and stock finishes.
Similar threads
