Action overhall

[henry1]

I have a new to me savage long action and it is really gummed up. I was wondering what you guys use to clean your actions, without scrubbing the hell out of it? Would carb or break cleaner work? Thanks!
Henry.

[gotcha]

Brake cleaner (aerosol) works well. But, be sure to relube parts immediately as it will strip ALL lube & rust quickly. Also remove action from stock as the brake cleaner could damage finish and/or plastic trigger guard. Remove bolt and soak in penetrating oil overnight prior to dis-assemble & cleaning. Used tooth brushes work well on bolt parts............ Break-free would be good lube for re-assembly of bolt. Brake cleaner won't harm blued or stnls finishes can't speak to other types of finishes, so be careful :)

[henry1]

Ok! Very helpful! Thanks so much! So break free is a type of penetrating oil...right? what about wd40? what else is considered penetrating?
H.

[earl39]

WD40....... If this action was lubed with wd40 and it dried without having the dust cleaned out of it most likely it will take a good bath in wd40 to clean it up. Now that being said when you get it cleaned up take that can of wd40 and put it in the shed somewhere away from all firearms and forget about it. You can spray it on a rag and wipe the outside metal with it to help remove water but don't put any in the working parts as it will attract dirt and dust and dry into a gunk. Any good lube oil including motor oil is better in the working parts of a firearm than wd40 is. Ok guys i am not reccomending motor oil just making a point. Any good gun oil and some gun grease will help the action stay in top shape and is also easy to clean.

[efm77]

Birchwood Casey makes a cleaner/degreaser called Gunscrubber that is safe for synthetics and wood so it won't eat up your stock. It's good for cleaning the action/degreasing the chamber. But as with brake cleaner, it will need to be re-applied with a thin film of oil to keep it from rusting after using the Gunscrubber.

[gotcha]

Henry, forgot to mention. DON'T tell your girl friend about using her toothbrush to clean the rifle. ;D earls' advise on WD-40 is appropriate. Don't ask me why I know ::) The "super tech" brake cleaner @ Wal-mart comes w/ a straw to get into tight places like F/P hole & lug recesses..... Have fun !!!!

[henry1]

Haha! Awesome guys! Thanks so much!!! ;D I think i will stay away from WD, and go the break cleaning route! This is great guys! Thanks again!
Henry.

[csam]

Hoppe's #9 some Q-tips and an old toothbrush, 4 beers.

[henry1]

nice, just broke the action loose, looks like it will be the q-tip/toothbrush with hoppies.... not as easygoing as brake cleaner, but more convenient since its all Ive got...lol broke ass college kid :D

[psharon97]

Hoppe's #9 some Q-tips and an old toothbrush, 4 beers.

huh...never though beer could be used to clean guns. ;D ;D :D

[GaCop]

Hoppe's #9 some Q-tips and an old toothbrush, 4 beers.

huh...never though beer could be used to clean guns. ;D ;D :D

It keeps the worker lubed.

[keeki]

how do you clean a gun without beer?

[earl39]

how do you clean a gun without beer?

Thats easy.......Mr Daniels and Coke. They can clean crud and kill worms and germs. Cut your finger on that sharp edge you been meaning to fix? Just add Jack and no more germs.

Please drink in moderation as i don't want the price to go up.

[michael word]

The best thing I have found to clean gunk out of my firearms is dawn dish soap and a tooth brush. strips every bit of oil and grease off without harming the finish. just make sure to dry and apply a light oil to prevent rust later.

[ellobo]

Get 2 bottles of hydrogen peroxide at the grocers, a buck a bottle. put it in a container large enought to hold the bolt and drop the bolt in. Let sit overnight. Then use the toothbrush to scrub. It will take a lot of the crud and congealed oil and grease out of the interior if you slosh it around. THEN take it apart and continue to scrub. An alternative is laquer thinner or rubbing alcohol. I dont like holding parts with laquer thinner on them without rubber gloves and they may dissintegrate too. But it will work on real subborn crud. Thinner is last resort. 4 aught steel wool will nicely clean the exterior and shine it up a bit. Lightly oil all parts before reassembly. Peroxide will nicley clean up a badly fouled bore if you plug the muzzle and fill the barrel and chamber and let it sit for a bit. It will foam up.

El Lobo

[mtang45]

Hoppe's #9 some Q-tips and an old toothbrush, 4 beers.

Yep works great! Drink the Hoppes and clean with the beer!!!

[csam]

Legal disclaimer!!!!! Beer while cleaning, not while shooting!

With that settled, yes, it is to keep the cleaner lubed!

[earl39]

I might ought to clear up the wd-40 cleaning part. When you have anything that has had wd-40 used as a lubricant and has gummed up the easiest way to remove the gummed up part is spray it down with wd-40 and let it sit for 2-3 minutes. The wd-40 will dissolve itself and you can then wipe it out or use a toothbrush on it and remove the gummy mess pretty easy. Then use something like brake cleaner to get the wd-40 out of the part and maybe also wash it in alcohol before applying oil or grease.