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Alcohol for cleaning?

2K views 17 replies 10 participants last post by  Coalcracker 
#1 ·
I saw Hickok45 mention using alcohol for cleaning guns. Is that a good idea?
 
#14 ·
I always have a bottle of 99% on the cleaning bench, it's a good degreaser and cleaner as long as you use oil or CLP after
 
#6 ·
I have used it and it worked fine but I prefer Gun Cleaning Solvent that was designed to clean guns. If you do use rubbing alcohol I would get the medical grade 91% which is usually a red label. The standard grade is 73% or somewhere there about, usually a blue label.
 
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#7 ·
Have to disagree, stick with denatured alcohol, I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure in the commercial grades there is little if any water, I do know that it dries very quickly and leaves no residue. It does stink but the odor dissipates quickly
 
#8 ·
never used it straight from a bottle........ Will use an aerosol on occasion such as gun scrubber which contains alcohol.....and most of the benefit there is the air pressure along with the chemical/alcohol, but don't go crazy with it as it is rather unfriendly to some plastics.
 
#13 ·
Gun Scrubber has been my preferred solvent for years. It works well, is easy to use and can be bought right off the shelf at Walmart. I have sprayed it on stainless, regular steal, blued finished, poly parts, direct on sights and even high end wood grips and never had a problem. One product that works on all my guns.

Fast, easy, gets the job done and I don'r have to spend a lot of money. Same way I prefer my girlfriends. :laughing:
 
#11 ·
As I implied in an earlier post use only denatured alcohol for degreasing guns. Isopropyl alcohol as you will probably find on those swabs contains at least some water which will not work very well and will leave a bit of water behind, not usually a good thing on a gun.
 
#12 ·
As long as its a high percentage of alcohol it will be fine. Especially if the gun is regularly cleaned and lubed.
You do not want to wipe a gun down with 70% isopropyl and stick in your safe for a year. you wont be happy with what you find.
91% or 99% is just fine.
As I'm sure most do, I completely wipe my guns down inside and out with a CLP (ballistol) when I'm done cleaning them.
 
#15 ·
I use CRC Brakleen. The non-chlorinated in the green can. Plenty of aerosol pressure. I never
have to scrub. Dries with very little residue. For receivers, and other externals, I use CRC
electronic cleaner and spray it on a rag and wipe it down. Then oil as desired. Much cheaper
than gun cleaners. I do use a bore cleaner though, XF-7
 
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#17 ·
Wal-mart has both, and they are cheaper than NAPA.
 
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