Author Topic: Making Hoppes #9 substitute? (Read 1395 times)

Questor · « **on:** May 23, 2003, 02:24:33 AM »

I couldn't think of a better place for this question, so here it is:

Is there a good recipe for a gun cleaning solvent? I use quite a bit of Hoppes #9. I'm paying $2.50 for a little bottle of #9 at Wal Mart and I've got to believe that there's a better way to do this.

CJ · « **Reply #1 on:** May 23, 2003, 03:42:11 AM »

You are very fortunate to be able to shoot that much. Dont know if its still around, but they used to make pints {I think}. I picked up a couple at a gun store that was closing up years ago lasted me quite a while. Should be cheaper that way.

Questor · « **Reply #2 on:** May 23, 2003, 03:50:22 AM »

I don't shoot a lot of rounds, but fortunately I live right down the street from a place to shoot, so I do shoot frequently. And yes, I am very fortunate to have that. I checked the pints, but they're expensive.

The reason I'm asking is that I can't believe that this stuff would be rocket science to duplicate-- at least functionally. All I really need is something that will wipe off powder fouliing, not lead or copper. And it needs to be a mild solvent that doesn't destroy gun finishes.

quicksdraw45 · « **Reply #3 on:** May 23, 2003, 04:34:04 AM »

I have some freinds that are way into the benchrest rest competition ,They use GM top end engine cleaner (Thats real close to the the correct name), I have started using it and it works great . It is about $8 a pint. And can be had at your local GM dealer.

jamie · « **Reply #4 on:** May 23, 2003, 10:59:31 AM »

I don't know the exact recipe but some fellas I know use a mixture of Kerosene and automatic transmission fluid. These are older gents and they all say it is the best thing going.

eroyd · « **Reply #5 on:** May 23, 2003, 03:00:28 PM »

One I've been using and works great is:
equal parts of:

- kerosene
- ATF
- varsol
- acetone

Lanolin can be added to give metals long lasting protection. The above mixture does not go boom. I got it out of a shooting magazine. It's an old target shooters recipe. Avoid getting it on the woodwork, acetone is not good on some wood finishes or plastic.

BruceP · « **Reply #6 on:** May 23, 2003, 04:16:36 PM »

Do a search on google for "Ed's Red". I have not tried it but I think that might be what you are looking for.
BruceP

jamie · « **Reply #7 on:** May 23, 2003, 07:25:00 PM »

Yep, that's it "Ed's Red", man they love that stuff.

.45 COLT · « **Reply #8 on:** May 24, 2003, 02:08:57 AM »

Ed's Red is good stuff. If anybody's interested in some more homemade gun cleaners, try this site:

Cleaners

Questor · « **Reply #9 on:** May 29, 2003, 03:56:54 AM »

I settled on this one and it works very well:

20 percent Marvel Mystery Oil
50 percent low-odor kerosene
30 percent low-odor mineral spirits
STP oil treatment, one tablespoon per quart of the above mix

This works at least as well as Hoppes and it doesn't have the acetone in it. I didn't like some of the stuff in Ed's Red, I just wanted something to clean powder residue, lube, and dirt.

I made up a quart of it in a mason jar, then decanted it into an old 4 ounce Hoppes jar.

The original recipe is from American Gunsmith and is:
40 percent Kerosene
40 percent mineral spirits
15 percent marvel mystery oil
5 percent Rislone (a thick lubricant)

I varied the recipe because I had the STP on hand, didn't want to buy Rislone because STP sounded similar enough, and I wanted less mineral spirits in the first batch so I don't worry so much about getting it on my wood.

Now for the question you've all been waiting for an answer to: How does it smell? Not bad at all! It's got a nice masculine petroleum smell that doesn't stink up the house too badly when you use it. I don't think I'll use it as an after shave, but then I never used Hoppes as an after shave either. In a mason jar this stuff has a very pleasant light red color.

It leaves a slightly oily, non-sticky, film on the metal. It's nice to work with.

Flint · « **Reply #10 on:** May 30, 2003, 06:57:24 AM »

A local gunsmith sells Aluminum Tapping Fluid as a cleaner, it works great.

sharpshooter · « **Reply #11 on:** June 01, 2003, 07:18:19 AM »

A friend of mine has a great big bottle of hoppes #9. I am not sure where he got but I will find out. You might check with Brownell, Midway and other places that sell gun cleaning stuff. I just looked in my sinclairs catalog for it they have several different types of cleaning solutions, I didn't see hoppes though. I personally like the Butch's Bore Shine I think it does a better job, just my oppion. Check them out: WWW.SINCLAIRINTL.COM

PaulS · « **Reply #12 on:** June 01, 2003, 09:04:34 AM »

Questor,
Rislone makes more than one product. The Rislone that we used to use in the shop was a penetrating / upper cylinder lube that was more like diesel oil than STP. From a chemical standpoint the thick oil additives provide no protection from heat or corrosion. They are "viscosity index increasers" that serve only to thicken oil. They are useful in engines built with or worn to large clearances in bearings.
Ed's Red is a chemichally nuetral lubricant / protectant that is great for a final cleaning or protecting a bore that will sit for short periods between shooting sessions. To clean powder residue or corrosive powder/primer residue from a barrel you need to have a "nitro powder solvent" like Hoppes #9 or the old military bore cleaner. None of these products remove lead fouling and the best way to do that is with one of the commercial lead solvens followed by a good cleaning with powder solvent and finished with gun oil or Ed's Red.

PaulS