# Cleaning guns with diesel?



## betweenthehedges

I read an article, and it mentioned doing this. The oil in the diesel is suppose to act as the lubricant. Thoughts or suggestions? Anybody out there that actually does it? 
-Zac


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## jkoch

I don't want that smelly stuff anywhere near my guns!


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## ShimanoFisherman

Why use diesel when you can pick up a can of rem-oil at wal-mart?


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## whitworth

*I read that gasoline was used in WWII*

While the German rifles were freezing up due to the cold on the eastern front, not the soviets.  They mixed gasoline with oil to use for cleaning rifles. 

Never used such, but I've used WD 40 in the barrel of guns for some 35 years.  

Mentor taught me, first, to use them on our flintlock muzzleloaders.   Always used it getting locks unfrozen.   May work in a similar fashion.


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## 7Mag Hunter

May be effective in removing cosmoline from guns stored for
long periods of time, or soaking a really rusty gun/part, but I
probably would not have thought of using it to clean my guns
during routine maintenance....


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## Doyle

I've used kerosine (basically clean diesel) to remove cosmoline.  Works great.


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## gunhand1911

I have used it for years with some motor oil mixed in 5% or so works great . let dry in sun and most of the smell will be gone.Not for plastic or painted parts .


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## Turkey Comander

I used it once....had to stop after my Bennelli developed a chattering noise.


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## Wheels

I would only use it in a real emergency- I definitly don't want that smell in the field while hunting-- I really don't like filling my truck without gloves or at least paper towels  and NO, I don't have little white danty hands!


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## Redbow

I have used pure Kerosene many times to get cosmoline off guns,, works very good !


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## mallardk

*Have never seen but heard.*

I have been told that some South Ga hunters actually go to the pump at the end of season, run Diesel down the barrel ,  then take it apart, throw all the parts in box, put it back together and wipe it down in a month and it doesn't smell and clean as a whistle.  I repeat, i have only heard, I have not seen, now would I do with my gun.


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## NOYDB

Probably can.

But why would you?


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## tv_racin_fan

Hoppe's 9 Plus contains Kerosene according to the label.


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## Hammack

I've used it to clean some hard to take down firearms over the years.  Put it in a blow pot hooked to an air compressor, and it will cut most any gunk that's built up.  Then you can dry it off and put it up.  In a day or so you won't smell it at all.


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## acmech

Can't think of anything that smells worse to me than diesel.  I can think of a LOT of other things to put on my guns.  I read a machinist magazine a while back that tested a number of penetrating fluids and their lubricating qualities.  They tested Kroil, WD-40, PB blaster and a home made mix of 50% transmission fluid and 50% acetone.  The homemade solution of trany fluid and acetone worked better than any over the counter brand.  Only problem the author could see was storing it and dispensing it.  The acetone will evaporate out over time but it pentrated the best and took the least amount of pressure to remove a rusted pin.  I'd rather use the home made mix or just use plain trany fluid.

For really hard to cut gunk I've used brake fluid.  It'll be bad on your finish, but will work great.


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## Cknerr

Fuel oil, kerosene, diesel, and jet fuel all start out the same. There are different additives added and more or less filtering....but they are basically the same.

When I get fuel for the boat, it is fuel oil that is sold as red diesel -confuse a simple mind!  (red = off-road = less taxes) That Cleveland burns fuel oil, kerosene, and real diesel the same, so there can't be much difference in any of them. Learned to keep a bucket of the stuff off to the side. Easy  to dip rusting tools into or if one of the air tools needs some lube, a finger dipped into the bucket and tap against the air hose connector -adds enough to make things purr right along. It is also great at cleaning gunk off of anything! Makes bolts easier to thread...all kinds of  uses. 

It is a lot cheaper then WD-40 too. Why would it not work in your rifle?  It cerainly has worked in a lot of unusal places. If the diesel smells, leave it uncovered for a few days. Most of it goes away. 

Chris


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## Lowjack

Doyle said:


> I've used kerosine (basically clean diesel) to remove cosmoline.  Works great.



So does break fluid, we used it in Israel to clean old 98 Mausers , they worked because we beat the Arabs in '67, LOL


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## mizzippi jb

Straight trans fluid is what you want inside the action of a gun, esp. an autoloading shotgun. Thin enough to not collect powder and slick enough to keep it lubed, even in mud and ice.


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## Cknerr

Careful Lowjack, you are dating yourself~


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## bighonkinjeep

At least it won't explode like gasoline.[/QUOTE]

 Wrong...   Diesel under pressure will explode, so will WD40 and several other lubricants.
BHJ


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## Lowjack

Cknerr said:


> Careful Lowjack, you are dating yourself~


Yep I passed the 60th mark,LOL
I have also used Coleman lamp fluid, works great.


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## Cknerr

diesel is hard to ignite. Ignition pressures would be difficult to reach without employing things like large hammers to get it to ignite. You can put a cigarettes out in it, let sparks fly in to a bucket of the stuff without it igniting. 

I have welded on my fuel tank and listened to the stuff boil on the other side. Spooky until you get use to it. 'course at 4000 gallons (not a typo), I am not about to pull it out for repairs! It gets worked on right where it is.

Don't know if WD-40 can do that, but when I am not around the boat..... it sure does come in handy. So does Kroil and other thin oils.

Anyone know what the MSDS sheet says it is suppose to do to you when you get soaked with it?

Chris


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## bighonkinjeep

Since we are talking diesel I guess it wouldnt be a thread hijack to mention what happens to lubricants inside springer air rifles, check this out.www.gunsnot.com/pdfs/Dieseling gunsnot 06-04.pdf   Certainly their could be similar pressures found inside a gas tube or other gun part.
BHJ


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## cmshoot

My Grandfather was in the Marine from 19333 - 1963.  I remember him talking about using diesel in the Corps to clean firearms with.

Of course, I also remember him using Cosmoline as mustache wax.  No bull.


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## usmc2112

diesel can be used to clean firearms  in a pinch, so can automatic transmission fluid, 20 weight motor CAN be used as a lubricant.  When I worked at the USMC precision weapons section one of our homemade solvents was mostly non-detergent Auto tranny fluid....


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## cmshoot

A 2112!  And right down the road from me!  I'm in Dallas, I was an 8541.


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## wildcatt

*diesel*

I belive diesel and kerosene are gritty.I am not sure that hoppes has kerosene any more. the formular has changed along with who owns hoppes. I have several old bottles that have different addresses and contents.
whe used to clean MG with avgas,then it was considered dangerous,so the gave use tryelhcorine??evaporated in tropic heat so we went back to avgas.I still use hoppes but it does not smell the same.


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## Cknerr

There can't be much grit. The injectors would never survive. Granted every diesel engine I know of has a pretty good fuel system filtration. They actually do a lot more then just filter grit - they help with water, air, and organic gunk. (some strains of bacteria love to grow in that stuff)They are just paper, so really fine stuff will go right through.


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## Polk County Hillbilly

Hammack;How do you make a blow pot?


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## FishinMech

If you are worried about the smell. And the water in rem oil is not that great. I use mineral oil and its way cheaper then rem oil.


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## scoggins

what about compressor oil as a lube??


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## Hammack

Polk County Hillbilly said:


> Hammack;How do you make a blow pot?



Here is a link to what I call a blow pot.  You can get them much cheaper than this, it's just the first picture I ran across.  I think I paid $5 for the one I have now off of the tool table at the local auto parts store.  Pour diesel in the can, and hook it to your air hose, and it will spray out the diesel mixed with compressed air.    
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_...+&+Air+Tools&sName=Air+Compressor+Accessories


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## Billrube

While diesel will work and motor oil can be used to lubricate in an "emergency" situation, why would you want to use these otherwise? 
I use CLP and have hoppes in the cabinet with lots of gun oil as well. 

As far as degreasing and cleaning, I've cleaned and degreased a lot of old milsurp rifles and one of the best things in the world to use is plain old WD-40.

I made a "soak" pan from 6" PVC for my rifles and buy the WD buy the gallon. I submerse the entire action and parts in the WD-40 sometimes for overnight.
It wont hurt bluing and it pulls cosmoline out and turns it to the consistency of runny snot. 
WD-40 is not a lubricant--it displaces moisture and penetrates into the gun/parts nooks and crannys to loosen stuff up. After the gun/parts are scrubbed clean they well need normal lubrication when you reassemble. 
I'm not one to waste so I rigged a drain w/fine steel mesh and drain the used WD-40 into a funnel with a coffee filter back into the can. You would not believe the tiny particles of stuff this actually cleans out of your gun/parts. 
What goes back into the can is reasonably clean (at least for cleaning up guns/part) that can be used for a long period of time. 
(the drain is PVC with a pvc threaded bolt-when done, remove the bolt and there she drains)
While it does not smell good, it is not severely offensive. 

The reason I used the PVC tube for a soak pan is that I wanted a small enough pan that would fill w/1 gal of WD--I used plumbing dope and pvc caps to cap both ends--once dry it's sealed forever. I layed it on it's side in two crude wooden stands-after that I used my dremel tool to cut the "top" out for access. 
The good thing about this is you can make the tube long enough to handle the older milsurp "looong" barreled guns.

Lots of good information here


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## Polk County Hillbilly

Hammack, thanks I have one did not know the name.


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## akman47

brake cleaner and rem oil..  all you need.  diesel will swell the wood and can disolve plastic.  im a diesel technician for caterpillar, so just offering some experience.


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## Wild Turkey

I use diesel as a cover scent and to clean guns too.


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## broncobob

Kenny Jarrett, you might know him as a S.C gunsmith and rifle maker. Says to clean his rifles to use lighter fluid.


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## Clarke123

*Kerosene as a Cleaner*

From what I have read, Kerosene and Mineral Spirits are two of the prime ingredients in many commercially available "Gun Cleaner" products ... "Ed's Red" formula includes equal parts of both along with equal parts of ATF and Acetone (This is on one of the GON threads).  Before anyone jumps on it, "Yes" Acetone is quite a problem in enclosed places ... or long term exposure of any kind is unhealthy!   I know, because my wife uses nail polish remover (look at the ingredients: it's over 90% of the ingredients of most of the brands).  I don't know if that's the reason she sometimes acts crazy, or if she came that way from the factory?!?   I grew up in the household of a commercial painter!  So, I also have an excuse for some of my actions  ...      

I have used straight Kerosene or Mineral Spirits to "dip" really fouled, complicated actions into after removal of the furniture.
Slosh it around, leave it overnight and then let it air-dry another 8 hours.  Works great on the old Remington "Nylon" 22's that are infamous at filling the receivers full of "blow-back" and are a real pain-in-the-hindside to disassemble / reassemble.  After the soaking and drying, use something like a dry "trigger lube" from KG Coatings to complete the job.  The crude in the bucket of kerosene will settle to the bottom over-night; then you can pour off the clear liquid, and reuse it.

For those that want "more lubrication" than straight kerosene, mix it 50/50 with ATF ... You now have what most gun oils have in them (Again, a derivitive of "Ed's Red", but w/o Acetone).  This is a really nice, light-weight oil that is good for a year and has a "burn temperature" of over 600 degrees ... So, it is less likely to foul than most conventional motor oils.   

Right now, I'm about to mix up a batch of Ed's Red.
Meanwhile I'm also using a 50/50 mixture of Marvel Mystery Oil and Hoppe's #9 ... Much cheaper than Kroil and works pretty darn good at lifting and removing both copper and powder fouling if left to stand over-night.  Ed's with the Acetone works faster and better, but must be used in a well-ventilated area.

CAUTION:  While Kerosene, Diesel, and Mineral Spirits all have fairly low "flash-points" they are highly flamable and the fumes will ignite ... keep them in enclosed containers and away from hot water heaters and furnaces  ...When hot, even the catalytic converters on modern automobiles can ignite the fumes!

Unless you are willing to die trying, NEVER, EVER USE Naptha (lighter fluid) or Gasoline to clean ANYTHING 

"Opinions, Noses, and .... Everybodys got one!" 

I look forward to hearing more on the (kerosene) subject ...

Earl Clark - Cumming, GA


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## RLTW27

Interesting thread.  I've spent more than 40 months in the middle east in various unsavory places since 9/11 and I remember laughing when I first saw how they cleaned their AK's.  Dumped a bit of diesel down the barrel and pushed a rag through - wala!

Not saying its something I personally advocate but in a pinch it does the trick.  Never saw a jammed AK there and had more than I care to mention firing just fine at me in all weather conditions but dang if I didn't have to clean every single bit of my M4 regularly - especially with dust as fine as baby powder...


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## shadow2

I know the Iraqis use it...  Not sure as to how well it works out for them though


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## Kawaliga

We used JP-4 (helicopter fuel) to clean machineguns in Vietnam. It is a high grade kerosene, and worked great for us.


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## birddog52

Gas WORKS GOOD TO GET THE GUNK AND POWDERED RESIDU OUT OF A WEAPON


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## CAL

I have always used a mixture of 50/50 kerosene and mineral spirits.It cleans about all I need to clean and does a good job.Someone posted about brake cleaner.I have used it and it seems to delete all the oil out of the metal and leaves it very easy to rust is my finding.
I tried to mix acetone with marvel mystery oil and the two will not mix.The mystery oil sets on top of the acetone like oil in water.
Auto trans fluid mixed with graphite makes the slickest lube I have ever seen.If you use it,use it sparingly especially on trigger mech.Delute it with acetone for a thinner lub.


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## chase870

Cleaned many a .50 cal machine gun with it, works fine


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## CraigS1001

I grew up with Kenny over in Jackson.  The guy knows his stuff for sure.  If was nice to shoot those high end rifles without having to buy them! 

Have you seen any of his woodworking projects?  He makes exotic bowls out of swamp wood etc.  The guy is talented.




broncobob said:


> Kenny Jarrett, you might know him as a S.C gunsmith and rifle maker. Says to clean his rifles to use lighter fluid.


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## Bilge Rat LT 20

Kenny builds some fine rifles, I have 2. I think he uses lighter fluid in the trigger group only. It cleans and leaves a very thin film of lube on it but is light enough not to gum or attract crud.

Kroil and shooters choice 50/50 mix is a good general cleaner.


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## king killer delete

*I have to.*



chase870 said:


> Cleaned many a .50 cal machine gun with it, works fine


 We used on our M2 's: it in real cold weather to keep the parts moving. It smells bad but it works. I would not put it on my guns. If you aint CAV you aint.


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## SOUTHERN WOODS

broncobob said:


> Kenny Jarrett, you might know him as a S.C gunsmith and rifle maker. Says to clean his rifles to use lighter fluid.



For flushing the trigger out it works great.  

My uncle uses gasoline to clean with.  Don't ask me anymore because I've only heard him say it, never watched but I would guess there are better choices out there.

I use G96 or Ballistol if I can find it.


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## pine nut

Brrowed a12ga Mod 12 Winchester with a cylinder bore barrel for a quail hunt once years ago.  The gun rode the combine and a tractor all of its life, and when we tried to load it we couldn't even work the pump action without both hands pushing down against the ground!  Took the barrel and slide off and stuck it in a bucket of kerosene as well as the whole reciever.  That loosened up things after a couple of hours that we could further disassemble it for cleaning.  Worked fine then... Those model 12's are fine guns!


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## 7mmstw

I have used it  before. In hunt camp a guy loaded his gun boom!! and I was already in my stand. Mind you it was dark and he was walking to his. Boom!!! again. well along about 1:00ish I headed out made it to camp and asked who shot twice before day break he said wellll it was me. Turns out he cleaned his gun with rb-17. smelled like pine sol. this stuff turned to gel. so we broke her down and cleaned it up with fuel ( diesel). worked llike a champ. got it back together at around 3:00ish cleaned up. walks in the woods and about 15 mins of light left boom!! I said dang it did I forget something. Na he killed a buck that came wondering through.


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## sdions

I've used JP-8 which is basically diesel so far as I know to clean a mass of M4's, M2's, SAW's, and M240's all at once.  Works great and fast, and its better than some things i've seen used on those weapons (showers and baths lol).


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## Mojo^

Ed's Red. Cheap to make by the gallon and effective. Just Google it.


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## sdions

Great link thanks


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## OutdoorSteve

Carb Cleaner and Remoil


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## lost alaskan

I ran this thread down to the bottom so I have no idea where it has meandered.  Diesel doesn't evaporate like gasoline(so it's "greener").  I saw mention of WD-40, don't.  WD-40 is glue.


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