On my new 1911, I am getting some brass marks near the ejection port from spent casings, any suggestions on how to clean it up?

You might try flitz jb.

That won't hurt parkerizing?

Elbow grease, my boy - that, and some Remington Bore Cleaner or a small dab of J-B bore compound on a solvent saturated cloth. :D

jb,

This might sound simple-minded, but most can be removed with a patch and oil or cleaning solvent. Why worry about what is left after that, it will just be back the next time you shoot the gun. Flitz is also no friend of parkerizing.

I used some JB and got the worst of it, next time, I might let it get worse and try some kroil.

jb,

I think I'd pass on the Flitz. I think it would be way too aggressive. I'd be afraid of ending up with a smooth, shiny spot in the middle of the dull Parkerized slide. I think that would look worse than having the brass marks. IMO. I'd just use a soft cotton cloth with oil or solvent, and rub for awhile, if it really bothers you.

Just a thought: I'd be alot more impressed if I ran into somebody at the range who had a Mil-Spec that had a big brass plated spot on the side of the slide from shooting thousands of rounds, than if some guy had one that looked like it had never been fired. It's kind of a badge of honor. :D Which one would you want to ask for advice?

How about those guys who buy an original Colt SAA in pristine condition, and then put one of those plastic ties around the hammer, so no one can pull the hammer back? And then put it in a glass case, so no one can get their finger prints on it...

How about someone who buys a Harley-Davidson, and then doesn't ride it because they're afraid their chrome pipes will turn blue? I'd be more proud if my pipes were blue all the way to the tips...

I used some JB and got the worst of it, next time, I might let it get worse and try some kroil.

The JB will have a polishing effect on the Parkerizing. Flitz will tend to leave its wax in the pores, which will glaze it. Get a bottle of Bore Tech Elimenator. It will rapidly attack the copper in the brass and break it down. It is more aggressive than ammonia-based bore cleaners and, despite being water based, it leaves a protective film behind. That is why I recommend it over a simple ammonia soak, which will tend to remove the oil put in the Parkerizing by the manufacturer. The stuff is expensive in small 4 oz bottles (around $9-$10), but not bad in 16 oz bottles ($17 from Sinclair International (http://www.sinclairintl.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?category=CPSCSO&item=03-3195&type=store); the best price I've seen listed).

Despite the protective claim, I like to follow up any significant cleaning of Parkerizing with LPS-3, which leaves an anti-corrosion wax in the pores. This sounds a little like the Flitz glaze you want to avoid, but it will be uniform and has much more corrosion resistance and doesn't polish the surface mechanically. Boeshield T9 may work about as well and smell less.

Nick

I had the same kind of thing happen with my Bushmaster AR... I've found that if I rubbed it with my thumb it came clean in short order... Otherwise I'd have used Wipe-Out...

best o luck

nate

... I've found that if I rubbed it with my thumb it came clean in short order...

That's a good point. A pencil eraser will probably work, but get the smooth white or transparent plastic drafting erasers, not the abrasive pink or rough flat white kind.

Nick

Simple; cold blue. a little on a q-tip rub it on a bit and wipe off. quick, easy and works. I use 44-40, but be sure to oil it afterwards.

Darin

. . . I use 44-40, but be sure to oil it afterwards

At some point I'll have to write up my experiements with aging cold blue on wires, but here's the short drift:

Look at the ingredients. I it contains nitric acid (44-40) or hydrochloric acid (old Outers) you will get some surface activation and afterrust will form easily. If it has only phosphoric and selenic acids (Oxpho Blue and Van's Gun Blue), you will actually form a corrosion resistant layer of dark gray phosphate that protects the metal.

The problem with the protective "blues" is their color depth is not as good as 44-40 or the others with stronger acids. The trick with the stronger acids is to apply Formula 409 or Greased Lightning or other strongly alkaline cleaner post application, then rinse well, then hose down with water discplacing oil (WD-40 works), then was that away with the final gun oil treatment. This seems to kill afterrust completely.

Note that on phosphate finishes you will get a stain effect from any cold blue. Try it inside the recoil spring tunnel of the slide or some other hidden place first to see if it is going to be OK on your finish or not? With many deep blued guns it will look fine. Test anyway.

I'll have to put a post together with pictures of the blued parts.

Nick