Home Brew CLP's

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I have to agree with AMC. About the best CLPs I have found are Breakfree and CorrosionX. They are not perfect. Breakfree apparently has declined in quality from where it was a few years ago. And CorrosionX is fine for lubrication and protection from corrosion but not the best cleaner. A person can use Hoppes No. 9 Bore Solvent, or Hoppes Elite or MPro7 cleaner to clean the barrel.

Either of these will work perfectly fine. With just a separate cleaner for the bore of the barrel.
 
As funny as this may sound , I have never tried Breakfree but would like to after a armoror used nothing but Breakfree recently during free inspection / cleaning . I recenly bought Corrosion X just to wipe down exposed areas of gun metal for protection - since I have it I will try as a lube too .
 
There still seem to be a lot of gunsmiths who use Breakfree. I tried CorrosionX after AMC recommended it and it is great except for cleaning the barrel. Use something else for the barrel like Hoppes Elite.
 
Originally Posted By: Mystic
Either of these will work perfectly fine. With just a separate cleaner for the bore of the barrel.


If you're going to use a separate solvent to clean the carbon, which I agree needs to be done, at least with the CLPs that I've used, then why use a CLP at all? The whole purpose is to be able to get away with just one product. If the CLP doesn't C as well as a dedicated solvent, then it may not L and P as well as a dedicated gun oil either. At the very least, you save no space in your gun bag with more than one product.

I've moved away from CLPs because I have found that they don't clean particularly well, and I've found gun oil to stay resident in the gun longer than CLPs over time.
 
Hokiefyd : Good point - then lets discuss what you feel are good "C" cleaners only and what you prefer as a final "L" lube or "LP" lube /protect ? The only pure cleaners that come to mind are : Hoppes #9 and the newer Hoppes Elite or MP7 dedicated "C" cleaners in the pump spray bottle (there may be others - but most likly mail order only) . For a pure "L" lube then something like Super Lube oil & grease comes to mind ...I can't think off hand of any gun oils that are just a pure "L" lube or even a "LP" lube / protect off hand AND somewhat readily available ... Your thoughts ?
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Originally Posted By: Mystic
Either of these will work perfectly fine. With just a separate cleaner for the bore of the barrel.


If you're going to use a separate solvent to clean the carbon, which I agree needs to be done, at least with the CLPs that I've used, then why use a CLP at all? The whole purpose is to be able to get away with just one product. If the CLP doesn't C as well as a dedicated solvent, then it may not L and P as well as a dedicated gun oil either. At the very least, you save no space in your gun bag with more than one product.

I've moved away from CLPs because I have found that they don't clean particularly well, and I've found gun oil to stay resident in the gun longer than CLPs over time.
 
Breakfree CLP is the Bud Light of gun solvents. It's not good, it's not bad, and it's convenient.



Cleaning: Hoppes #9 Powder Solvent, MPro7 Gun Cleaner, Breakfree Bore Cleaning Foam, Montana Xtreme Copper Killer, or Kroil. I've been using more Kroil lately, just because.

Lubricating: 50/50 mix of ATF motor oil. Too "sticky" to use as a protectant, but will work in a pinch.

Protectant: Boeshield T9.
 
Originally Posted By: ChrisD46
Hokiefyd : Good point - then lets discuss what you feel are good "C" cleaners only and what you prefer as a final "L" lube or "LP" lube /protect ? The only pure cleaners that come to mind are : Hoppes #9 and the newer Hoppes Elite or MP7 dedicated "C" cleaners in the pump spray bottle (there may be others - but most likly mail order only) . For a pure "L" lube then something like Super Lube oil & grease comes to mind ...I can't think off hand of any gun oils that are just a pure "L" lube or even a "LP" lube / protect off hand AND somewhat readily available ... Your thoughts ?


I have used Hoppes #9 in the past, and have moved to Hoppes Elite in a spray bottle format. I feel this cleans better than either Breakfree CLP or Ballistol, both of which I have used. For lubricant, I'm using Hoppes Benchrest 9 Lubricating Oil with Weatherguard. It claims to be both a lubricant and a protectant. Their Elite gun oil (with and without T3) claims the same, and I'll probably use that next.

I may be off-base here, but L and P functions seem to be close enough in nature that a similar product can handle both. Cleansing, on the other hand, seems to require a completely different set of characteristics.

And I do use my L/P product as both an L and a P. After cleaning with the solvent, I run a clean oily patch through the barrel to lightly coat it. I use a soaked Q-Tip to oil the slide rails and the slide blocks in the frame. I reassemble the gun and vigorously operate the slide to work all lubricant in. I take it back down and clean up any excess. Then I use that same oily patch that I used in the barrel to rub down all metal surfaces. After final reassembly, I buff the slide off with a lint-free microfiber cloth.
 
I have used Breakfree a lot in the past and for cleaning the gun barrel there is no question that old Hoppes No. 9 Bore Solvent will work. But I use it only outside when I can clean outside and I don't use it in the house. Hoppes Elite (or MPro7) are more expensive but clean really well and do not smell.

AMC told me about CorrosionX. It is not the greatest cleaner but it seems to work really well as a lubricate. And a guy did a lot of corrosion testing on YouTube (I can't remember his user name offhand) and CorrosionX did great in corrosion protection. So did Breakfree but it attracted dust. A lot of other products including various name brand gun oils did not do so well.

I have used a lot of products, including Ballistol and many others. I think CorrosionX is worth ordering. For local products I would stay with Breakfree. And for cleaning Hoppes No. 9 or Hoppes Elite or MPro7. The Hoppes Elite gun oil did not impress me. It ran off too quickly.

I have never tried Hoppes Benchrest gun oil. Hoppes also has a new Hoppes No. 9 gun oil that is partially synthetic but I have never tried it either. A long time ago in the past I used Hoppes No. 9 gun oil, especially on one gun that was really picky about what oil would work on it.
 
I picked up a spray can of corrosion X at Academy Sports , I would recommend more for a safe queen .

The Hoppes #9 Benchrest with Weatherguard I have not seen or heard of before ? Sounds interesting though ...

What are your thoughts on the silicon impregnated cloths (sold at many stores) for protecting the external finish of guns ?
 
Those silicon impregnated clothes are great! And it is possible to renew them with inexpensive silicon spray. But CorrosionX is better for long term storage.

I was thinking about ordering some Hoppes Benchrest and that new Hoppes No. 9 oil and checking them out. They are not available locally. I have used just the ordinary Hoppes No. 9 gun oil.
 
Thanks for the tip on the Hoppe's Elite gun oil. When you say that it ran off too quickly, I imagine that it still left a lubricating film behind, right? My preference is for lighter oils, especially in a gun. Obviously, if it's runny and gets all over everything, that's not ideal. This is why I apply with a soaked Q-Tip; I touch the slide rails and the blocks with an oiled "sponge", but don't actually place a drop of oil on it.

The Benchrest 9 with Weatherguard came in this Hoppe's kit that I bought many years ago:

image76567-be1a12d3f7cc56a40c9392c13814dc88.jpg


That kit came with the Benchrest 9 with Weatherguard oil, and the Hoppe's #9 solvent. But it was in a liquid bottle (as opposed to spray), and was difficult to use effectively. I was also cleaning a Ruger 22/45 at the time, and those have difficult-to-access nooks and crannies anyway.

Nowadays, I have a small plastic storage box with the spray solvent and oil bottles, cotton patches, Q-Tips, a microfiber rag, and this Winchester cleaning rod set:

0076190336309_500X500.jpg
 
How is that Benchrest oil? Is it pretty good? I might give some a test someday, along with that new Hoppes No. 9 partially synthetic oil. I have a tendency to return again and again to Hoppes products.

The CorrosionX is definitely good for long term storage in my opinion.

Silicon clothes protect for a while (the external surface areas of a gun).
 
Originally Posted By: Mystic
How is that Benchrest oil? Is it pretty good?


It seems fine to me. It "lightly" gums up on some parts of the gun that don't get direct contact (like on some portions of the slide blocks), but not as bad as the CLPs I've tried. Maybe that's a function of the "with Weatherguard". Maybe the Elite wouldn't do that as much.

My guns are stored inside in either a cabinet (pistols) or on a rack (rifle/shotgun) in the closet. I have not had an issue with corrosion, even with North Carolina humidity. Just a light coating rubbed into the blued finish of the rifle and a light coating down the barrel seem to be enough.

I do like the nature of some CLPs (like Ballistol) to dry...well...dry, with that Teflon-like coating that's like a seasoned iron skillet. Maybe I'll try all three one time just as an experiment...clean the bore with Hoppe's Elite, season the whole thing with Ballistol, then apply oil to certain areas.
 
I just checked and found a old bottle of Hoppes Elite oil in my kit but now they have : Hoppes Elite Oil with T3 . What is T3 ? ... Techron for guns ?
 
AMC said that Breakfree nowadays pretty much does not have PTFE in it. He said the newer Breakfree is not as good as it was in the days when the military was using it. I have some of the older Breakfree and it meets more requirements than the newer stuff. So I think AMC is correct and maybe people need to move on away from Breakfree.

I lubricate my guns right before shooting so maybe just Hoppes gun oil would be good enough. But the CorrosionX seems to lubricate really well. And I think the CorrosionX would be great for long term storage of a firearm.

On a semi-auto white lithium grease in a limited amount on the slides might be good. Plus in the case of a Glock a small amount of grease on the critical lubrication point. And other than that just some gun oil. I think CorrosionX can potentially remove the need for grease. It stays put pretty good.

For cleaning a gun barrel I think Hoppes No. 9, Hoppes Elite, or MPro7 will all work pretty good.

The stuff I avoid are RemOil (I just never liked it), WD-40 (never use it on guns) and I have tried all kinds of supposed super gun oils and gun greases that were just a waste of money. And I wish I had my money back that I spent on the junk. People were talking about all of this home made stuff-Ed's Red and all of that. I never got into that kind of stuff real big. And I think people need to be careful because there is at least one gun lube that contains a known carcinogen. I would let the guns rust before I gave myself cancer.

Other stuff I avoid are carb cleaner and brake cleaner. Unless a gun is incredibly dirty (and whose fault is that?) I would never use stuff like that on guns and only outside. I care more than that about myself and my guns.
 
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I have gone a few different ways since I started shooting again. Now, I use Rand CLP which I got from my gunsmith for an L and P. It's a thick liquid, virtually odorless. For the bore, I use foaming penetrant from Gunk. It has an interesting boundary lube, called Cerflon, which is a ceramic reinforced teflon. The carrier has a soy ester as part of the mix. It lifts fouling very easily, and is so thin so that it can get in just about anywhere. If anyone decided to use brake cleaner, be sure to use the Non-Chlorinated version. Chlorine is bad ju-ju for steel.
 
Hokiefyd I don't think I answered your question on Hoppes Elite gun oil. When I bought my Glock a gunsmith recommended Hoppes Elite to clean and Hoppes gun oil to lubricate. I like Hoppes Elite to clean gun barrels. The only problems I have with it is that it is more expensive than Hoppes No. 9 bore cleaner and a bottle does not last very long, and also it is water based and I have heard that water based cleaners and oils can cause corrosion.

I did not like the Hoppes Elite gun oil very much. It seemed pretty runny to me and if I had the gun stored for any time it seemed to run off the gun a lot. I think Breakfree and CorrosionX stay on the gun much better.

With Breakfree apparently declining in quality I am turning to CorrosionX except for cleaning. I think CorrosionX is the new Breakfree you might say.

But I might try some other stuff like Hoppes Benchrest and the new Hoppes No. 9 with synthetic because they might be cheaper. If they worked good enough I would use the CorrosionX for protecting guns in storage.
 
Originally Posted By: ChrisD46
For a pure "L" lube then something like Super Lube oil & grease comes to mind ...I can't think off hand of any gun oils that are just a pure "L" lube or even a "LP" lube / protect off hand AND somewhat readily available ... Your thoughts ?



Breakfree CLP is a light oil with a solvent added in for cleaning, the "C" in CLP. Almost EVERY modern gun oil made today does not have a solvent component and just uses the lubricant as a cleaner. They typically don't clean as well as Breakfree CLP or dissolve carbon as well, but they do a good enough job on the "C".

The following guns oils that I own and am familiar with can be considered a LP style lube since they are more designed for lubing and not cleaning. The manufacturer may advertise them as CLP's, FYI. They all are readily available and easy to find.

1) Breakfree LP (not CLP)
2) Slip 2000 EWL
3) G96 synthetic CLP
4) FP-10 CLP
5) Weaponshield CLP
6) M Pro-7 LP
 
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