Ed's Red - Whats the deal

[marinakorp]

What's the deal with ed's red formula (without the lanolin)

I mixed up a batch of this and didn't really find it to be all that great of a cleaner... honestly

Stinky...yes
Leves the gun fairly well lubricated... possibly
Cleans Well... not really

Placed in to my Ultrasonic Cleaner for 15 Minutes...not that great of a cleaning job

Any other opinions on this product... or even the ultrasonic route

Isuppose i should just bucj up and get a large bottle of Hoppes # 9 and be done with it

[Baldy]

YEP! and YEP!

[the.batman]

Please tell me you don't put a steel pistol in a water based, ultrasonic cleaner... that makes my skin crawl!

I just could never bring myself to clean a pistol other than the old fashioned way, patches, Hoppes, and a bronze brush.

Greg

[berkbw]

Please tell me you don't put a steel pistol in a water based, ultrasonic cleaner... that makes my skin crawl!

I just could never bring myself to clean a pistol other than the old fashioned way, patches, Hoppes, and a bronze brush.

Greg
Maybe it's got a zinc bar attached?

[pa_guns]

Hi

There are no "magic" cleaners. About the most you can expect is for the cleaner to neutralize corrosive salts, pull off grease, and carry a reasonable carbon load.

Dissolve lead, copper, other metal - nope. Stuff that is aggressive enough to Dissolve metal is not a thing you want around your pistol on a regular basis. Ammonia will take off copper to some extent, but that's about as far as you want to go.

Like it or not brute force is what does part of the cleaning process. There is no magic ....

Bob

[Joni Lynn]

No magic??? Well there goes my dreams...........my life is ruined..........all because you just had to go and break the bubble................no magic..............are you sure?
Do you have proof? In triplicate?

[pa_guns]

Hi

I submit as proof my collection of one or more bottles of every gun cleaning product ever made. In some cases yes I do have three bottles ....

Bob

[Joni Lynn]

I have one rifle of a good reputable brand that will copper so badly with even one shot that I don't like to fire it since it'll take all day just to get the bore somewhat cleaned of copper.

[pa_guns]

I have one rifle of a good reputable brand that will copper so badly with even one shot that I don't like to fire it since it'll take all day just to get the bore somewhat cleaned of copper.

Hi

I think that's one that I would attack with a batch of JB bore paste. Or what ever the Finnish equivalent is ...

Bob

[Joni Lynn]

I think it's one that may get a 257 Weatherby barrel made for it. It kicks me pretty good at the bench anyway and I don't have much use for another cannon.

[Shoot_for_fun]

Try the Wipe Out foaming bore cleaner. Not all foaming cleaner are the same make sure it is Wipe Out. 6mm benchrest website has a review on it. It works well on rifles and takes very little work. However if you have been prairie dog hunting it can take many repeat applications to get all the crud out. I don't use it on pistols as I shoot mostly lead. They are making a new lead remover but our local guy has yet to receive his order in so I can not comment of how effective it is. I do not have bore scope so I just have to go off what the patches indicate. I will have a bore scope this year and will know for sure what works and what may leave a lot to be desired.

[The Virginian]

I have found Ed's Red to be as good a solvent as any when it comes to cleaning a gun except for the barrel if it is shot with jacketed ammo. I use other products for that.

[pdoppenheim]

Rustoleum should not be used as a bore cleaner. Pa Guns, thanks. You got me thinking that someone may take me seriously. I have a teenaged daughter so I'm not used to that.

[pa_guns]

I found Rustoleum in any color works well on copper fouling or lead fouling. Just spray it into the bore and the fouling disappears.

Hi

I assume you don't let it dry in the barrel :D :D :D :D

Bob

[pa_guns]

Hi

I figured that bright orange would distract you from any fouling that was there ... :D :D

(I have a slightly over teenage son - same issue).

Bob

[The Hippie]

I found Ed's red worked well on my shotgun barrels. took off the plastic from the wads better than hoppes #9.
but, i found it didnt work on the copper in my rifle barrels at all.
havnt tried it for cleaning gunk in my 10/22, but im sure it will work well, and is much cheaper than hoppes #9.

im going to continue using it, but ill use hoppes for my rifle barrels.

[The Virginian]

It was never formulated for removal of copper deposits in the barrel. I use a commercial product for that, but Ed's Red for everything else.

[The Hippie]

that was my conclusion.
use hoppes #9 for copper, eds red for everying thing else.

one thing though, even with the window open in my bedroom its not enough ventalation.

[The Virginian]

I have two types of Ed's Red mixed, one with the acetone for very tough deposits and one with out as it is much easier on the lungs, brain and liver. The every day mix with out the acetone is generally what I use for most of my cleaning, but if I buy a used gun, shoot lots of lead bullets or clean a shotgun barrel, I will use the formula with the acetone.....usually outdoors if possible.

[pa_guns]

Hi

Unless I'm very confused there are other things in there that worry me more than acetone. At least acetone breaks down in the body naturally ...

Bob

[pdoppenheim]

Hi

Unless I'm very confused there are other things in there that worry me more than acetone. At least acetone breaks down in the body naturally ...

Bob

Acetone is a carcinogen that is absorbed into the body through the skin. It is also absorbed by the lungs when its vapors are inhaled. It is very bad stuff for you. Use only with protective gloves and in a very well ventilated area. Fell free not to take my word for it. Call your local or National Poison Control Hotline and they will tell you all about it.

Know any hazmat people? Ask them about the fun of an acetone spill.

[pa_guns]

Hi

Actually I did look it up. It's a natural product of your body's metabolic process. The MSDS reads "not classifiable as a human carcinogen".

I'm not headed out to chug a glass of the stuff, but there are far worse things in most gun cleaning products.

Bob

[The Hippie]

i was gona mix some up without the acetone.
do you just use an extra messure of varsol instead?

[pa_guns]

Hi

Varisol:

-OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL): 500 ppm
-ACGIH Threshold Limit Value (TLV): 100 ppm

Acetone:

750 (ppm) from ACGIH
1000 (ppm) from OSHA

The Varisol is more of a problem than the Acetone.

Bob

[The Hippie]

thats interesting

so maybe i should be mixing all acetone instead of varsol

what about mineral spirets instead of varsol?

[pa_guns]

Hi

Mineral spirits is pretty much the same thing as Varisol.

Acetone makes you feel strange because it's a metabolic byproduct. The other stuff just makes you sick later on.

Use good ventilation whenever you use any of this stuff. That includes the commercial products.

Bob

[Walver]

Sounds like something out of the Anarchist Cook Book, you guys aren't terrorist are you? I roger you'll on the teenagers, I have two, 17 yr. girl and 18 yr. man child. This is my second batch of youngins, and my wife's first. You can imagine what that causes. What about Kerosene to clean? For big and dirty first stage cleaning projects, it has served me well. I get the stuff without additives if I can find it. When I grew up in the country, generations ago, we used it for cut toes, feet, and cut whatever. It killed the germs and washed out the injury.
Walt

[Hawkmoon]

what about mineral spirets instead of varsol?
Varsol (upper case 'V') is a trade name for one brand of distilled mineral spirits.

[Baldy]

:D Sounds like something out of the Anarchist Cook Book, you guys aren't terrorist are you? I roger you'll on the teenagers, I have two, 17 yr. girl and 18 yr. man child. This is my second batch of youngins, and my wife's first. You can imagine what that causes. What about Kerosene to clean? For big and dirty first stage cleaning projects, it has served me well. I get the stuff without additives if I can find it. When I grew up in the country, generations ago, we used it for cut toes, feet, and cut whatever. It killed the germs and washed out the injury.
Walt
Hey Walver kerosene works just fine for powder resinue and that. I clean my guns in it and blow then dry with the air compressor. Then I use a piece of choir boy and Shooters Choice to get the lead out of the barrel. Oil them up with Gun Butter. Wipe them off and I am done. Good shooting. :D

[Walver]

Hi Baldy, it must be you that I own thanks to for the copper pad tip. I couldn't remember where I read it here. That is light years better than the Lewis Lead removers I have used for years. Your right, kerosene does work good for initial cleaning. You doing O.K. these days, didn't see your posting for a while, I was concerned?

[anachronism]

I use quite a lot of Ed's Red. Most cast bullet shooters do. It seems to cut carbon and powder fouling better than anything else I've tried, and the price is right, less than $20.00 per gallon. Cast bullet shooters are cheapskates, you know. It seems to be almost totally worthless on jacketed fouling, but I keep Butch's around for that. I also have a "Foul-Out" around here somewhere...