So, I have been pulling out some AR’s from the back of my safe last couple weeks. This particular LMT MARS lower has sat for probably over a year. When I went to engage, the safety that once upon a time gave a nice “click” when engaging, offered up a mushy- I dont know what. It works its just super mushy and I don’t dig it.
I was bit bummed that my very cool lower lost its pop per se. I was considering using some Brakleen to remove the goop. I have a feeling its a combination several lubes/oils that just sat and gooberized. Technical term, I know.
Any opinions on using some brakleen in a very stingy fashion? Or other ideas to unfck my safety/lower.
Brake cleaner is fine, even in a large amount. Just make sure that it’s chlorinated brake cleaner. Non-chlorinated brake cleaner will react with the aluminum in an adverse way.
I’ve been unfkin stuff with simple green for a long time. Pull the parts and soak overnight, brush, compressed air, relube and reassemble. I just got some slip 2000 unfker I’m gonna try but I hate cleaning guns as long as some more oil will do, I have a lot of oil.
Chlorinated dries faster than non-chlorinated, and the non-chlorinated is more flammable. Chlorinated used to be the standard until some states started banning it due to environmental issues. Brake cleaner does a better job of cutting oil than carb cleaner.
PB, forgive me if I’m misremembering, as I may be mixing up whether it was you or Mark who wrote this. As I recall, either you or Mark were using Frog Lube in your ARs. If that is the case, then that is also the culprit. FL is well known to gum things up if not wiped up completely after application. FWIW.
I was just telling Mark that might have been the culprit, so in agreement. It looked a lot like some of my MWS BCG’s that got polluted a while back before I switched over to Lucas.
If the firearm was lubed w FL, pretty sure that would explain the thickened goop. Plain drug store alcohol should work to remove that crap without harming anything. Brake cleaner evaporates super fast so doubt it will harm aluminum. Lucas is good stuff, all is well.
I run froglube exclusively on my ARs. I leave a good amount in the BCG in perpetuity, adding more as the BCG looks dry.
That said, we have a buddy who stored some guns with FL and they were locked up pretty good. My guess is that FL will gum up after several years of inactivity??
I don’t have personal experience with it, so I can’t speak from that. But, I have read of plenty of people who have reported gumming issues. Many of whom seem to be situated in colder conditions, so that may explain why you’ve had no issues with it, coupled with maybe not letting your weapons sit too long. Just speculating though.
ETA: I think I’ve mentioned this to you before, but perhaps it bears repeating. FL is supposed to be applied to warmed surfaces, allowed to set, and then wiped off. Clearly, as you’ve had no issues with it, this may not apply in hot climates, or when the stuff is kept “wet” by judicious re-application.
I’ve had good luck with the spray bottles of Slip2000 725 when I want to clean things. I disassemble, spray off the gunk, dry, lube, and reassemble. Slip2000 725 is water based, so be sure to dry and lubed after using it.
I think our good results with FL is both warm weather and dry humidity. So many people hated it and we had such good results, that was always my theory. And I always used it judiciously.
Our buddy who was really pissed at FL is in our warm climate. He’s meticulous with what he does with his guns and I trust that he had froglube on the guns he had locked up.
Thus my theory that it gums up if left for long periods.
Just detail strip and clean the stuff off the selector, spring, and detent.
Remove the pistol grip minding the springs and detent don’t lose them). Clean the smeg out of the groove and selector stop holes in the selector shaft. Lightly lube with a good oil and reassemble.
