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Recommendations on an ultrasonic cleaner for handguns


Korupt Karl

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Anyone have experience and recommendation for an ultrasonic cleaner that will hold at least one handgun? Let me know what you have been using and what works the best.

 

Thanks in advance

 

KK

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Cleaner ... http://www.harborfreight.com/25-liter-ultrasonic-cleaner-95563.html

I use it only to clean my percussion revlovers - one at a time with grips removed. They are brushed steel and the solution works. But be cautioned, the cleaner will remove bluing

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What other solutations can be used?

 

I am considering using Awsom mixed with water from the Dollar Tree or laquer thinner. After wet tumbling I drop the seperated brass in a gallon of laquer thinner, then seperate it again and lay it out on a towel to air dry. Drys quick with no spots.

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I bought one not too long ago, but I don't think I've used it enough to offer much in the way of an opinion. I can tell you it was probably this one, a 6L model. You can put a 5.5 inch old model vaquero in there with the grip frame sticking up and out the top. You can probably stick 2 shorter revolvers in there in the same fashion, but for a 5.5" barrel, it has to go across the basket. The OMV is the only one I've done a full ultrasonic cleaning on because when It came out I had some trouble with the loading gate. Somehow the pin or the spring backed out during cleaning and it scared me enough that I don't wanna clean my match guns till I'm sure no long term harm was done to that one. For now I just use it to clean the cylinders on my match guns. I also can't offer any advice on the cleaning solution. The one I've tried so far (lyman Turbo Shots) seems to be terrible. Took an hour of cleaning to get the cylinders clean after a match. I bought another one (hornady I think), and if that don't work, I'm going to explore other options I've heard of. Like Formula 409 and Transmission Fluid.

 

 

http://www.amazon.com/Kendal-Commercial-ULTRASONIC-CLEANER-HB36/dp/B002QD624C

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I have one from harbor freight it sort holds my revolvers two of them at once but they are in it with the grip frame sticking up and if I need that area cleaned I have to invert them and rerun the timer. But for the cost difference ill rerun the timer to buy one large enough to lay the revolvers down in are three or more times what I spent on mine. I use hot water and dish soap to clean my guns. Plus the cleaner has a heater built in to heat the water also.

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Using one from uniquetek now. Will hold a couple revolvers or 1911's. Strip your 73 or 97 down and put parts in and lean barreled action in basket. Timer and heater, stainless steel construction.Use simple green, works great. Had Hornady and Lyman cleaner but simple green does bad things to the plastic.

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I've had good luck with the Harbor Freight model and Simple Green / water. I ran out of Simple Green before GOA and I bought some other cleaner / degreaser from the dollar store (don't remember off hand). I use it especially after shooting black powder. Dip the revolvers one at a time, dry them off and lube them up.

Couple of things that may help:

Keep your pistols reasonably clean. If ya shoot two seasons without cleaning a cylinder it aint gonna sparkle when you dry it off.

Heat the solution up before you dip the pistol in.

Open the gate, take the cylinder off and cock the hammer. I put the cylinder in the tank with the pistol during the cycles. My thinking is I open the revolver up as much as possible, it might not matter though.

Run two or three cycles with heat.

The heat is great because the tight spots you can't get to evaporate pretty quickly.

My Vaqueros are stainless. If you used a blued model I'd check on them periodically to make sure the bluing isn't thinning. I think simple green is safe, but I'm not a expert.

 

I'm going to the state match. If you want to try it out I'll bring it with me.

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Take the wood grips off.

 

Simple green and water.

 

Blow dry and then the oil bath.

 

Karl. Got one I'll lone to y'all. Give a yell and I'll bring it to Bristol.

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Thanks everyone. I think I'll pick up the one at harbor freight....sounds like it will do what I want. I do appreciate all the offers. I've heard from many to get one with a heater and to heat the water first and to mix Simple Green into the mix. I have an air compressor at the bench and will be able to blow the pistol and parts dry. I typically use Rem Oil for my lube.

 

Thanks again

 

KK

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Personally i would never use simple green on anything as it is very corrosive. Dish soap and hot water has done me well and lube protect with Amsoil mp except where a grease is needed then I use a mil spec grease.

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