Just for grins, I'm curious.

Do all you guys use Q-Tips to clean the slide rails, action, etc of your semi-autos like me, or would I garner stares and snorts from the majority of you to mention that I do?

If not, what DO you use to get solvent and oil in the harder-to-reach areas when you aren't breaking all the way down?

I've used Q-tips to reach into places on a firearm for cleaning or applying lubricant. Actually, I think pipe cleaners work better.
As far as the stares/snorts, anyone who spends much time watching someone clean firearms can probably be safely disregarded. :)

What's wrong with using Qtips? If you are worried about these type "A" gun people making fun of you, just don't tell them and be a closet user. I use them whenever I need to. I'd use a Kotex for gun cleaning and eat Quiche if it would get my guns clean! Ok, just kidding about the quiche guys! :D
I sometimes use Break Free Power Blast or Birchwood Casey Gun Scrubber to blast out residue in hard to reach places. Remove wood grips before using either of the blast type cleaners. Make sure you recoat it with a good gun oil or lubricant. I like Slide Glide Lite from Brian Enos (www.brianenos.com) on the friction points of my semi-autos and the spray can Break Free CLP to coat oil in hard to reach places. The Slide Glide is very slippery and stays put pretty well.
Lots of people use lots of different stuff and I'm sure it works for them. Just make sure you don't leave any metal surface without some kind of good oil coating.

Morning Wade

If it works for you do it. I don't use Q tips, but I've got a set of small brushes and old tooth brushes. I also like to use brake cleaner if there are no plastic parts.

Oh and you don't have to go in the closet to clean your guns.

I use 'em.

Actually, I like those ones on the long sticks, with a Qtip head on just one end that we used to use to clean our 8-track and cassete players with.
Besides the longer reach, the head doesn't come all unraveled and leave fuzz so easily, and the bare wooden end makes a good crud scraper for places like extractor recesses and the like.

I use q-tips all the time for a variety of gun related uses. Another handy item is the bamboo skewers that you would use for shish kebobs on the grill. The are a little bigger than a toothpick and about a foot long. Pointy on one end and blunt on the other.

I use one of those gunsmith cleaning brushes, the kind with three rows of nylon bristles at the wide end and one row of bristles at the narrow end. Also use round toothpicks and Q-tips where needed. Will openly admit to using anything that gets the job done.

Use the nylon brush/q-tips as Marshal indicated above. Also use compressed air (cans for cleaning computer keyboards) to clean spots I can't reach. And am considering the ultra-sonic cleaning tank....unfortunately the smallest one is in the upper $300 range and I haven't convinced myself yet. But the reviews indicate excellent cleaning and lubricating that reaches spots you normally can't or don't reach.

Dan

I buy the drugstore brand, much cheaper than real Q-Tips brand and I go through lots of em.

Guilty! I use q tips all the time for cleaning the firearms. About once every couple months I raid the upstars bathroom and take a big handfull down to my workshop.

For some tighter spots (like rails in the slide), I cut the head off the q tip and use the shaft for tighter spots. Low brow but effective. ;)

Gosh, until just now, I didn't know I was supposed to be bashful about using Qtips...

I'll use anything that seems handy & cheap.

I get the pipe cleaners that have bristles woven in. They're great for cleaning small screw holes that Q-tips can't fit.

I cut up old cotton shirts while I'm watching TV to make cleaning patches.

Tooth brushes, especially the wire-bristle kind are good for whatever's too big for Qtips.

Carb cleaner is great for cleaning Ruger semiauto 22's when you don't want to strip out all the parts and dang springs.

And, pick up a dental pick at the gun show to clean out your crevices.

:)

What's wrong with using Qtips? If you are worried about these type "A" gun people making fun of you, just don't tell them and be a closet user. I use them whenever I need to. I'd use a Kotex for gun cleaning and eat Quiche if it would get my guns clean! Ok, just kidding about the quiche guys! :D



Q Tips for gun cleaning? you people are silly.
OR
Yes, your ears are dirty...

Hey, just what is quiche anyway?
Eggs, meat and cheese. In a pie crust. Add hot salsa and its breakfast, just in a different shape. You can even eat it with your bare hands like man evolved to do .

You guys crack me up, afraid of breakfast. Nuthin but "girlie men"!

:D ;)

Actually, my wife likes how Q Tips work for cleaning her rifle and pistols. I'm a toothbrush guy. Mind if I borrow yours? I don't like the taste of that crud in the morning. ;)

Actually, between the 4 of us and changing toothbrushes every 6 months, I have enough for gun cleaning and tool cleaning purposes.

Use what works, Qtips are ok to use, toothbrush is the weapon of choice for me but I use qtips along with the brush, just remember kids don't use a brass brush anywhere near Titanium.........Lesson learned via a buddy of mine's misfortune.

What does brass do to titanium?

What does brass do to titanium?

it was a Taurus M85 in titanium, the brass brush left scratches all over the titanium, he sent it in to Taurus and they took all the scratches out no charge, so it was a happy ending but he learned to keep away from that pistol with anything but a nylon brush.

I have the same problem with my wedding band as it is Titanium and scratches very easily, it gets sent in a lot to be polished :)