Does anyone know whether gun cleaner will be harmful to polymer in any way, over a period of time? I usually clean my guns by spraying them good with gun cleaner, wiping and letting them dry, then spraying them well with a thin oil like Rem-Oil or Rusty Duck, and, finally putting a few drops of Gun Butter on the slide,then wiping them down....
Gun Cleaner and Polymer
- Thread starter akr
- Start date
Voyager AL
New member
I clean all my polymer guns,and all others , with Brake Clean. It hasnt hurt them yet. it DID damage the battery cap on a BSA red dot scope,though...
I've used spray can "Gun Scrubber" (and "Bore scrubber") from Birchwood Casey sprayed on all five of my Glocks the past 12 years and haven't seen any bad results from that use - there is a "caution" note that it "May harm some plastics, wood finishes, and painted surfaces" but I suspect that's just an ultra conservative note slipped in by the litigation-shy legal department. My Glocks seem to be as good as new.
Last edited:
Silentarmy
New member
I have fired tens of thousands of rounds through 11 Glocks (7 of which I still own) and two H&K pistols and not once have I ever felt I needed to Hose them down with anything! Wipe them down with a soft cloth and a Little Isopropyl and you are good to go! I have taken the Glock Armorers course and I completely strip and clean them thoroughly when I fel the need but what would you be doing with you Polymer frame handgun that would require a solvent bath or spraying with Harsh Chemicals? You are supposed to use the EMPTY hand to pack wheel bearings with grease and I think the "put the Glock in a steaming Pile of cow manure and then fire 1000 rnds" test has already ben done and an article written on it! Damage done to plastics by solvents is usually at a molecular level and may not be immediately visible! When in doubt, open that little manual that came with your pistol and have your wife read you the Directions!!
Damage done to plastics by solvents is usually at a molecular level and may not be immediately visible! When in doubt, open that little manual that came with your pistol and have your wife read you the Directions!!railroader
New member
Do not use gun scrubber or brake cleaner on ruger polymer autos. The cleaner makes the plastic discolor, kind of a powdery white color. I sprayed my p97 and had to armour all it trying to get the color back. It's still not perfect but better. I use brake cleaner on everthing else though. Mark
Gun Scrubber is making a spray that's advertised as safe for plastics and wood. It's a darker colored can, but works the same as the original. I've been using it for the past year or so, no problems. I didn't have any with the original Gun Scrubber either, but better safe than sorry.
They make Polymer safe gun scrubber (spray) that is available in most gun or sporting goods stores.
"Polymer Safe Degreaser" by Shooter's Choice.
Per label: Safe to use on polymers, plastics, and metals.
Will not harm delicate optics, sights, paint, or camouflage finish.
"Polymer Safe Degreaser" by Shooter's Choice.
Per label: Safe to use on polymers, plastics, and metals.
Will not harm delicate optics, sights, paint, or camouflage finish.
Last edited:
I have a shotgun that I used the spray gunscrubber stuff on and it badly discolored the polymer stock and foregrip! It bleached it out wherever the spray ran onto the plastic. Per the advice of a member on this forum I put wd-40 on the discolored areas and that seems to have restored the polymer to its original state. A good remedy to know.
I used this on my new Ruger 1022 USST and it removed a layer of paint and made it sticky. I had to reapply it and wipe it off fast to remove the sticky stuff. It did damage the finish just a little. Gun shoots fine and still looks good though. Guess I should have read the can first!!!!
Bill DeShivs
New member
Spray cleaners don't "bleach" the plastic. They remove the surface oils. Replacing these oils (ie-WD 40) restores the colors.