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stained my 1911

hvtopiwala

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Mar 16, 2011
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Tampa, FL
just purhcased a use springfield 1911A1 and it looked like it hadnt been cleaned in years. barrel was pitch black. so i whipped out my hoppes cleaner, and my bronze brush and went to work. i ended up with a bronze barrel :( is there anyway to make it silver again and get rid of the bronze stains?
 

j4l

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the outside of the barrel, or the bore?
if the outside-try whiping down with a solvent or somethnig. If that dont work-wierd as it might sound, try toothpaste,then wash it off.
 

hvtopiwala

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yeah the outside of the barrel. i tried solvent, didnt do anything lol. ill try the toothpaste method a lil later...it stained a few other parts of the gun too, like the inside of the slide where the silver colored parts are. all turned up bronze color :/ guess its time for a new brush!
 

j4l

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Ya.might b a good idea lol.
Not that you'll have all the materials at hand that this guy does- but perhaps some tips on this, and on re-finishing the pistol at some point :

http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/edu47.htm

Re-finishing for a 1911:

pt1
http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/edu38.htm

pt2
http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/edu39.htm

or parkerizing, should you choose to later. -the carb cleaner tip in this one may help with the stains, also.
http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/edu52.htm
http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/edu52.htm
 

hvtopiwala

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Tampa, FL
the cleaner im actually using is Hoppes Elite Gun Cleaner not the no.9 solvent...but it should do the same job right? would this be the same as using the WD40? im thinking of soaking my barrel with the elite gun cleaner and letting it sit for a while and then wiping it down, and then cleaning with toothpaste...should it remove the "bronze" stains?
 

marshaul

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the cleaner im actually using is Hoppes Elite Gun Cleaner not the no.9 solvent...but it should do the same job right? would this be the same as using the WD40? im thinking of soaking my barrel with the elite gun cleaner and letting it sit for a while and then wiping it down, and then cleaning with toothpaste...should it remove the "bronze" stains?

Try odorless mineral spirits.
 

marshaul

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like paint thinner?

Sort of. Like that, but better. It's a petroleum distillate rather than a tree resin distillate. It's less toxic and has lower volatility. Much more useful than turpentine for detail work, like guns.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineral_spirits

I've seen this brand at Home Despot:

http://www.amazon.com/Klean-Strip-Mineral-Spirits-Quart/dp/B003DL9126

Edit: It you want something more abrasive than a toothbrush, but still safe, I would recommend brass or bronze wool.
 
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j4l

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attached is what my barrel looks like

View attachment 5567

Ouch, yeah, that is odd..and this is after scrubbing, etc?

Marshaul, would that stuff be good just for general cleaning for matte-stainless? Dont have any issues as yet, but this thread got me thinking of ways to just keep my matte clean and nice..
 

marshaul

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Marshaul, would that stuff be good just for general cleaning for matte-stainless? Dont have any issues as yet, but this thread got me thinking of ways to just keep my matte clean and nice..

Sure, I use isopropanol or odorless mineral spirits when I want a complete clean/degrease. They are both great for guns.
 
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marshaul

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As for my suggestion of brass or bronze wool:

My guess is that long-term oxidization of the brush bristles combined with the solvent you used is what caused this deposit. Brand new brass or bronze wool with odorless mineral spirits doesn't leave any residue in my experience, so it shouldn't make things worse.
 
Last edited:

hvtopiwala

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yeah ive had this brush for like 6 months and use it on all my firearms :/

so u think a new brush and the solvent will remove the old bronze deposit?
 

j4l

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Doubt it could hurt to try. Let us know how it turns out.
 

marshaul

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Last edited:

Dreamer

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Sep 23, 2009
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Grennsboro NC
Easy-Off oven cleaner. That stuff will strip the anodizing off Calphalon cooking pots, so it shouldn't have any problem getting some discoloration off your stainless barrel. It will strip ANY finish off metals...
 
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