For the life of me I can't find the definitive answer as to whether using the powder blast in subject is or is not possibly damaging to plastic? It works like a dream cleaning up the trigger area in my Glock, but really don't want to risk damage or even discoloration. Claims to be non toxic and user friendly...opinions?
Breakfree Powder Blast
- Thread starter ViperJon
- Start date
The best idea with all strong solvents is to test them first on a non-visible portion of the plastic. Place a good sized drop on a location of the frame that you wouldn't mind if it got a little deformed - somewhere inside preferably. Leave it for while and see if the plastic has softened or gotten sticky at all. The plastic used on Glocks is extremely tough. I'll bet it doesn't affect it.
If the product says it is for cleaning guns, and there are no warnings about polymer guns, which are quite common these days, it better be safe to use on your Glock. I would think that if it did affect it, you would have a pretty good case against the manufacturer. If you can win a case in court because you spill coffee on yourself and get burned, you danged sure can win a case if their gun cleaner dissolves your gun! And I don't recall any warnings in the instructions I had when I had Glocks, about the gun being sensetive to gun cleaners. I am sure that you could whip up some kind of chemicals that would attack it, maybe sulfuric acid or something, but they don't put that in gun cleaners. This is assuming you read the fine print on the stuff you bought.
Billy Sparks
New member
I have used it on my Glocks without any problems. The plastic they make grips out of (which is what most of the stray cleaners attack with a vengence) is different for the frames of Glocks or most of the polyemer frames.
chris in va
New member
It did a fine job cleaning my CZ 75BD, but 
melted the grips. It was my fault, said right on the can not to spray on plastic parts.
melted the grips. It was my fault, said right on the can not to spray on plastic parts.robhof
My brother works for a defense contractor and they had an arms instructor demonstrate why the special forces don't like plastic guns; he placed a Glock in a bucket of gasoline as well as a 1911 with wood grips. He demonstrated some new weapons and showed a short film. He pulled the 1911 out of the bucket, hosed it off, loaded and fired it. He reached in and started removing parts from the Glock goo.
My brother works for a defense contractor and they had an arms instructor demonstrate why the special forces don't like plastic guns; he placed a Glock in a bucket of gasoline as well as a 1911 with wood grips. He demonstrated some new weapons and showed a short film. He pulled the 1911 out of the bucket, hosed it off, loaded and fired it. He reached in and started removing parts from the Glock goo.
Your implied statement is right on. No one in their right mind is going to clean their pistol, or any firearm with gasoline (unless it's an absolute must, last ditch, life saving requirement on the battlefield).
I'll bet I could find a different "solvent" to soak both of those pistols in where the Glock comes out working and the 1911 fails.
I'll bet I could find a different "solvent" to soak both of those pistols in where the Glock comes out working and the 1911 fails.
rantingredneck
New member
Chris is right on. Says on the can that it may cause damage to some plastics. I've never had it happen to me, but I've not gotten any on any synthetic parts of any of my guns (pistol, shotgun or rifle). That being said, a lot of folks on this board and THR have chimed in that it hasn't harmed this or that model firearm. I think the going wisdom on Powderblast is simply it may or may not harm the plastic, depending on what the plastic is. Either test it on an inconspicuous area like Mal said or be careful to only use it on metal parts.
I probably should have been more specific, since we are actually talking about polymer, not "plastic".
I'm always looking for the easy way out when it comes to gun cleaning..I have used it twice to no ill effect so far. I'll be very ticked off it turns to a gooey mess in the bedside table...
I'm always looking for the easy way out when it comes to gun cleaning..I have used it twice to no ill effect so far. I'll be very ticked off it turns to a gooey mess in the bedside table...
I'll bet I could find a different "solvent" to soak both of those pistols in where th
No doubt true. But on the current battlefield I would guess the likelihood of millions of gallons of petroleum by products, equipment fuels, etc., is somewhat higher than the likelihood of as yet unidentified chemicals that will rot steel away. I'm not suggesting cleaning weapons with it but any accidental spill into the working of a polymer pistol certainly won't do it any good.
No doubt true. But on the current battlefield I would guess the likelihood of millions of gallons of petroleum by products, equipment fuels, etc., is somewhat higher than the likelihood of as yet unidentified chemicals that will rot steel away. I'm not suggesting cleaning weapons with it but any accidental spill into the working of a polymer pistol certainly won't do it any good.
I use B.F. Powder Blast and Birchwood Casey Gun Scrubber occasionally and both seem to do a good job of blasting out the trigger housing area in all my auto pistols. It doen't seem to have any affect on the polymer pistols but it did temporarily turn the edges of the plastic grips on my CZ 75B satin nickle pistol, white (oxidized ?). The white rubbed off immediately with a little oil though. I now take care to not let it get on the plastic grips. Other than that, I like the stuff.