Is Carburetor/Brake Cleaner....

[WyattandDoc]

safe for Polymer frames?

I want to blast out a ton of crap (Ok Frog Lube) from my safety mechanism and firing pin on my HK USP. Short of a complete dis-assembly, what is the best product to use?

This is NOT a Frog Lube discussion, so please don't turn it into one.

[Mr. Gillious]

IDK about carburetor cleaner (because I don't work on carburetors) BUT I can tell you this. A rag drenched in brake cleaner was in contact with a plastic with one of my hand tools and it melted some of the plastic and the rag was stuck to the plastic.

For blasting out crud in polymer guns, I use the polymer safe stuff.

I'm assuming MAF sensor cleaner would be safe but I've never tried it

[CGT80]

I wasn't willing to try brake cleaner on my polymer pistol.

My favorite way to clean is to use Aqua Clean by shooter's choice, from bass pro or order it from amazon. It is water based so I spray the gun down, scrub it with brushes, and then use a garden hose sprayer with hot water (I have a utility sink setup for cleaning these types of things) to flush everything out. The aqua clean works much better than simple green and it doesn't harm any surfaces. A blow gun and air compressor are great to blow out anything that remains and to quickly dry the parts and inside of the gun. After that, I use gun oil in a can or clp spray to lube the parts again.

My brother tried the frog lube and found that after his guns sat for a few months that they were sticky when the action was operated. He used the above method to clean his.

In the past, I used a smith and wesson spray cleaner that was polymer safe. It had a gold cap that looked like a bullet. Brake cleaner has gotten more and more expensive so I only use it when absolutely necessary and only on metal parts that are not painted.

[laurelpark]

I second that ^^^^ I used to clean all my steel framed guns with brake cleaner, and it worked great. I did it to one of my poly guns one time, and it definitely discolored the polymer (made it a few shades lighter in spots). Definitely won't do that again.

['ol shooter]

I was a mechanic for over 30 years. Spray brake cleaner is pretty harsh, it doesn't go near any of my guns. I know brake cleaner can be gotten a little cheaper than dedicated gun cleaners, but my guns are worth the few extra pennies it costs for safer cleaners.

[beretta929mm]

for fat shortening/frog lube, rubbing alcohol will do just fine

[FeuerFrei]

^^ safest bet for poly frames etc..
Brake cleaner for chambers/barrels that are carboned up.
I usually relegate the BC for AR clones or any other gas rifles.

[Half Cocked]

I never had a problem using CRC electric contact cleaner on plastic. You can get it at auto parts and hardware stores.

[teg33]

I clean my glock with non chlorinerated brake cleaner, no problem. Dont use carburetor cleaner, it will melt polymers

[WyattandDoc]

Thanks Fellas!!!

[Saym14]

I would NOT.

use remington spray lube/cleaner and a air compressor with a nozzle. the air compressor works awesome

I HATE frog lube. why do people still use it all I hear is clogging problems?

[M1NM]

Use some cleaner made for plastic - even then test it in a small area with a Qtip. Don't use brake cleaner on a newer 10-22. Ruger has gotten cheap and paints them rather than anodize.

[nedro]

DO NOT use Brakleen or B-12 on polymer.
Simple green is your friend.

[f308gt4]

I clean my glock with non chlorinerated brake cleaner, no problem. Dont use carburetor cleaner, it will melt polymers

Same here, and also on my Beretta PX4, Ruger SR 22 and rifles with polymer stocks, etc.

As long as you use the non-chlorinated brake cleaner, you should be OK.

[bountyhunter]

safe for Polymer frames?

It depends on the polymer. The ones I have tried, non-chlor brake cleaner was OK. It certainly will discolor the plastic because it strips all the oils off but it resumes normal color if oil applied. Be advised:

There are MANY plastics that brake cleaner will dissolve so I can't guarantee it's safe on all.

It's supposed to be safe on Glocks but I read posts that said it "leeches" stuff out of the plastic that makes it brittle over time. YMMV

Personally, I don't use brake cleaner on polymers.