Firearm cleaning is a chore, but we all know that a clean gun is a gun that goes bang when you press the trigger. We all want the cleaning process to be fast, thorough and not make us feel like we should be wearing a hazmat suit. Solvents in the old days worked, but the smell was often charitably described as vile. Today’s gun cleaning lubricants and solvents take a more “green” approach to scrubbing and lubing and they work just as effectively as the old school products—but are nicer to the environment and more pleasant to work with (and you don’t need a clothes pin on your nose to use them).
Here are 10 “green” products for cleaning your guns.
1. Ballistol Aerosol and Liquid Spray
Perhaps the oldest modern gun cleaning product made, Ballistic has been used by the military and sportsmen since 1904. In fact the German Imperial Army started using it in 1905. Ballistol is biodegradable and will not harm the environment, it is probably the first environmentally friendly firearm solvent and oil. The aerosol uses a propane/butane blend with no CFCs and it is also safe for skin. Ballistol will clean your weapon’s bore of fouling and lubricate it without hardening or gumming up. It also works on wood, rubber and leather.
2. Blue Wonder Gun Cleaner Concentrated Gel
Blue Wonder removes copper and lead deposits in your barrel’s bore it will also take care of exterior rust without harming the finish. Blue Wonder is safe for polymer frame firearms, will remove oil from oil soaked stocks, and does it while being completely non-toxic, nonflammable and biodegradable.
3. Bore Tech Extreme Grease
Environmentally friendly with no odor, Bore Tech Extreme Grease is designed to be used under extreme pressures and over a wide temperature range from -55 degrees Fahrenheit to +700 degrees Fahrenheit. A synthetic based fluoropolymer lubricant, it has a lower coefficient of friction than traditional petroleum based lithium grease. Best of all it comes in a syringe applicator with a fine tip so you can place just the right amount exactly where you need it.
4. FrogLube CLP Liquid Spray
FrogLube dissolves carbon on contact and is absorbed by your firearm’s metal leaving a dry, slick, wax-like surface that reduces friction and resists fouling and rust. Biodegradable and made from a USDA Certified Food-Grade formula, FrogLube has a pleasant minty smell.
5. Hoppe’s Gun Medic
Hoppe's Gun Medic is a bio-based lubricant and a cleaner that is designed for fast, easy use. Just spray down your dirty gun and the solvent and lubricant work together to eliminate malfunctions due to a dirty gun. The solvent comes in a high pressure spray bottle that blasts away gun crud and evaporates in 60 seconds leaving a thin coat of lubricant that is rated from -65 degrees Fahrenheit to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. IOSSO Bore Cleaning and Polishing Paste
IOSSO is a paste, so it will not spill or drip into actions. The formula is bio-based and made from plant extracts and is designed to remove copper, lead, carbon burn, powder fouling, plastic residue, and surface rust and does it with no foul odor. IOSSO is non-corrosive, and nonflammable.
7. M-Pro 7 Gun Cleaner Spray
M-Pro 7 is odor free, nonflammable, non-toxic and biodegradable. It completely strips metal clean of carbon as well as oils and grease and leaves a thin rust inhibiting film without a slick oily feel. The formula actually breaks down carbon so lead and copper fouling floats free.
8. Otis Technology Bio CLP
Like all CLPs, Otis Techology's Bio CLP is an all-in-one cleaner, lubricant and preservative plus it is biodegradable removing carbon and powder residue from metal surfaces and lubricating metal to help prevent rust and corrosion. The one thing it doesn’t have is a harsh smell.
9. Rand Bore & Bolt Non-Toxic Solvent
Rand's Bore & Bolt helps break down carbon build-up, dissolves powder, and rust. It is bio-based, non-toxic, and virtually odorless and safe to use on all metals, polymers and woods.
10. Weapon Shield CLP
Testing has shown that Weapon Shield CLP improves bore accuracy due to decreased friction between the bullet and the bore surfaces. Weapon Shield calls it advanced boundary film (ABF) technology. It also cleans, removes lead, lubricates metal surfaces, and protects metal from corrosion and is non-toxic and environmentally friendly.
