Foaming Bore Cleaners. Are they all the same?

[sierra77mk]

I have come to like the ease of cleaning rifles with the foaming cleaners.

Wipe-out was the first . Now every company has a version of a foam cleaner.

I see they range in price from about 90 cents per ounce to $3.60 per oz.

Gunslick seems cheapest with Break Free on the caviar end of things.

What am getting for 4X my dollars?

[Graham Smith]

What kind of rifle? What kind of brush/rod/etc? Cleaning the bore or the chamber or what?

I know an armor who swears by this stuff . It's quite good for removing carbon deposits on AR's

Edited March 13, 2012 by Graham Smith

[MarkCO]

I've been using Gunslick for about 2 years now. Absolutely love the stuff!

[gunguru]

I'm pretty old style... Hoppes #9 with brushes.

But I'm interested to learn about Foaming cleaner.

[MarkCO]

I'm pretty old style... Hoppes #9 with brushes.

But I'm interested to learn about Foaming cleaner.

From chamber, fill bore with Gunslick foam, let sit for 30 minutes. Pour some hot water down bore to rinse, one dry patch on a jag, done.

On my ARs, I do this about every 1K rounds. While the bore is sitting, I disassemble the BCG and drop it in the ultrasonic for 20 minutes. Total actual work time is maybe 5 minutes.

Edited March 13, 2012 by MarkCO

[Garyg19]

I'm pretty old style... Hoppes #9 with brushes.

But I'm interested to learn about Foaming cleaner.

From chamber, fill bore with Gunslick foam, let sit for 30 minutes. Pour some hot water down bore to rinse, one dry patch on a jag, done.

On my ARs, I do this about every 1K rounds. While the bore is sitting, I disassemble the BCG and drop it in the ultrasonic for 20 minutes. Total actual work time is maybe 5 minutes.

Any disadvantage to just foam everything metal, rinse and lube? Specifically I'm thinking about pistol cleaning. Would it melt my tupperware?

[Classic_jon]

I only use the foam when the barrel "needs it" but as MarkCO said, the gunslick one works well and I have also tried the CLP version and both work very similarly to get rid of deposits. The gunslick one seems to work with one application whereas the CLP one took two.

Also, I would not trade anything for my ultrasonic cleaner!! Work *smarter* and not harder!

I drop any small parts in there and walk off and clean other parts while it is running. I cant tell you how much faster and easier it is to clean AR bolts and small pieces and parts that way! Probably cut my cleaning time in half by using an ultrasonic.

[MarkCO]

Any disadvantage to just foam everything metal, rinse and lube? Specifically I'm thinking about pistol cleaning. Would it melt my tupperware?

Some do say to not use on aluminum, some don't. I soaked an old trashed AR upper about 30 times and I can't see any pitting, oxidation or anything else bad on the SEM, so I am not sure why the warning. As for polymer, don't know yet.

[usmc0326]

My old school combo is Hoppes #9 with nylon brushes, and sweets 7.62. Newer kinder gentler cleaning is M pro 7 gel on a nylon brush. Don't forget your coated rods and bore guides!

[larry weeks]

try wetting the bore with Sweets, let it sit for a couple of minutes then run a patch wet with Hydrogen Peroxide through. Voila, foaming bore cleaner. Works pretty darn well.

[Tizzle]

Has anyone had trouble with the foam causing a build up in the gas tube or gas port?

[Griz]

55,000 psi tends to clear out any foam that makes it into the gas tube

[Tizzle]

55,000 psi tends to clear out any foam that makes it into the gas tube

Foam probably, but not so sure the carbon soup that the foam creates wouldn't form a blockage and dry into a plug. I ask because the directions on the can say not to use on gas operated firearms.

[Bassman]

Gunslick works great!