Wow Hoppes really doesn't work well!!!

[Chris B.]

I used to use Hoppes solvents to clean my guns and it seemed to work well. I always keep my guns very clean and never let a build up start so Hoppes did a good job on my guns. I recently was given a Winchester model 1912 20 guage shotgun made in 1915 that was my great Grand Fathers. It had been in storage for decades!!! It is worn but in good condition overall. The Poly choke on the end of the barrol had some hard carbon build up on it. I was not coming off the way I usually clean my guns and I did not want to scrape it off in fear of scratching the blue. So I took my last bottol of Hoppes and put the tip of the barrol in the jar of Hoppes and let it soak over night. When I checked it the next day it did nothing to soften the build up! So I left in there for a week and still nothing!!!!
Hoppes really has no real cleaning power when it comes to negleted guns that have a build up on them! I was really surprised to see this and it sould have at least soften it a bit. I will try some Outers solvents or Shooters choice next time around.
Hoppes will work ok if you keep you guns cleane but not if they have any kind of build up! Just thought I'd pass on this observation!

 

[JohnBrowning]

Butch's Bore Shine mixed 50/50 with Kroil will probably do it as well. I think that this combination represents the safest cleaner for the finish on that old rifle. Shooters choice is good stuff but I would not use it on a the outside of a collector grade firearm for fear that the finish might be stained. I have never seen it happen but old steels can react wildly with chemicals!

 

[Mystic]

Chris B., try MPro7! It works remarkably well.

 

[lloydbob1]

The Hoppes smell real good, though. Whenever I catch a wiff of it, I remember my early teens when I played with guns a lot.
After I started playing with girls, I didn't play with guns that much, but, they don't put anything in a bottle that will take you back to your early days with girls.
Lloyd

 

[metroplex]

Brasso will take hard solid deposits right off the gas piston on my RPK w/ some grunt work tho.

 

[rgl]

I use Brasso right down the bore on neglected (read army surplus) rifles. Although regular steel is NOT one of the metals indicated on the label, steel is harder than the lot. Plus the label says it is safe for plastic watch crystals !!! Plus I have read that the USMC use it on their rifle team rifles. The lack of wear caused by using Brasso is pretty amazing, you can rub pretty much forever on a dull machined steel surface and it will not change the look of the surface. However, it will remove rust and staining pretty effectively. Probably blue as well.

 

[paulo57509]

I don't know if this is just rumor, but there was a discussion at a gun show between attendees that the Hoppe's formula changed a few years ago. The new formula isn't as effective compared with the old formulation.

 

[Pablo]

Short of some abrasive, or sodium hydroxide solution - I'm thinking you may want to try:

a) acetone - I know it sounds weird but sometimes acetone does good on hard carbon deposits. Apply all the usual cautions.

b) PB-Blaster or Kroil will help lift it...

 

[metroplex]

I used Brasso to polish up the gas piston in my RPK and then some NuFinish (silicone oil was designed to handle 450F+). I can see my reflection in the piston cup!

Ammonia works to get rid of copper fouling (I can see it turning blue in my gas chamber so there's obviously some copper in that grunge).

[ August 16, 2004, 07:58 AM: Message edited by: metroplex ]

 

[passgas55]

Try the homemade bore cleaner Ed's Red. I made some up and was surprized how good it worked. Equal parts acetone, mineral spirits, kerosene and autotrans fluid.I only mix enough for a 4 oz bottle at a time. Keep it tightly covered.This is my gun cleaner for now on.Forcopper removal I stilluse the amnoi stuff.

 

[Shannow]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Pablo:
Short of some abrasive, or sodium hydroxide solution - I'm thinking you may want to try:

a) acetone - I know it sounds weird but sometimes acetone does good on hard carbon deposits. Apply all the usual cautions.

b) PB-Blaster or Kroil will help lift it...

---

Pablo,
I use Ed's Red as my powder solvent...make a gallon, and share it with the guys at the rifle club.

1 part Acetone
1 part Gum Turpentine
1 part Odourles Kerosene
1 part Dexron
0.5 part lanolin if you want to use it as a bore protector also (but given the powers of AutoRX, maybe some softening too maybe ?)

 

[rgl]

quote:

---

I don't know if this is just rumor, but there was a discussion at a gun show between attendees that the Hoppe's formula changed a few years ago. The new formula isn't as effective compared with the old formulation.

---

I just bought another quart sized Hoppes bottle and noticed that it IS different from the Hoppes I had in the old quart bottle. It seems a lot less oily, it is much, much better at dissolving dry cosmoline and grease, and is less orange in color. I am not sure if it is better or worse at copper and fouling than the old stuff. I don't know how old the previous bottle was, I bought it about 2 years ago (yes, I use a lot of it even though it is not my only cleaner) but it could have been sitting on the store shelf much longer.

 

[kwg020]

I think we all have our own way of cleaning and lubing our guns. I have several stainless firearms and I use cheap walmart spray carburator cleaner at 88 cents a can to get the really heavy stuff off and a mix of wd-40 and paint thinner or some cheap bottled walmart carburater cleaner mixed with paint thinner. I use an ammonia based copper cleaner down the barrels. I bought it cheap at walmart also.

I find that Hoppes does not get much of the heavy stuff off and it costs more. The only thing I do use is Break Free or any other teflon added oil to lube them with. I believe you can wipe most of it off and the teflon that sticks in the metal will still lube the gun. I use the wd-40/paint thinner on the blued guns. I have used the carburator cleaner on the blued guns but I would rather not take the chance of stripping off the blue with the carburator cleaner.

Brownell's did some tests with different oils and wd-40 did very well. I have confidence in it's ability to lube and protect. I've had some guns in the locker, some for literaly years sprayed with wd-40 and no signs of rust yet. kwg

 

[LVHospiceRN]

quote:

---

Originally posted by kwg020:Brownell's did some tests with different oils and wd-40 did very well. I have confidence in it's ability to lube and protect. I've had some guns in the locker, some for literaly years sprayed with wd-40 and no signs of rust yet. kwg [/QB]

---

Post that yuo use WD-40 on your firearms in some firearm forums and you get flamed to death! I too use WD-40 since the early 70's. Are there better lubes/cleaners out there? Probably, but i think its much the same situation we get into discussing motor oils. We get caught up so much in this brand has 3.2433% more zinc that brand b so anyone using brand b is an idiot. In all actually its probably more important to have regular oil changes than anything else.

WD-40 may not be the "best" but i dont feel i am at a disadvantage when i use it. I haven't had finish damage or gun rust since i started using it.

 

[kwg020]

Go to Brownell's web site and then click on "Gun Tech" tab and then onto "How To Articles" there is a gun oil test and they test several oils and their spray cleaner. WD-40 may not be the best but it works and price is right. It means you have to dig out your guns every once in a while and pay a little attention to them.

 

[Shannow]

I've no problems with WD40 and CRC etc.

But it's a funny sight at our club, when a member starts to have misfires on their .22.

They get a few misfires.

They take the bolt out and douse it in WD40.

The firing pin is now freed up, and it works perfectly. The audience is suitably impressed.

5 or 6 weeks later, they do it all over again.

It was Hoppes gun oil that put me onto this, when I started to equate misfires with the linoleum looking gum under the cap of the oil bottle.

I still like #9.

 

[416Rigby]

Hoppes Benchrest Solvent is much better then the old Hoppes #9, especially on metal fouling.

 

[smthrj53]

I assume you mean Hoppe's #9? It seems they are now making a big marketing push to shift over to their new Hoppes Elite.

The advertising for the new Elite series makes it sound like they are now using synthetics, but I haven't been able to find any info yet that isn't obviously marketing words.

 

[416Rigby]

Benchrest #9 is their copper solvent, excellent for removing metal fouling. The Elite is excellent for removing powder fouling and cleaning crud out of the action. It's basically a high-powered soap. I haven't tried the Elite oil yet, so I don't know what's in it.

 

[Steve S]

The old #9 smells good .