solvants and airguns

gordonfriesen · Post by **gordonfriesen** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 10:31 pm

Hi,

I bought an izh-53 and it comes with protective gunk on it. What kind of solvent can I use which will not damage an airgun?

hoppes #9 is my first choice, but I don't think I can use that. right?

I really know next to nothing about air guns.

thanks,

Gordon

Steve Swartz · Post by **Steve Swartz** » Sun Jan 18, 2009 8:47 pm

Nothing petroleum based.

Mineral oil based stuff seems to be what the manufacurers/gunsmiths recommend.

Steve

gordonfriesen · Post by **gordonfriesen** » Sun Jan 18, 2009 11:58 pm

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the reply, but my confusion is increasing.

Wikipedia has articles on "mineral oil" and "mineral spirits" both of which are apparently derived from petroleum.

here are the links:

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

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

Naturally I know I wil be able to find a branded product from Crossman or Gamo etc. but I am curious to know what the common hardware store or pharmacy equivalent would be.

Best Regards,

Gordon

Steve Swartz · Post by **Steve Swartz** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 11:00 am

Gordon:

That makes two of us!

(Although we can easily reckon mineral spirits (paint remover) is not really the same thing as mineral "oil!")

I used to use TSI 301 until it became so darned difficult to find (and they changed the formula?).

I now use the Gamo oil (which has no ingredients whatsover printed on the bottle . . . hmmm).

I have a bottle of "Lupus Professional Lauf-Reiniger" which is a synthetic I believe- a least it is advertised as "Saurfrei" and certainly costs a few euros per ounce.

As far as readily available synthetic oils I have not personally found any.

It shows up in a brow box on my doorstep after I order off the website!

Perhaps Scotty or Buck can weigh in here?

Steve

gordonfriesen · Post by **gordonfriesen** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 11:23 am

Crosman sells two products. One is a mystery oil for Co2 and compressed air. The other is a silicon oil for spring-air chambers. Crosman actaully warns against using their regular oil on spring-air. I bet the Gamo oil is the same as mystery oil number one.

I also got a hint from the beeman site in hawking their oil "avoid kits with low flash oils which can damage airguns and their seals". What then is a low flash (or high flash oil)?

The IZH I want to clean is a spring air, so I guess I should use silicon to lubricate the cylinder, but does it matter what you use elsewhere on the gun. And what kind of a solvent can I use that will not eat out the seal?

superstring · Post by **superstring** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 2:53 pm

When I bought my Steyr in 2001, the manual recommended a product called Ballistol. After pestering my local gun shop, they brought some in for me.

Apparently this stuff has been around since WW2 and besides being good for cleaning firearms and, according to the label, a million other things, "Ballistol is made of the purest ingredients, thus like a pharmaceutical. Useful for men and animals too. For the extraction of ticks, for the disinfection of the skin etc."

How can you go wrong?? :-)

gordonfriesen · Post by **gordonfriesen** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 3:01 pm

Super,

The tick thing is definitely a welcome two-for-one. heh, heh. Combine personal grooming with gun care.

Gordon

gordonfriesen · Post by **gordonfriesen** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 3:20 pm

Forget ticks ! Ballistol is in the running for Most Amazing Product Ever. Check the documentation here:

http://www.ballistol.ca/

Fred Mannis · Post by **Fred Mannis** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 4:38 pm

Gordon,
I have two Beeman products that I have used for cleaning:

Beeman Cleaner/Degreaser according to the label "won't cause swelling or softening of seals".

Beeman Metalophilic Compund No 5 (MP5). according to the label "harmless to steel, non ferrous metals, wood, seals and leather. Do not use in compression chamber of spring piston airguns." The MP5 oil is an excellent rust inhibiting oil and I would guess can be also used for cleaning up a grease coating.

Beeman UltraLube is an excellent lube formulated for lubricating spring piston airguns like the IZH53. I use it to lubricate my IZH 46 compression chamber and seals.

I have used Ballistol for cleaning the bore and action of cartridge pistols, rifles and shotguns. Good for treating wood and a myriad of other things.

I also use TSI301 or TSI321 to clean air pistols. An excellent product for cleaning and lubricating and does not harm o-rings.

Fred Mannis · Post by **Fred Mannis** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 4:51 pm

Steve Swartz wrote: I used to use TSI 301 until it became so darned difficult to find (and they changed the formula?).

I had also heard this rumor from Neal Johnson, but it is readily available (http://www.tsi301.com/main.htm) as well as at Pilkguns. I don't like sprays, so I bought an 8 oz can that I expect to be able to bequeath to my children and grandchildren :-). The TSI321 is great for cleaning pistol mags with plastic followers.

gordonfriesen · Post by **gordonfriesen** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 3:57 pm

Fred,

When you look at the description of beeman mp-5:

Penetrates to displace moisture. Lubricates and neutralizes sweat and salt and prevents rusty fingerprints from appearing on your favorite airgun. MP-5 penetrates into the smallest crevices and finally dries to a thin, non-gumming, lubricating film which last through almost indefinite storage. Harmless to steel, non-ferrous metals, woods, air gun seals and leather.
Do not use in compression or spring chambers. ...

This is almost identical to the claims made by ballistoil. I suspect a similar chemistry. Unfortunately, the beeman degreaser is discontinued.

Thanks for your input,

Gordon