Hoppes #9 removes bluing?

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Jofaba

New member
Well, I seem to have made a pretty bad mistake. The slide of my Walther P22 was looking a little greenish, so I figured I'd soak it in Hopps #9 overnight. Obviously (to some of you I'm sure) that was a mistake. This morning I pulled it out and wiped it down and now what used to be black is now nearly white.

Even after the fact, I can't find much through google warning that Hopps #9 can completely remove bluing. I know that I can reblue it. And luckily there is a gunsmith at work that I plan on taking it to, as I trust his hand at it better than my own.

Is this common knowledge? Is it easy to repair?

Damage done, my biggest question is, once I've gotten it restored, should I completely keep Hopps away from anything that's been blued?
 
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Bud Helms

Senior Member
I've never had any Hoppe's product attack gun blueing. I've not ever left it on a gun dripping and running, but I've got some on the outside of all my rifles and handguns because I don't even try to get them completely de-Hoppe'd. ;). But I do swab them with gun oil and wipe them down.

The first thing I thought of was some cold blueing, but I've never seen Hoppe's take that off either.
 
J

Jofaba

New member
picture0021k.jpg
 
J

Jofaba

New member
So, the whole slide was stripped of blueing?

Are you sure that slide was "blued", not painted?
Click to expand...

No, I'm not. Before this morning I never really thought about what made it black. I checked the specs on Walther's website and it says "Blue", capitalized, and alone. It didn't look at all like the bluing on my sks, so I'm just going by that part of the spec list.
 
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JWT

New member
Not exactly sure what the finish on the slide is but, looking at mine, quite certain it's not blued.
 
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Tom2

New member
Normal Hoppes should not have any affect on blued guns. I don't know about if they make a special blend that is for dissolving copper fouling or something. If regular Hoppes ate blueing off of guns, it would have been an extinct gun care product long before you were born. Must not have been real blueing on that thing. IS that slide steel or some alloy?
 
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Dingoboyx

New member
Maybe you are right Bud

It might be painted? Might be an idea for OP to email Walther and ask? Might be as simple as repainting it?

Bright red sounds nice :D

Muzza
 
J

Jofaba

New member
Thanks, I'll email/call Walther today to find out what I can do. Going to check the manual offered by S&W online right now to see what it says about cleaning.

Thanks for all the quick responses!
 
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Bud Helms

Senior Member
Hoppe's is making a copper fouling remover now, Hoppe's Elite. But I still don't think it will strip blueing. ;)

Tom2 is right on a couple of points ( ;) ), but the one that caught my attention is the suggestion the slide is an non-steel alloy ... got a magnet around?
 
J

Jofaba

New member
Tom2 is right on a couple of points ( ), but the one that caught my attention is the suggestion the slide is an non-steel alloy ... got a magnet around?
Click to expand...

Fridge magnet, does not stick.
 
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ZEBRARANGER

New member
Walthers uses the tenifer process on their slides, at least thats the process on my P99. After the Tenifer process, a black Parkerized finish is applied. Glock also uses this process.
 
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Dingoboyx

New member
Maybe a good hard acrylic matt or satin black spray (can) paint from an auto shop might be the way to go?

2 tone yes Bud, but I dont think black annd marble is a real good look :barf::D



Muzza
 
J

Jofaba

New member
Walthers uses the tenifer process on their slides, at least thats the process on my P99.
Click to expand...

So, perhaps a bad application? Will definitely be calling them today.

Again, thanks all. Off to work!
 
S

Slopemeno

New member
I think the slides on those are pot metal. IIRC didn't they have an issue with some breakage a couple of years ago on them?

Bottom line, you can't "blue" pot metal (you should see what happens when you put some in the tank!)- so it's almost certainly some other sort of finish.
 
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Tom2

New member
Pot metal? A Walther HI POINT!:p I would have hoped for at least an aluminum alloy, being Walther. A zinc alloy is like my Raven. Well you might have them if their owners manual does not give any warnings against solvents. It certainly is not parkerised if it is not steel. I think it would not be tenifer either, and neither are affected by solvents. Probably will be recoated with some sort of polymer like a CZ or such.
 
J

Jofaba

New member
While I don't see much about it online, it seems like something they're used to. Here's how the conversation pretty much went:

"Hi, my name is (whatever), how can I help you?"
"Yeah, I've got a problem with a Walther. I soaked the slide of my P22 in Hoppes #9 and it stripped all the black off.
"Yeah, it's good for the bore but probably not that great for the slide. What's your name?"
"(Spelled my name)
"And what's your address?"
"(Gave him my address)"
"Okay, we'll get a box out to you within a couple of days"
"What are you going to do?"
"Send you a UPS box with a return label to send your slide back"
"No, I mean with the slide"
"Probably repaint it."
"Oh, ok.... thanks!"

I should have asked if it's going to cost anything but I assume no, or they would have mentioned it. So thats good news. I'm satisfied.

For a few seconds (I had just woken up) I was like damn, I just ruined a $350 gun. Once I gave it some thought (if it can come off, it can go back on) I realized that there was a fix out there.

Thanks to all the responses. Answer to the thread? No, but it can dissolve a paint job just fine.
 
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