# CLP Cleaners



## ctrcs (Dec 23, 2011)

I have heard a lot of recommendations to use Breakfree CLP, Ballistol and Gunzilla. I currently use Hoppe's 9 & Hoppe's Elite. What are your opinions.


----------



## chessail77 (Mar 15, 2011)

Hoppe's 9 is excellent followed by a good lubricant regimen....JJ


----------



## rgrundy (Jul 16, 2011)

I carry Breakfree CLP in the field in my Otis Kit and it has worked okay for years for that purpose because it cleans and lubricates and comes in "A cute little bottle" from what my wife says (won't remove copper though). I'd carry Silikroil if I could but it's hard to keep that stuff in the bottle it penetrates so well. I have the Hoppes Elite and it works well especially to remove copper and then wipe it dry and lubricate the working parts with TW-25b.


----------



## Greybeard (Mar 17, 2013)

I've been using Gunzilla for a couple of years now. I spray it into the bore and let it soak while I scrub down the slide and the rest of the gun. Then I run a clean bore snake through the bore sever times, wipe down everything else and put a drop of Hoppes Elite gun oil on the high friction points. I do this after every trip to the range. I have noticed that my guns don't seem to get as dirty with Gunzilla as they did with other products. Dirt just doesn't seem to stick to Gunzilla. If for some reason I were to let my guns get real dirty, I would first soak the bore with Hoppe's #9 and use a traditional rod, brush, and swabs as I think Hoppe's #9 is the best bore cleaner to use with a really dirty gun. I think Gunzilla is great if you clean often like I do. (jmho)


----------



## TheReaper (Nov 14, 2008)

Breakfree is my drug of choice, I've been using it since the 80's.


----------



## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

I use Ballistol, and it works quite well.
It cleans, it removes fouling, it lubricates, and it's also a disinfectant.

But there are better long-term-storage, anti-rust preparations available.


----------



## Craigh (Jul 29, 2016)

ctrcs said:


> I have heard a lot of recommendations to use Breakfree CLP, Ballistol and Gunzilla. I currently use Hoppe's 9 & Hoppe's Elite. What are your opinions.


I would stay with what you're using now. I come from the camp who do not believe in the "all in one" products. I want my nitro solvent in a separate bottle from my lubricant. I'll clean and maybe soak parts with solvent then when completely clean and dry, add a thin film of oil or grease. All in one products like Ballistol, WD-40, CLP and others have a low percentage of lubricant and it's diluted by soap and other products. That lube is often not gun oil but instead a vegetable oil. If the bottle says something like, "also good for leather and wood" it just isn't going to be as effective on metal as it should be in my opinion.

Though "all in ones" might be slightly easier to use, my firearms are too valuable for me to take that easier way out. I don't think it's usually because someone is lazy, but more that we look for gimmicks that claim to be more advanced. We fall for the advertising. I don't claim my way is the best for everyone. Each must decide and your mileage may vary. My choice is Hoppes or G99 nitro solvent, then Rig or white lithium grease and synthetic auto oil for oil.


----------



## Blackhawkman (Apr 9, 2014)

I use Hoppe's solvent for stubborn "gunk" & Ballistol for everything else. I stay away from :smt1099any Lube with teflon in it. Ballistol doesn't separate or break down. I use it on my 08-15 Maxim and a friends 1919 A4. jmho


----------



## Craigh (Jul 29, 2016)

I believe Ballistol was originally designed for the German cavalry back in 1904 and was meant as an all in one for the cavalry, to clean harnesses, saddles, wood stocks as well as firearms. The ingredients are medicinal grade mineral oil, alkaline salts of oleic acid (sunflower oil), several alcohols, Benzyl Acetate which is used to add the odor of jasmine in some perfumes. Benzyl Actate was sometimes used as a penetrator or solvent in the making of plastic. The mineral oil is unchlorinated. They claim it means oil, but look it up oleic acid. In short, a soap, Crisco oil, and alcohol. Like WD-40 and others, it penetrates fairly well if you need to break a rusty bolt free, but on your firearm? At least WD-40 is 25% lubricant.

The German Army dropped Ballistol after World War II in favor of a more modern lubricant. 

Break Free CLP - Molybdenum disulfide: A key ingredient in 'moly grease', molybdenum disulfide is fairly non-reactive with various metals. Break-Free CLP. Break has been described as 10wt oil, with particles of teflon suspended in it. The particles of teflon adhere to the metal. It is worth noting that over time the teflon will separate ..(pasted)

Gunzilla is similar to Ballistol using mostly vegetable oil. They claim it's non-toxic, but that would mean probably not as good of a nitro solvent. 

Hoppes gun oil is just mineral oil but their nitro solvent is Ethyl Alcohol <35% Kerosene <35% Trade secret ingredients <25% Organic Ester (trade secret but I found it was a nitrate ester) which is a great solvent for smokeless powder residue. G99 Nitro Solvent is similar. In fact nitro glycerin used to make smokeless power is also a nitrate ester. Nitro solvents are also great at removing corrosive salts. 

Sorry for the long post. I just wanted to actually see the ingredients. 

You can look up the ingredients on any of these products and get the real scoop. Some might not be happy with my opinion, but I think using a real solvent to get rid of power residue and corrosive salts is important. Not meant to anger anyone. We gun guys tend not to change our minds easily anyway so we will all just continue using what we have been using, including me.


----------



## win231 (Aug 5, 2015)

While I understand people's need for "shortcuts," a product that is designed to clean will dissolve carbon, fouling and lube. When I want lubrication or rust prevention, I want a product that is designed to stay on the metal. When you use one product for both, they do neither well. After cleaning with solvent & drying, I lube high friction areas with Wilson's Ultima Lube. I use Break Free on the outside surface of firearms for corrosion protection; not lubrication.


----------



## TheReaper (Nov 14, 2008)

This stuff is cheap but works well.

The B'laster Corporation |


----------



## wpp (Aug 19, 2017)

I recently went to weapon shield, court is still out the solvent, no problems just wanna use I little more.... as far as lube they are hard to beat, guns are super smooth and seem to be easier to clean.


----------



## Nuall (Feb 25, 2018)

Anybody use breakthrough cleaning technology?


----------



## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Nuall said:


> Anybody use breakthrough cleaning technology?


Wazzat?
Please explain.


----------



## Craigh (Jul 29, 2016)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> Wazzat?
> Please explain.


Breakthrough Cleaning Technology or BCT is when you break through your buddy's door when he's not there and clean all his firearms for him. Maybe do the windows as well. Steve, if you come to my house to use BCT, just let me know and I'll welcome you in and pour you a glass of wine before you start. I'll watch and make BCT suggestions.


----------



## Greybeard (Mar 17, 2013)

Craigh said:


> I believe Ballistol was originally designed for the German cavalry back in 1904 and was meant as an all in one for the cavalry, to clean harnesses, saddles, wood stocks as well as firearms. The ingredients are medicinal grade mineral oil, alkaline salts of oleic acid (sunflower oil), several alcohols, Benzyl Acetate which is used to add the odor of jasmine in some perfumes. Benzyl Actate was sometimes used as a penetrator or solvent in the making of plastic. The mineral oil is unchlorinated. They claim it means oil, but look it up oleic acid. In short, a soap, Crisco oil, and alcohol. Like WD-40 and others, it penetrates fairly well if you need to break a rusty bolt free, but on your firearm? At least WD-40 is 25% lubricant.
> 
> The German Army dropped Ballistol after World War II in favor of a more modern lubricant.
> 
> ...


I use Ballistol on my pad locks. Keeps them working smooth and they don't freeze up. One thing about it is that it doesn't evaporate away like some oils and it doesn't seem to attract much dirt and leaves a nice slippery film on the metal. I just can't deal with the smell.


----------



## Greybeard (Mar 17, 2013)

ctrcs said:


> I have heard a lot of recommendations to use Breakfree CLP, Ballistol and Gunzilla. I currently use Hoppe's 9 & Hoppe's Elite. What are your opinions.


I really don't think that there is anything better than what you are currently using.


----------



## Nuall (Feb 25, 2018)

https://www.breakthroughclean.com


----------



## Greybeard (Mar 17, 2013)

Nuall said:


> https://www.breakthroughclean.com


Looks impressive


----------



## berettatoter (Sep 1, 2011)

I use CLP all the time.


----------



## AllenFromPa (Dec 4, 2017)

I use remoil for cleaning. I don't let my guns get to the point where they are gunk ed up. Then I use 3 in 1 for lubricating and rust prevention. My buddy he likes the CLP break free.


----------



## Greybeard (Mar 17, 2013)

AllenFromPa said:


> I use remoil for cleaning. I don't let my guns get to the point where they are gunk ed up. Then I use 3 in 1 for lubricating and rust prevention. My buddy he likes the CLP break free.


Yes, if you clean often, RemOil is great.


----------



## Craigh (Jul 29, 2016)

Greybeard said:


> Yes, if you clean often, RemOil is great.


Remoil is just pure petroleum oil. That's the ingredient. It is a good but light film lubricant. It is not a cleaner. It has no solvent to dissolve powder residue or corrosive salts. It dries out easily so won't replace good gun grease in areas like the rails and barrel lugs. I like Remoil for areas like bolts, bolt carrier groups and trigger groups, but I prefer synthetic auto oil like Mobil One. I also like it for exterior rust preventative on firearms which need it. I like Remoil over vegetable oil or mineral oil in most products, but prefer Mobil One. Neither will really clean anything. They are lubricants. A nitro solvent will clean like Hoppes, G99 or Breakthrough solvent.

As mentioned, a light film lubricant can be a good rust preventative, but not so much for long term storage. I prefer RIG or white lithium grease for that purpose on both the inside and outside if I don't think I'll be using the firearm for a length of time.


----------



## Craigh (Jul 29, 2016)

AllenFromPa said:


> I use remoil for cleaning. I don't let my guns get to the point where they are gunk ed up. Then I use 3 in 1 for lubricating and rust prevention. My buddy he likes the CLP break free.


3 in 1 is 97% Severely Hydrotreated Heavy Naphthenic Oil. The rest is lighter Naphthenic Oil. It is a distillate of sweet crude petroleum oil. RemOil and 3 in 1 are pretty much the same exact thing. No cleaning ingredients but good light film lubricants and short term rust prevention.

The ingredients for all these various products can be found in the Material Safety Data Sheet which US law requires the manufacturers to publish.


----------



## AllenFromPa (Dec 4, 2017)

Thanks for the info Craig. :smt023


----------



## Greybeard (Mar 17, 2013)

Those of you that use Mobil 1, do you use 5-30, 0-20, or 15-50?


----------



## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Greybeard said:


> Those of you that use Mobil 1, do you use 5-30, 0-20, or 15-50?


That depends upon your RPM.*

*Rounds Per Minute


----------



## Greybeard (Mar 17, 2013)

I bought a quart of 0-20 but I really take my time when I shoot so maybe I should get some gear grease lol.


----------



## Craigh (Jul 29, 2016)

I use the lowest viscosity I can find. Once purchased, a quart pretty much lasts a lifetime. I put it in a couple of small spritz bottles. 

Steve was kidding, but think about how modern motor oils have to be formulated. An auto engine averages in the 1000 to 4000 rpm range with 4 to 8 cylinders spinning a crankshaft, camshaft, connecting rods, etc at really extreme temperatures for thousands of miles. It only counts when it's running. Think about how little your firearm is actually running and at temperatures probably about the same. Think about the millions of dollars companies like Exxon-Mobile have spent over the decades on oil research to deal with these extremes. I'm certain it's more than any gun lubricant maker. I may be wrong, but I don't think so. I think the logic here is smack on. Personally, I'd use any synthetic auto oil, but I figure Mobil has probably done the most research, so I purchased a quart of that a number of years ago. It holds up as I expected it would.


----------



## Outlaw (Feb 5, 2017)

Sorry to throw a curve in here but...... Investigate _*Weaponshield *_. Oil, grease, cleaner, all their products are amazing. I am not throwing any other products under the bus but YouTube Weaponshield and then decide.


----------



## Craigh (Jul 29, 2016)

Outlaw said:


> Sorry to throw a curve in here but...... Investigate _*Weaponshield *_. Oil, grease, cleaner, all their products are amazing. I am not throwing any other products under the bus but YouTube Weaponshield and then decide.


The product looks OK but nothing out of the ordinary. The solvent seems to have one ingredient which is long chain synthetic hydrocarbon. Sounds like mineral spirits or synthetic turpentine to me. It doesn't say. It's probably good on powder residue and corrosive salts.

I couldn't find a data sheet on the oil. They seem to be pushing an all-in-one called CLP which has only 25% lubricant to it according to the data sheet. Their grease looks OK.

They claim it's non-hazardous, but the required product safety data sheet says, and I'll quote: "Use Self Contained Breathing Apparatus in confined or closed areas " I would think any hydrocarbon would warn something similar including gasoline.


----------



## Greybeard (Mar 17, 2013)

Craigh said:


> The product looks OK but nothing out of the ordinary. The solvent seems to have one ingredient which is long chain synthetic hydrocarbon. Sounds like mineral spirits or synthetic turpentine to me. It doesn't say. It's probably good on powder residue and corrosive salts.
> 
> I couldn't find a data sheet on the oil. They seem to be pushing an all-in-one called CLP which has only 25% lubricant to it according to the data sheet. Their grease looks OK.
> 
> They claim it's non-hazardous, but the required product safety data sheet says, and I'll quote: "Use Self Contained Breathing Apparatus in confined or closed areas " I would think any hydrocarbon would warn something similar including gasoline.


Well now we know you are a Mobil 1 guy for lube, what is your solvent of choice?


----------



## Craigh (Jul 29, 2016)

Greybeard said:


> Well now we know you are a Mobil 1 guy for lube, what is your solvent of choice?


I like RIG or white lithium grease for grease. For solvent, I personally use Hoppes #9 Nitro solvent or I like G96 Nitro solvent too. In a pinch, G96 but I don't see much difference. I like their aerosol cans a little better, but I also buy the Hoppes in large bottles for soaking small parts. I like G96 Bore Solvent too. From the Website:

"Military APPROVED Bore Solvent (Rifle Bore Cleaner RBC-372F Type A) removes Leading, powder residue, and copper fouling from bore of the firearm.
APPROVED BY THE U.S. ARMY AS OF MAY 2017
RIFLE BORE CLEANER - MIL-PRF-372F Type A"

G96 Products Inc. ? Gun Lubricants & Cleaning Products for Firearms ? Military APPROVED Bore Solvent


----------



## terryna (Mar 15, 2018)

I use Gunzilla, and it works quite well.


----------



## Craigh (Jul 29, 2016)

terryna said:


> I use Gunzilla, and it works quite well.


Ah, found out more about Gunzilla. It contains Isodecyl Pelargonate used in plastic manufacturing as a binder. It also includes some Hydrotreated Light decene which is a good old fashioned 3 in 1 machine oil derived from crude oil. Finally, it has hydrogenated polyalphaolefin which is a synthetic lubricant and is also used as an ingredient in Mobil One and other synthetic automotive lubes. What this means is you're not getting much as a cleaner solvent, but it looks to be a Mobil One alternative, but much more expensive. So, they give a dinosaur monster sounding name to mostly automotive oil.


----------



## wirenut (Dec 16, 2015)

My firearms stay relatively clean, so Outers and RemOil have worked well so far.
I just recently bought an clp type and a gun oil by Lucas products, haven't had a chance to use them yet.


----------



## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Craigh said:


> ...So, they give a *dinosaur monster* sounding name to mostly automotive oil. [emphasis added]


Craig, are you old enough to remember the Sinclair Oil dinosaur?
When I was a child, the gas stations in our village were Sinclair (with its dinosaur) and Socony-Vacuum (Socony = Standard Oil Company Of New York).

Hmmm...
Seems like Sinclair is still around, and still with its dinosaur! See: https://www.sinclairoil.com/about

And Socony was one of the many oil-company business which resulted from the 1911 break-up of Rockefeller's huge Standard Oil Company. Another was ESSO (Standard Oil of New Jersey), which, combined with Socony-Vacuum (which became Mobil), is now ExxonMobil. There was also Standard Oil of California (Chevron), and lots more.
See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_Oil

Anyway, my take on this entire issue is that _any good-quality oil will do_, as long as you keep your firearms scrupulously clean and lightly oiled at all times.
The proliferation of gun-lube and gun-cleaner brands, and their weird formulæ, is more a matter of the inborn negligence of the "do it for me" generation, than it is of making a genuinely better product.


----------



## Craigh (Jul 29, 2016)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> Craig, are you old enough to remember the Sinclair Oil dinosaur?
> When I was a child, the gas stations in our village were Sinclair (with its dinosaur) and Socony-Vacuum (Socony = Standard Oil Company Of New York).
> 
> Hmmm...
> ...


Yep, I remember Sinclair's dinosaur. We had one down the road a bit. We also had Standard. Remember Pure? My Little League team was the Pure Firebirds.

Speaking of dinosaurs. One of my son's (when he was six, seven and many years into adulthood) favorite thing to do was for me to take him to a downtown theater to watch Godzilla movies. We'd catch two or three Godzilla movies on a Saturday afternoon, gorging on hot buttered popcorn and soda. One of my close shooting buddies on the Police team would sometimes come with his son.


----------



## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> ...Anyway, my take on this entire issue is that _any good-quality oil will do_, as long as you keep your firearms scrupulously clean and lightly oiled at all times...


...Well, um, except for the M1 Garand.
You do need to use Lubriplate (or something similar) on the Garand's op-rod.

Might also be true for the M14.


----------



## Craigh (Jul 29, 2016)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> ...Well, um, except for the M1 Garand.
> You do need to use Lubriplate (or something similar) on the Garand's op-rod.
> 
> Might also be true for the M14.


As they're essentially the same design, I'd assume this would be true. I don't currently own a Garand. I sold it as part of my old military surplus jeep a good while ago. The Garand and a folding spade were strapped to the jeep as part of its authentic look. You know, a while back, I was researching the Garand and came upon an interesting piece of trivia which may be of interest to a pedant like me. John Garand pronounced his last name to rhyme with "errand." He considered it the preferred pronunciation for the rifle, and it was for a number of years. Today, most pronounce it "ɡəˈrænd." Some sources still consider John Garand's pronunciation the preferred one.


----------



## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

I'm just as much a pedant as you are, even with one hand tied behind my back. :yawinkle:

Yeah. I knew about the pronunciation issue.


----------



## pblanc (Mar 3, 2015)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> Craig, are you old enough to remember the Sinclair Oil dinosaur?
> When I was a child, the gas stations in our village were Sinclair (with its dinosaur) and Socony-Vacuum (Socony = Standard Oil Company Of New York).
> 
> Hmmm...
> ...


I remember the Sinclair Oil exhibit at the 1964 New York World's Fair. They had all kinds of big polymer dinosaurs.


----------



## jeffa (Mar 17, 2018)

Fp-10 and Gun Butter. EEZOX for winter storage


----------



## Craigh (Jul 29, 2016)

jeffa said:


> Fp-10 and Gun Butter. EEZOX for winter storage


The first two are close to the same ingredients about like Mobil One, a synthetic oil. The grease is just a high viscosity version of the oil. The EEZOX turned out a little differently. One of its primary ingredients the was classified as a carcinogen carrying an R45 risk phrase, May cause cancer. I think it has been discontinued very recently. Someone may wish to research this a little deeper. I'll stick with RIG or lithium white grease.

*Eezox contains* trichloroethylene a chlorinated solvent that has a number of health side effects. Smith & Wesson discontinued the use of chlorinated solvents in their cutting fluid after learning it caused stress cracking of barrel threads.


----------



## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Craigh said:


> ...Eezox contains *trichloroethylene* a chlorinated solvent that has a number of health side effects...[emphasis added]


Although trichloroethylene is a known, and seriously dangerous, carcinogen, and no longer available to the consumer, I still would like to be able to use the stuff, taking careful precautions all the while.
Trichloroethylene is the one supreme and ultimate degreasing and adhesive-preparation solvent. It is one of the most useful harmful chemicals known to, and invented by, industrial man.
My last can of Energine emptied-out several years ago, and I'm living without it...but I'd much rather have it.


----------



## Outlaw (Feb 5, 2017)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> Although trichloroethylene is a known, and seriously dangerous, carcinogen, and no longer available to the consumer, I still would like to be able to use the stuff, taking careful precautions all the while.
> Trichloroethylene is the one supreme and ultimate degreasing and adhesive-preparation solvent. It is one of the most useful harmful chemicals known to, and invented by, industrial man.
> My last can of Energine emptied-out several years ago, and I'm living without it...but I'd much rather have it.


I'm in the dry cleaning business, we use Trichloroethylene, aka Perclorethylene in our machines. It is the best oil based cleaner ever. But Jesus stay away from it, It enters your body by fumes permiating your skin, I have cancer attributed to it. For the last 20 years the dry cleaning machines have been sealed machines where the liquid and the fumes are fully contained but back in the 70's and earlier we'd wash our greasy hands with the stuff.


----------



## Outlaw (Feb 5, 2017)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> Although trichloroethylene is a known, and seriously dangerous, carcinogen, and no longer available to the consumer, I still would like to be able to use the stuff, taking careful precautions all the while.
> Trichloroethylene is the one supreme and ultimate degreasing and adhesive-preparation solvent. It is one of the most useful harmful chemicals known to, and invented by, industrial man.
> My last can of Energine emptied-out several years ago, and I'm living without it...but I'd much rather have it.


I'm in the dry cleaning business, we use Trichloroethylene, aka Perclorethylene in our machines. It is the best oil based cleaner ever. But Jesus stay away from it, It enters your body by fumes permiating your skin, I have cancer attributed to it. For the last 20 years the dry cleaning machines have been sealed machines where the liquid and the fumes are fully contained but back in the 70's and earlier we'd wash our greasy hands with the stuff.


----------



## Outlaw (Feb 5, 2017)

Sorry for the double post.


----------



## BigHead (Jul 5, 2015)

Break Free is pretty good, make sure that you shake it up to mix it though. I have seen it with gunk on the bottom from sitting too long.


----------



## denner12 (Oct 14, 2017)

I use Hoppes #9 as an after shave as well.


----------



## dpadams6 (May 16, 2013)

Weaponshield and Slip 2000 for me. Good results with both.


----------

