Just took a look at my old Lyman 450 Lube/sizer, and ordered some missing parts. Now I have to get rid of that 25 year old lube that was left in it.  Anybody got some ideas on the best way of cleaning this? It appears to be Lyman graphite lube.
For cleaning guns, anyone got opinions on what's the best cleaner for lead, for copper, or for moly? I have been using Hoppe's #9 for years. I have an old Outers cleaning kit, so I guess I have used their solvent, and I think I remember using a Savage solvent many years ago. Now there is such a variety of stuff, I would like to get some feedback. How about the foaming bore cleaners - good or bad?
 
Thanks for your help,
 
BBC

BBC,
 
Hard to go wrong with the Hoppe's #9...matter of fact I just purchased a pint of the stuff. Shooter's Choice is good. I have used Butch's Bore Shine and have had good results. Mostly I use my homemade C-L-P but I use a lot of cleaner and its not worth the time and trouble for most folks to make up a batch. The last batch I made up about 5 years ago and still have about 3 gallons left of the original 5 gallons. That is more than most folks would use in 2 life times. Haven't used the foam cleaners so can't make a comment one way or another.
 
I use the Hoppe's because of nostalgia and the arouma...the Hoppe smell just means gun cleaning and because it works....showing my age, I guess.
 
Oops!  Left out the Lyman sizer...I would buy a quart of paint thinner and have on hand plenty of rags.
 
Ol' John;) :D

I use wipeout.....let sit for 1 hour.....patch is blue.....repeat letting sit overnight...patch til fairly clean. Then butch's bore shine with brush....patches til clean. I use Hoppes on my shotguns and rifle actions.....it will not get the copper out of dirty barrels. Regards, Rick.

John & Rick -
I guess these other fellas don't clean their guns, or maybe they have secret methods they are not willing to divulge.:D
 
Took the 9mm to the range, and gave my brasscatcher a tryout.  No good. I started with two 10' sections of PCV, four PVC Ts, and six foot of 48" fabric screen.  My dear wife sewed pockets on all four sides of the screen to slip the PVC pipe into.  I ended up with about a 6' long by 3' high screen with quite a bow in the vertical dimension (Had to leave the vertical PVC pipe outside the pockets).  I just happened to have two IV stands left over from my heart bypass recovery, and the 1/2" pipe fit nicely in the top hook.  The fabric screen was too dense to have the give to trap the bullets.  It ended up being more of a brass deflector than a brass catcher.  I still had to gather them up. One of the other fellas there showed me his catcher.  It was an extra pool skimmer that he had mounted a clamp onto.  He could clip it onto the pole at various heights depending on if he was standing or sitting at the bench.  It was a diaphrenous (sp?) material that gave easily.  Actually his pool skimmer looked more like a landing net than a skimmer, but it was a very fine mesh.  Almost like an aquarium net.  My net, although much bigger, and requiring two people to set up, and several bags of shot to keep the wind from taking it, was a total flop. *sigh*
I ended up shooting about 400 rounds at the range.  The net caught 3 cases.
Most of my ammo was 105 gr cast, with about 60 or so copper plated Ranier bullets interspersed.  I would load a magazine with the plated bullets after firing five magazines of cast bullets through it.  I thought it might keep the leading down. It didn't.  I started off doing just fine with the bullets going where I aimed, but the more I shot, the more the POI went down & left.
When I got home, I tried the gunslick foaming bore cleaner, ran some patches showing lots of lead, so I refoamed and let soak overnight. I still need to do some brushwork on it.  Will give you my impressions of the foam when I finish.
One more thing... Later that night I discovered that I had a blister on my trigger finger!  Obviously, I need more range time. heh heh.
BTW: Did you know that FBI field agents must qualify at 4 different distances with both the right and the left hand??? I really suck left-handed.  Try it sometime.  It's a real ego deflater.:o
-BBC

Hehe, I shoot weak hand once in awhile, and you're right.  I would imagine that lots of practice will help.  I was also told to keep your non firing hand across your chest to keep your balance in check.  I've been meaning to work on my weak hand for awhile and never do.  
 
 You might try some other jacketed bullets to clean out the leading, if they will even do it.  Raniers are somewhat softer than regular jackedted bullets, as they are only plated with guilding, it's very thin. Thats all I shoot in my .40 though, the price is great and I just cant get lead bullets to cycle reliably.

RatherBHuntin=/Raniers are somewhat softer than regular jackedted bullets, as they are only plated with guilding, it's very thin. Thats all I shoot in my .40 though, the price is great and I just cant get lead bullets to cycle reliably./
 
I like the Ranier bullets. Their selling point is that some indoor ranges have outlawed exposed lead bullets. I shoot at an outdoor range, but I use them anyway. As you said, the price is great, and they are reliable in autos. The cast bullets I took to the range were coated with the Lee liquid Alox. Now, my plastic ammo boxes have a dab of dried Alox in just about every slot. What a mess. It mighta had something to do with the triple digit temperatures here in AZ. After three hours at the range, I had to call it a day. Before I give up on the ALox, I will try another batch, but this time I will give them a final dusting with Mica powder. Even the brass was sticky, and I did experience a few loading problems with the cast bullets. I like the Lee cast bullet sizing system, in theory, but I don't want a repeat of the messiness.
-BBC
 
For those that are interested in the Ranier bullets, Ranier has their own load data.  They say that their plated bullets are not the same as cast, nor are they the same as jacketed bullets.  They are a hybrid and loads should be worked up particularly for them.
BBC

BBC;
1, I clean with Brite bore or a foaming cleaner, but so far, I have no leading, although I shoot cast bullets at least 95% of the time, those I have talked to about leading, recommend Chore BOY scouring pads, all copper, wrap some around a smaller or worn out brush and just keep on stroking, they say it works fast and causes no damage.
2, I found the liquid alox to be a choke point in sizing and applying gas checks, then I bought some Hornady Unique case lube, to try.
It only takes a light wipe with 2 fingers and then a quick smear on the cases to work fine, it worked so good I tried it on bullets, works fine there too, one wipe is good for 4-6 cases or bullets, no waiting and no mess, does make your fingers really soft and smooth.
Don

Just finished cleaning the 9mm.  I would say that the foam made the job easier. Still, I don't feel like I've done my part until I run the bronze brush, and use the Hoppe's #9.  Ingrained habit.  I have a certain ritual that I go through.  After the solvent, and some dry patches, I run a lightly oiled patch through the barrel. Then, I clean the exterior, and if I am storing the gun, I take great pains to leave no fingerprints.  For rifles, I will wipe down the barrel, and insert the barrel into a soft case.  Then, I handle the gun through the case while I wipe down the rest of it.  Pistols get a wipe down with a silicone cloth.  My 9mm is my home defense weapon, so it gets loaded, cocked & locked, followed by a final wipedown.  It then goes into the thumb break holster and takes it's place on the bedside table.
I have no clue as to what Brite Bore is (liquid or paste?), and I don't know what CLP stands for.  I have seen a lot of positive feedback on Kano Kroil, and plan to get some with my next Midway order.  I guess it is a Canadian product.
When I was researching cartridge headstamp data, I picked up some info from the cartridge collectors.  They say to NEVER use steel wool on brass, since it is harder than brass and will decrease the cartridge value.  They recommend using bronze wool, which is softer than brass for cleaning cartridges.  I have no plans to collect cartridges, but this info DOES give me a warm, fuzzy feeling about using bronze bore brushes.  Since my barrels are harder than brass, then bronze brushes are safe to use.  My local Home Depot and Lowe's do not stock bronze wool, but the Lowe's salesman told me that bronze wool is widely used in auto body work.  I will try my local Auto Zone & Checker stores and try to pick  some up to try on various surfaces.
-BBC

CLP is the military's all purpose gun oil.  And I mean all purpose.... pistols, rifles, machine guns, howitzers and any and all moving or bearing parts and machinery.  It will make a chrome bore shine like nobody's business.  Stands for Cleaner-Lubricant-Preservative, some will say Protectant.  It does a pretty good job of cleaning and darn good job of lubricating and preserving.  It is a little thick, not recommended for arctic conditions, but no problems at all for anywhere south of Alaska.

Gents,
 
Received a PM from BBC requesting the formula for the homemade C-L-P so once again will post the formula for those who might be interested. 5 gallons is a lot for just one person so if you have a mind to making this up you might try to locate 4 other fellers to share the final mixture. Here 'tis!
 
....2 gallons...kerosene
....2 gallons...paint thinner
....3 quarts....Marvel Mystery Oil
....1 quart.....Rislone (crankcase cleaner from your auto parts store)
 
This is a flammable mixture(of course) so appropriate containers should be used.
 
As a side note there is a superb article in the July, 2005 issue of Precision Shooting by Fred Barker.."More on Abrasive Bore Cleaners & Polishes." Probably more than you really want to know but it is a most informative read.
The "Precision Shooting" magazine is one that I can highly recommend to any and all who have more than a passing interest in firearms. It is primarily geared to the benchrest/competitive shooting crowd but I have yet to not find an article that I don't get some good info from. I really look forward to each monthy issue. Take a look at their website and see if any thing looks good to you in their books they have available.
 
................. www.precisionshooting.com ..................

Dave Brennen, the editor, is a "crusty" individual with a great sense of humor(a little skewed perhaps but so am I) and a great prose style. He has gathered together some of the best writers on firearm topics and can you beleive!!!...they even know what they are talking about!! Will wonders never cease.:D

Ol' John:cool: