Author Topic: Military Rifle Bore Cleaner (Read 2235 times)

savageT · « **on:** January 12, 2003, 01:17:42 PM »

Hey Big Bill,

I know you have said it before....Where do you buy the GI Bore Cleaner? Also, any of you mixed up "Ed's Red" bore cleaner? How does it work on corrosive ammo cleanups?

1911crazy · « **Reply #1 on:** January 12, 2003, 05:02:01 PM »

"GI Rifle Bore Cleaner" and "GI Weapons Oil" at Colemans Surplus.com he is the cheapest around. BigBill

The rifle bore cleaner eats cosmo off the military guns.

.45 COLT · « **Reply #2 on:** January 14, 2003, 06:26:25 AM »

I mixed up 4 gallons of "Ed's Red", without the lanolin. Works pretty good on bore cleanup, also takes off cosmoline real well. Buying the stuff by the gallon instead of quart made it pretty inexpensive.

savageT · « **Reply #3 on:** January 14, 2003, 06:39:57 AM »

Quote from: .45 COLT

I mixed up 4 gallons of "Ed's Red", without the lanolin. Works pretty good on bore cleanup, also takes off cosmoline real well. Buying the stuff by the gallon instead of quart made it pretty inexpensive.

Thanks for the report .45. I am going out today to mix up some of that Ed's Red. Anyone know where you get anhydrous lanolin? I can just see me going into the local Wal-Mart Pharmacy and asking.......Reminds me of the time as a kid I asked the druggist for some Kodak... and she hands me a box of Kotex Napkins. Could have died.

.45 COLT · « **Reply #4 on:** January 14, 2003, 07:19:40 AM »

I forgot this. Might be of some use.

http://home.sprynet.com/~frfrog/homemade.htm

1911crazy · « **Reply #5 on:** January 14, 2003, 09:54:56 AM »

Quote from: .45 COLT

I forgot this. Might be of some use.

http://home.sprynet.com/~frfrog/homemade.htm

Hey "45Colt" awesome site lots of tips I like it!!! I'm going to try the lube called "slick stuff" and maybe add some "moly paste" to it so its even better and test it. BigBill

Siskiyou · « **Reply #6 on:** January 14, 2003, 02:10:39 PM »

That is strong stuff. I normally pick it up at gun shows. I have maxed out for a lifetime. The last time I was at the Reno Gun Show there was a table from the local surplus store. They must have bought a railcar load. He was selling it at $4.00 a quart. I bought one for the son-in-law and another quart for a brother. I have most of two quarts in the garage.

If I spend a day cleaning guns with it I am required to shower before setting down to dinner. I am suprised that I do not have to strip down in the yard and wash with the garden hose before hitting the shower. Keep it away from kids. Strong!!!!!!!!!

It works great on barrels after firing old military rounds. Hotwater, soap, and G.I. bore cleaner does the job.

But I tried out Remington's bore cleaner here lately and it does a very good job on removing copper from the bore. Better then the military surplus bore cleaner. And it does not smell as bad. I expect technology to make a few advances in the last 30 years.

Anyway a gunshow is a good source. Buy only sealed cans. One time I bought a couple of unsealed cans and the stuff looked like waterdown latex paint. It appears that it has changed over the years from a dark brown, white latex, and clearer fluid. Was this just changing times, or to meet different needs. When I went through L.E. training they were using the dark brown stuff at the range. Half the people were sick after cleaning weapons around a large tank that collected the waste.

Siskiyou

Jose Grande · « **Reply #7 on:** January 15, 2003, 09:10:15 PM »

Soap & water will kill the salts left after corrosive ammo. Hoppes #9 Benchrest will get the copper. Love that HOPPES!! I'd put it on pancakes if it wouldn't kill me.

Siskiyou · « **Reply #8 on:** January 16, 2003, 08:26:56 AM »

Jose!

I have always used soap and water after firing old military rounds. Mom said a little of that soap and water would not hurt me. Hoppe's #9 is what legends are made of. In the Elementary School of Cowtown it was the mark of manhood to come to school in the morning with the oder of Hoppe's #9.

If the boy crazy girls who always tried to get us to dance instead of shooting geese after school tried #9 it would have been unfair. Weekdays were not to complicated in Cowtown in the 50's. Go to school in the morning, and go fishing or hunting after school. Chores and eating could be done after dark.

Siskiyou

John Traveler · « **Reply #9 on:** January 16, 2003, 08:50:41 AM »

Hello, all!

Rifle Bore Cleaner was manufactured to a Mil-Spec that dictated product performance, and not a specific formulation.

The WWII Rifle Bore Cleaner is very different from that used since the late 1950's through the Vietname War era.

YES, the WWII stuff can, and did, separate into it's component parts and was famous for stinking to high heaven! It was also mildly toxic if inhaled for extended periods.

The recent production Hoppe's Number 9 solvent (since the early 1990's) is not as potent nor to the classic formulation as the Old Hoppes #9. The word is that the old formulation contained hazardouz materials (bezene, a known carcinogen) and left the Manufacturer open to liability issues.

On another board, a poster wrote that one of the Canadian Government Laboratories in Edmonton, Alberta, I believe analysed the infamous Red's Bore Cleaner and found it be nothing more than aircraft diesel fuel and ammonia with traces of other hydrocarbons.

savageT · « **Reply #10 on:** January 16, 2003, 09:23:41 AM »

John T,
Ed's Red Formulation.......The analysis was close, but a few parts missing. Here's the latest formula: (as I recall)
1 pt. DexronI, II, or III Transmission Fluid, per GM spec (replaces Sperm Oil after WWII)
1 pt. Type K1- improved grade kerosene
1 pt. Mineral Spirits odorless paint thinner (replaces Terpentine)
1 pt. Acetone
* optional: anhydrous Lanolin added for water absorbsion and lubrication
** No Ammonia used

.45 COLT · « **Reply #11 on:** January 18, 2003, 03:04:07 AM »

SavageT - that's the formula I use. It, and a lot of other cleaning formulas can be found on the link I posted earlier in this thread.

John Traveler - The Canadian government - Isn't that the same outfit that just decided that their citizens would be better off if all their guns were registered? Don't think I'd put much stock in anything they ahve to say.