Wipe-out+Mosquito=:eek:

[War]

I've been trying a lot of different cleaning products, just trying to find something that works well for me. I had ordered an Hoppes Elite kit, Ballistol and Wipe-out. I had tested some of the products on some copper I had to see what worked, as my barrels had some fouling that BreakFree CLP and Hoppes #9 didn't seem to touch. The Hoppes Elite copper terminator and Wipe-out seemed to have some effect on the copper, while Ballistol did not. After a range session, I used the Hoppes Elite on my SR9 and P226 barrels. I didn't much care for the results, so I grabbed an empty plastic 22lr container and put the barrels in it, covering them with Ballistol. 48hrs later, some light brushing with a brass brush and the SR9 barrel looks spotless! The P226 looks pretty good, but not perfect. I run some Wipe-out through them, wait 1hr and the patch comes out clean on both, I figure this means Wipe-out isn't going to get them any cleaner. Now I feel like I'm on the right track, but since I used a combination of products, I'm not sure what worked so well. I didn't really try the Wipe-out yet, so I figure I'll use nothing but that on the Mosquito.


I don't remove the barrel when I clean the Mosquito, so I just use another 22lr container, turn the frame upside down and it sits in there pretty well like this.


About an hour later, I sprayed it again to flush out anything it had broken loose, and once more a few hours after that. A little more than a day later, I check it out. The Wipe-out seemed to form a gel in the bottom of the container, so I grab a patch to wipe it off the outside of the barrel before I begin. It seemed as though I was trying to wipe paste off, and then I realized it was the finish! This is what my barrel now looks like




I'm not sure how I can fix this, any suggestions? I thought about just polishing it up, but the metal is very rough.

[39flathead]

Unfortunately this result is all too common when guys attempt to clean their firearms to make them look like they were when new.

I have seen destroyed stocks and plenty of what you have there, a destroyed finish of some sort due to obsessive/aggressive cleaning.
Most cleaning products will have an affect on a guns finish if left to sit.
I have a Marlin .22 that I picked up very cheap because the previous owner used Gunscrubber on it and the black plastic stock was bleached out to a mottled grey and white.

If I had a piece that looked like that barrel, I would polish the hell out of it on the buffing wheel and just keep it oiled.
If the metal is "rough" as in pitted, reblueing will not do anything except give you a new looking barrel with pits on it.

Either polish it or contact SIG for a new barrel.

For future reference, I use Butch's Bore Shine to remove copper fouling after shooting but I do not let it soak or anything, I am able to accept some fouling.
Another product I just started using is Thompson T-17 bore foam. I have cleaned some very neglected firearm bores with this stuff and it works very well, I have let this soak overnight inside the bore. I bought a Chinese T53 from a member here and the bore looked like it was heavily pitted, after soaking it overnight with the foam, the pitting was actually built up crud in the bore and after one more overnight soak, the bore actually has a shine to it again probably for the first time in over 25 years.

[KevininPa]

........Ballistol. Looks like it worked well for you too. As long as you give it time to work, it'll do the job. It never damaged anything on my firearms. You can even put a thin coat on the firearm and leave it until it dries and a good coating will be left on the gun to resist rust for storage in a safe or gun locker. I used to use Hoppes for this but the humidity still got to them. And the Hoppes used to leave the greasy, oily that needed to be wiped off prior to use. The Ballistol dries, pick it right up. Great stuff. The only complaint I have is that I never found it local, always have to get it online.