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Thread: Cleaning Magazines in the Dishwasher

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  1. #1
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    Cleaning Magazines in the Dishwasher

    OK, so I remembered something about this idea, so I looked it up, but couldn't find specifically for what I was looking. Have any of you guys (ya'all) cleaned a magazine by washing it in the dishwasher? I have about 8 or 10 Kim Pro Tac Mags, stainless steel, and maybe 5 Chip McCormick magazines that I regularly take to the range loaded, and fire them off. I of course clean the pistol in the usual way, but that is a lot of magazines to clean each and every time. I was looking for a way to clean them up that didn't take so much time and effort. Any ideas?

    Wade

  2. #2
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    Unless you are dropping the mags in the dirt, I'd say disassemble and clean them about once a year. If they do hit the dirt I would not depend on anything short of disassembly and cleaning after every use. I actually use wd-40 (gasp!) for my annual cleaning of mags, making sure all residue is totally wiped out and all part are clean and dry before reassembly.
    "Make yourselves sheep and the wolves will eat you." --Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)

  3. #3
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    I would not put anything firearms-related into a dishwasher I use for things I cook with or eat from.
    Hawkmoon
    On a good day, can hit the broad side of a barn ... from the inside

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hawkmoon View Post
    I would not put anything firearms-related into a dishwasher I use for things I cook with or eat from.
    And if you do, don't let your wife find out!
    MFWIC
    DILLIGAF
    Stercus Accidit
    WTFDTSG

  5. #5
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    Ok, ok. You've convinced me! With so many mags cleaning the magazines is a bigger chore than cleaning the gun. Indeed, after a range session, the gun comes apart, everything gets sprayed with Break Free, then everything but the barrel gets washed down with Gun Scrubber. I spend more time brushing ans swabbing out the barrel, but the whole evolution takes maybe half an hour. The magazines, on the other hand...

    Since I mostly shoot at an indoor range, my mags are fairly clean. I like 11 Bravo's idea. I can rotate cleaning mags over several weeks, and yes, WD 40 sounds like a good cleaning agent. The WD in WD-40 originally stood for water displacer. But it can also displace a lot of grime.

    Wade

  6. #6
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    I don't think I've ever cleaned a 1911 magazine. How do yours get so dirty that you need to clean them after every range session?

    If you have that many magazines to clean on a regular basis, maybe you should invest in an ultrasonic cleaner. Lyman makes one, and I'm sure there are other sources.
    Hawkmoon
    On a good day, can hit the broad side of a barn ... from the inside

  7. #7
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    Hawk, actually, based on your experience, I suppose I don't have to clean them at all. I don't clean them after Every range session, but maybe after every third or so. Mostly its the lip area that gets a lot of powder residue, and I was concerned that if that built up, maybe the magazine would cause a malfunction. My carry magazines are of course clean as a whistle. Often I push the follower down and stick a toothpick through the holes to hold it, then clean the lip area. But I was concerned that it wasn't enough. Your post has relieved my mind. Thanks,

    Wade

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by PolyKahr View Post
    Have any of you guys (ya'all) cleaned a magazine by washing it in the dishwasher?
    No, but I washed a disassembled shotgun. Coincidentally that was right before my divorce.
    Like someone's grandpa used to say "I can sit here quietly and let everyone think I'm stupid, or I can say something and confirm it for them."

  9. #9
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    I have a double-stack Para I use for practical shooting. Its mags get dropped in the dirt, regularly. Sometimes the dirt isn't too dirty (i.e. more gravel than dirt) sometimes it's just plain dirt, sometimes it's fine, powdery dirt AND either me or a Range Officer steps on one of my mags after I drop it, making it sink in the dirt.

    I don't really clean my mags.

    When I pick up a magazine and it's clear that it dove nose-first into some grime, I quickly remove the baseplate, drag the spring and follower out, wipe everything my fingers can reach (doublestack mags are nice and 'roomy') then use an old toothbrush I have in my range bag to remove any persistent gunk, then blow in the mag body a couple of times before putting it back together and loading it for the next stage. It takes a lot less time to do than to describe... and my Para is as reliable as an anvil (and almost as heavy).

    Once a year or so, I might give a close look to the magazines when I clean the gun. All my doublestack mags are nickel-plated, which seems to be a more 'slippery' finish than most, so I've never had much trouble getting the mags to be nice and shiny, inside and out.

    Like Hawkmoon, I'd never try to clean a gun part in a dishwasher. I don't consider myself to be very dirt-averse (to put it mildly), but I don't think that mixing lead-encrusted parts with utensils I'm going to eat from, is such a good idea.
    Too many people miss the silver lining because they're expecting gold.
    M. Setter

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hawkmoon View Post
    I don't think I've ever cleaned a 1911 magazine. How do yours get so dirty that you need to clean them after every range session?

    If you have that many magazines to clean on a regular basis, maybe you should invest in an ultrasonic cleaner. Lyman makes one, and I'm sure there are other sources.
    This!

    I also have 14 M&P 9 mags, some dating back to 2007, that have never been cleaned. All still function fine, and have been used to shoot countless IDPA matches, and have also been used in several 1500 round count weekend training courses.

    All, plus my many 1911 mags, have been dropped in the sand countless times, and still function flawlessly.
    "Sights are for the unenlightened."

    Rick

    IDPA Certified Safety Officer

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