Haven't posted in a long while, so coming back to add something to this discussion.
Frog Lube / Frog Lube CLP is good, I've found as a simple method for part of the cleanup for curio and relic firearms. However, the dry paste in Frog Lube shouldn't be applied to most AR pattern rifles as has previously been mentioned (which are meant to be "run wet") - although, I've heard that if you have a Windham Weaponry AR, then it will operate flawlessly right out of the box, and if you have an Anderson no lube AR, then you should simply be able to run it dry (no lubricant, no solvent, except to clean it).
Absolutely, use Hoppes No. 9, which is the best possible stuff to use to clean out the various metals and corrosive agents whether in your bore or other parts of the gun. Hoppes has various kits and great products, I am a big fan of Hoppe's.
It's important to note that the primers in most ammunition are corrosive. This is especially true if you are using basically any ammunition for curio and relic firearms (SKSs, Mosin Nagants, or pistols like the CZ52, CZ83, TT33, etc.) Therefore, read on, dear reader, and understand the full ramifications of your cleaning regimen as it will help you with your guns in the long haul.
(This sort of discussion becomes religious fast so I will just tell you what I tend to do. Keep in mind others swear by other methods and materials but this works for me):
Assuming you are going out with a bolt action rifle, the following is a good procedure to ensure you have it properly cleaned:
Additional notes: The following additional notes are credited to B.F. Caffrey, who has written about the subject on Quora and elsewhere:
“Up through WW-II, most ammunition used corrosive primers. When fired, the chemical salts from the primer would remain in the barrel. Heat & pressure could work these into the steel where they were hard to remove. In the U.S. Army, up through the early 1950s, a thorough cleaning mandated the use of hot water poured down the barrel to dissolve and help remove the salts. You’d clean the gun this way and lightly oil the bore. Then repeat the hot water & oiling for the next two days as the salts could migrate to the surface to cause corrosion.
Hoppe’s #9 bore cleaner was invented expressly to combat corrosive salts and remove them chemically, while leaving some protection for the bore behind. As you might guess, it was solution #9 that succeeded in preventing bore corrosion by removing over 98% of the corrosive salts.
I have some Korean .30–06 ammo that is likely corrosive ammo in my supply. If I use it, my cleaning procedure for the ‘03A3 is to flush with hot water a few times before cleaning with Hoppe’s #9. The hot water will help “open the pores” of the steel to flush out the salts and following with Hoppe’s #9 will let me get the rest.
(A caveat from a chemist shooter: Wear gloves when cleaning corrosive ammo residue. It used fulminated mercury which can be toxic even in small doses and it can be absorbed through the skin.)”
Having taken all of these steps above (1-10), you will be able to protect yourself, your Mosin (or other gun), and your environment, while also cleaning up after having used ammo with corrosive primers.
Hope this all helps.
Frog Lube / Frog Lube CLP is good, I've found as a simple method for part of the cleanup for curio and relic firearms. However, the dry paste in Frog Lube shouldn't be applied to most AR pattern rifles as has previously been mentioned (which are meant to be "run wet") - although, I've heard that if you have a Windham Weaponry AR, then it will operate flawlessly right out of the box, and if you have an Anderson no lube AR, then you should simply be able to run it dry (no lubricant, no solvent, except to clean it).
Absolutely, use Hoppes No. 9, which is the best possible stuff to use to clean out the various metals and corrosive agents whether in your bore or other parts of the gun. Hoppes has various kits and great products, I am a big fan of Hoppe's.
It's important to note that the primers in most ammunition are corrosive. This is especially true if you are using basically any ammunition for curio and relic firearms (SKSs, Mosin Nagants, or pistols like the CZ52, CZ83, TT33, etc.) Therefore, read on, dear reader, and understand the full ramifications of your cleaning regimen as it will help you with your guns in the long haul.
(This sort of discussion becomes religious fast so I will just tell you what I tend to do. Keep in mind others swear by other methods and materials but this works for me):
Assuming you are going out with a bolt action rifle, the following is a good procedure to ensure you have it properly cleaned:
- Before you go out to the range or hunt, give it a once over as follows. Take the gun out (in this case the process is described as though you were going out with a Mosin Nagant), check it as usual for safety and confirm it is not loaded, open bolt. Slide bolt most of the way back, again check to ensure it is not loaded. Hold trigger down and pull bolt all the way back to remove bolt. Using a Hoppes kit, run a dry patch down the barrel once from receiver side. Remove rod and patch. Fully depressing trigger once more, place bolt back on, secure weapon in case, go to range or hunting location. (This step is intended to remove gun oil you had in the barrel following your prior cleaning so that you minimize or eliminate potential barrel deformation from firing with the gun barrel in that state.)
- In this instance we'll examine a typical range day and assume corrosive primer. When checking in at the range ask the range personnel (if you are at a managed range and not just BLM land) if it is o.k. to pour through barrel a little with your spray bottle to clean when you are done shooting. They will probably say yes. Good, proceed to your station…
- When you are about to be done shooting but before cease fire is scheduled to be called (check your time depending on the cycles when they call cease fire) fire last round and bring bolt back, check that it is unloaded and stable (use small beanbags or shooter's rifle rest), hold trigger and remove bolt, then, with barrel tilted down, use your Magic Spray to send the spray right down the barrel while you are at the shooting table (see below for Magic Spray ingredients).
- For me, Magic Spray is at most 10 to 12 percent Simple Green and the rest being warm water, a mixture I prepared in a industrial spray bottle (bottle you can get at Ace Hardware) before going to shoot. You turn the nozzle not to mist but to the solid spray, press it up to the beginning of the barrel where you see it begin from the inside of the receiver, and send a few good sprays right down the barrel while tilting your barrel down to the drainage and brass catching area just ahead of your shooting table (the fluid will run into the gutter out in front of the shooters' area). Have small towel handy so if there is any moisture at the receiver you can wipe it right up. (Wear gloves when cleaning corrosive ammo residue, to protect your skin from toxin absorption.) So instead of shooting you are now sending fluid out the barrel. Use towel to dry muzzle area.
- Using your Hoppes kit rod, run a dry patch through the barrel from receiver side being careful not to muss inside of barrel with your rod. Here you are removing residual moisture and dirtiness. As you enter it though with the plastic attachment screwed on that holds the dry patch, you would have to do something dumb to make a mistake here. If you timed this right you will still have time for step 6 below before cease fire is called, but if the range personnel call cease fire, stabilize the gun on the table, put the flag in and step behind the line, wait til cease fire is over to continue if they call cease fire. Follow all range personnel commands at all times.
- Next, immediately get a fresh patch and with the patch moistened now with Hoppes #9, run patch down barrel from receiver. This is, a.k.a. Hoppes Bench Rest 9. Do this again with another such patch.
- Now back to dry patch again. Run dry patches through until patch is clean. You will use a few patches to do this.
- Saturate a patch lightly with Hoppes 9 Bench Rest Lubricating Oil and run once down the barrel from the receiver side. You are done. Pack it up and go home.
- When home use your brushes and Hoppes 9 to clean bolt face. Brush metal parts. Clean and check thoroughly. Just before putting back in safe, put gun sock on it or a piece of masking tape over the muzzle. If you like you can use Froglube CLP which I use now and then.
- Take pride in your work.
Additional notes: The following additional notes are credited to B.F. Caffrey, who has written about the subject on Quora and elsewhere:
“Up through WW-II, most ammunition used corrosive primers. When fired, the chemical salts from the primer would remain in the barrel. Heat & pressure could work these into the steel where they were hard to remove. In the U.S. Army, up through the early 1950s, a thorough cleaning mandated the use of hot water poured down the barrel to dissolve and help remove the salts. You’d clean the gun this way and lightly oil the bore. Then repeat the hot water & oiling for the next two days as the salts could migrate to the surface to cause corrosion.
Hoppe’s #9 bore cleaner was invented expressly to combat corrosive salts and remove them chemically, while leaving some protection for the bore behind. As you might guess, it was solution #9 that succeeded in preventing bore corrosion by removing over 98% of the corrosive salts.
I have some Korean .30–06 ammo that is likely corrosive ammo in my supply. If I use it, my cleaning procedure for the ‘03A3 is to flush with hot water a few times before cleaning with Hoppe’s #9. The hot water will help “open the pores” of the steel to flush out the salts and following with Hoppe’s #9 will let me get the rest.
(A caveat from a chemist shooter: Wear gloves when cleaning corrosive ammo residue. It used fulminated mercury which can be toxic even in small doses and it can be absorbed through the skin.)”
Having taken all of these steps above (1-10), you will be able to protect yourself, your Mosin (or other gun), and your environment, while also cleaning up after having used ammo with corrosive primers.
Hope this all helps.
