Ruger Pistol Forums banner

Cleaned my 22/45 without a Youtube video

3K views 17 replies 6 participants last post by  SGW Gunsmith 
#1 ·
Put it in an ultrasonic cleaner for 8 minutes, dried it off, blasted it with a can of compressed air. Done. Super clean. It was so gunky it hardly functioned. I have taken it down using the 500 step procedure many times, for various mods & for cleaning. And that is exactly why I didn't want to do it again. This might tick off some traditionalists but for anyone wanting a simpler option here it is. Used the $79.95 Harbor Freight ultrasonic cleaner, 2.5 liter & Simple Green HD Pro which is actually purple not green. I had considered just getting the Mk 4 & doing the same Volquartsen mods again but this was cheaper.
 
#3 ·
No but it's used with water. I used half & half but probably didn't need to. 1/2 liter is all I really needed. Some posts online claim it will remove bluing, some claim it won't. Didn't on mine, at least so far. Thinking I may remove the bluing anyway with white vinegar & steel wool, there's some scratches I want to buff out.
 
#4 ·
I have heard some use 50/50 Ballistol/water also. When it dries it leaves the lubricant behind. I wondered if it would remove the burnt crud on a forcing cone and cylinder face?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Babbalou1956
#5 ·
I saw one video where there was still a little crud on the front of the cylinder of a .357. He had to scrape it off. Seems to work 100% on pistols though. I've seen some use Ballistol also. One guy used just water & I've heard Dawn dishwashing liquid works. There's some other cleaning solutions out there also made for ultrasonic cleaners.
 
#7 ·
I have heard Simple Green HD Pro works great in an ultrasonic cleaner. It seems to work great for cleaning gun parts. The idea of placing a fully assembled handgun in a container of soapy water just doesn't sound right. Simple Green HD Pro is over 70% water and users dilute the product with water. After cleaning, how can you be sure the water is completely removed from all the nooks and crannies? Ballistol may be a better choice but may not clean as well. At least ballistol is apx. 50% mineral oil.
I've got a small ultrasonic cleaner and it is only used to clean my Blues Harps...in Vodka! LOL Denny
 
  • Like
Reactions: ETS
#8 ·
Yep, it is water-based, I checked the ingredients. After air blasting the pistol, maybe a few hours in the refrigerator would dry it out completely. That's basically a dehumidifier. Thought I'd try an experiment. I filled a glass cup with half Simple Green HD Pro & water & dropped in some small metal parts. Will see if there's any rust by the time it's all evaporated. I dropped in a drill bit, Allen wrench, 2 nails & a few small metal knick knacks from the garage. Will check them twice a week until the cup's dry.
 
#9 ·
Well, that sounds interesting, but mindful of watching paint dry!--don't forget to give us follow-up.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Babbalou1956
#10 ·
A day in the sun might also help drying her out. Another idea, the cheapest air compressor at harbor freight will deliver 3 to 4 times more air than canned air. With the right nozzle you won't be concerned about leftover moisture. Thanks for posting...great thread! Denny
 
  • Like
Reactions: Babbalou1956
#11 ·
Please define "the right nozzle" for us dummies.
 
#12 · (Edited)
In doing a brief search, the last thread about air compressors/drying agents was around 8 yrs. ago and the references are defunct. The photos are blanked(thanks to Photobucket). Time for a new thread ref. air compressors and assoc. equipment for cleaning?? Come on you mechanical gurus, help the rest of us out.
 
#13 · (Edited)
For me the right nozzle has an extended tube that has a bend in the tip. I had put the bend in mine but I bent the tip for another application. A straight tip may work great also. A thin stem can really get in there more effectively than a blunt tip. Den

https://www.harborfreight.com/air-blow-gun-set-4-pc-68260.html One example.

If your compressor will only be used for light duty a small unit capable of 100psi will be fine. If you think your uses may grow than a larger compressor is a must. I only have a medium size and it runs all my pro. air tools just fine.
By the way, harbor freight air tools are good quality, cheap, and perfect for home use. I think Lowes stores has a good selection of compressors and accessories that won't break the bank also. Den
 
#14 ·
Thanks for the info/reference.
 
#15 ·
Well the glass was half full, or half empty? Didn't want to wait 2 more weeks so I poured it out & looked over the parts. Everything looked the same but the 2 silver colored nails were a little gray. No rust on anything. Wondering if something in Simple Green inhibits rust because I expected so see some after a week. Anyway, 16 days equals about 2,000 ultrasonic cleanings since the gun gets wet for about 10 minutes each time. I'll try to post pics. Most forums I can't because too many pixels & I have to find an image resizer & figure out how it works & I'm too tired to fight it tonight. We'll see in a few minutes....
 
#17 ·
"No rust" = good......right?

Guess you got the pictures resized.....that's good, also.
 
#18 ·
Put it in an ultrasonic cleaner for 8 minutes, dried it off, blasted it with a can of compressed air. Done. Super clean. It was so gunky it hardly functioned. I have taken it down using the 500 step procedure many times, for various mods & for cleaning. And that is exactly why I didn't want to do it again. This might tick off some traditionalists but for anyone wanting a simpler option here it is. Used the $79.95 Harbor Freight ultrasonic cleaner, 2.5 liter & Simple Green HD Pro which is actually purple not green. I had considered just getting the Mk 4 & doing the same Volquartsen mods again but this was cheaper.
Hey, thanks for that info. We recently had a "Harbor Freight" set up a store here in Rice Lake, WI. I'm gonna stop in and see about one of those. I do have a small one that I use to clean small parts that my fingers can't hang on to, but the one you mention sounds like a better plan.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top