Care of stainless steel

[MegaPlinker]

Hi everyone, New member here looking for some advice.
I just picked up a stainless steel ruger 10/22 carbine at the concord gun show and wanted to find out about cleaning it.

Can I use hoppie's #9, and oil just like my other guns?
Is it ok to use a bore brush on stainless?

Its a nice looking gun and I'd like to keep it that way.
Thanks guys.

 

[Cross-X]

Check your local gun store for an Ez-Brite Wonder Cloth by ADCO. It's a yellow felt cloth impregnated with a chemical compound especially designed for cleaning carbon and other by-products of combustion off of stainless steel guns.

It really does work wonders. It costs about seven bucks, and is worth every penny.

 

[MegaPlinker]

Thanks Cross, I'll look for one of those tomorrow.
In the meantime, will hoppies do any harm to SS?

 

[SiameseRat]

I use hoppe's on my stainless revolver with no ill effect. Though I scrubbed around the trigger with a copper brush and it turned it kinda pink But I don't think the trigger is stainless, so you'll be fine. The rest of my gun is okey dokey.

 

[Cross-X]

Hoppe's may not hurt, I'm not sure about that, but I do think there are considerably better cleaners for SS than that.

 

[matt]

I use hoppe's on my stainless revolver with no ill effect. Though I scrubbed around the trigger with a copper brush and it turned it kinda pink But I don't think the trigger is stainless, so you'll be fine. The rest of my gun is okey dokey.

Gun cleaners are made to remove copper, so the pink may be some copper compund from the brush. Have you tried the hoppes with a nylon of SS brush? It may remove the pink.

 

[Executive]

I use M7-Pro cleaner on all of my firearms. It has no ill effects on SS. I also use a product called Sheila Shine on the exterior surfaces of my SS. Sheila Shine is a commerical restaurant SS cleaner/polish/preservative that leaves a thin film that makes powder burn and grime wipe off easily.

Chris

 

[highlander]

I own several pistols made of SS and like them for their ease of cleaning. There are very few things that affect SS finishes but remember SS is rust resistent not rust proof. You might try flitz compound comes in a tube put it on rub it off

 

[matt]

I use M7-Pro cleaner on all of my firearms. It has no ill effects on SS. I also use a product called Sheila Shine on the exterior surfaces of my SS. Sheila Shine is a commerical restaurant SS cleaner/polish/preservative that leaves a thin film that makes powder burn and grime wipe off easily.

Chris

My wife likes this stuff as it doesn't stink up the kitchen when I'm cleaning up after a trip to the range!

 

[JonJ]

I love the smell of Hoppes but my wife....
I've always used it on my SS service pistols and never had a problem.

 

[cdkayak]

I've used Hoppes on my stainless firearms for years without any problems. No discoloration or pitting.

 

[MegaPlinker]

Thanks for all the info everyone. As soon as it stops raining I hope to go to the range and get it nice and dirty. Any promlem with using a bore brush on SS?

 

[Len-2A Training]

SS is tough stuff.

Don't worry that you'll ruin it by cleaning it.

Use brushes, solvents, etc. They all work on blued, SS, nickle plated without adverse effects.

 

[rscalzo]

I've used WD40 to clean the metal and Hoppes for the bore. That's what we have used since the mid 80 for our S&W's with no problems.

 

[highlander]

I've seen this elsewhere on this site but I see no harm in repeating it go to your local super market and get some "Chore Boy" brand SS scouring pads ( they look like coils of SS/copper)
cut a piece of it out and wrap it between the bristles of your bore brush will do a verry effective job of removing lead /copper fouling and it won't hurt the bore

 

[Moderator]

I've seen this elsewhere on this site but I see no harm in repeating it go to your local super market and get some "Chore Boy" brand SS scouring pads ( they look like coils of SS/copper)
cut a piece of it out and wrap it between the bristles of your bore brush will do a verry effective job of removing lead /copper fouling and it won't hurt the bore

I have heard this a few times before, I never tried it.

 

[highlander]

per my last reply I was told this by Veral Smith years ago to get serious leading out FYI Mr Smith runs/owns LBT super heavy weight bullet moulds for pistols and rifle

 

[Cross-X]

I've used WD40 to clean the metal and Hoppes for the bore. That's what we have used since the mid 80 for our S&W's with no problems.

WD-40? Any chance you are a gun-cleaner heretic? (smile)

 

[NEtracker]

The special cloths for the stainless are great!
Especially with revolvers. Just don't use'em on blued guns!

I used many different solvents on my 10/22 stainless, including MP7.
As stated by others, all fine.

 

[vellnueve]

WD-40? Any chance you are a gun-cleaner heretic? (smile)

I used to use WD40 all the time especially on older rifles. I just hate it because it gets everywhere.

 

[jhrosier]

Good old '60s vintage Army bore cleaner works well for normal cleaning, lubrication and daily protection on both blued and stainless guns.
Breakfree is highly thought of by many folks. I like it on the inards of my AR because it seems to keep things running smoothly and it also seems to keep the carbon and powder residue from sticking to the bolt too much.
WD40 is a fair penetrating oil, but it provides no real protection against corrosion. I'd not let it anywhere near my guns, unless they were already rusted up.

 

[sdavid]

I've just used a copper and lead cleaners on my stainless Ruger wheelgun to get the fouling out then washed them in the sink with hot soapy water with a hot, very hot rinse. When the metal is hot enough it dries pretty quickly then I would just put a light coat of oil and put it away.

The only time I have done this with the S&W is when I have taken them right down to the frame, there are just too many internal moving parts that aren't stainless to just submerge it first.