Gun solvents and knives

pvicenzi

pvicenzi

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Will gun solvents harm phos-bronze knife washers? How about nylatron?
 
I've used GunZilla in my knives on my knives with bronze and nylatron washes with no issues. I can't imagine that gun oils could harm bronze since that's what most cleaning brushes are made of.
 
The solvents are designed to remove lead and copper fouling. I thought they might be hard on the bronze.
 
Bore cleaning solvents like Hoppe's #9 contain ammonia, which attacks nearly all copper alloys. I don't have one handy, but the answer to your question is in a book called the ASM Handbook of Corrosion Data. The handbook will have data for the corrosion rate of phosphor bronze in various chemical environments, and another that describes ammonia corrosion rates for various materials. I wouldn't apply an aggressive alkaline solvent to a crevice, but that's me.

Nylon is resistant to degradation by the ingredients of Hoppe's #9, and MoS2 is also, but your solvent could contain other chemicals that could react with a nylon washer. Even a slight reaction could lead to either a change in density which would result in binding, or degrade the material properties of the nylon, causing cracking.

I don't see any reason to apply a solvent which is intended to dissolve metal to a plastic part. Why not just use a lubricant?
 
The possibility of any gun solvent actually damaging either bronze or nylon washers is terribly remote. If you soak your knife in them for days it might be a danger. Just cleaning should do no harm. That said, there is no particular reason to use gun solvents on knives.
 
Soaking is not necessary to maintain the deleterious environment, because once the solvent is wicked into the crevices between the washer and blade and liner, it will remain for some time due to the low surface area presented by the disc of ammonia and lubricant mixture. Luckily, ammonia does not typically form azeotropic mixtures and it will steadily and completely evaporate from the crevice. Ammonia will damage most copper alloys (CuNi and NiCu being highly resistant) by general and stress corrosion cracking. Nylon is susceptible to attack by many chemicals. The chemical resistance of both bronze and nylon to attack by all common drivers of corrosion has been studied exhaustively, and that information is available in print (and to a lesser degree due to the economics of materials research, online).
 
I use Clenzoil exclusively on my knives and guns. It's even recommended for leather. You can also buy it in a .25 once needle applicator that is great for pivots.
 
Let me put in layman's terms for you:
There won't be enough solvent there to hurt anything.
 
I've used hoppes #9 quite a few times on my knives. Doesn't hurt a thing. Blue Dawn dish soap and water works just as well.
 
Actually there is. When you're sitting at the bench, (where all the tools are) cleaning guns and you remember the Sebenza in your pocket could stand to be taken apart and cleaned.

Bill DeShivs said:
The possibility of any gun solvent actually damaging either bronze or nylon washers is terribly remote. If you soak your knife in them for days it might be a danger. Just cleaning should do no harm. That said, there is no particular reason to use gun solvents on knives.
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