Ed's Red Firearms Solvent

[LittleLebowski]

I'd just buy some non chlorinated brake cleaner and hose it out outside. Easier and more effective, with little to no cleanup needed.

[gato naranja]

I agree with the health concerns from the chemicals. You’d be well advised to be careful to keep it off your skin. I have boxes of nitrile gloves I keep handy for when I plan on getting dirty.

Those of us who came of age in the days when anything "safety" was considered "sissy" have often already had the damage done, but yes, the gloves are a good idea. It kind of turns my stomach to think about the hours I spent barehanded in a constantly-recirculating parts cleaning tank with who-knows-what in solution with the mineral spirits, the times I basically marinated my hands in trike and 1-1-1, and the days when methylene chloride on your skin was shrugged off.

("A-a-ah... it'll just burn for a while. Don't worry about it." I didn't then, but I do now.)

Ed's Red was at least a bit less overtly toxic than some of the stuff guys used to concoct.

I always thought "Ed" Harris was one of the more knowledgeable and forthcoming of the gun guys on the technical side, but he sort of dropped off the radar to a great extent. His short article entitled "Guns I Kept After I 'Lost Interest'" was a wake-up call for me back when I still had a lot of iron around the place (yet was not enjoying it).

[JTQ]

I'm not a fan of creating a bucket of toxic chemicals stored in a makeshift container, especially when there are lots of perfectly safe and effective commercial products available.

Gunsmith Ned Christiansen in the "mega-lube" thread over at 1911forum

https://www.1911forum.com/threads/lu...353412/page-27

I just tell people get the commercially offered gun lube of your choice that is conveniently packaged for however you use it. In other words, a peanut butter jar and ladle is not going to be very convenient. A squeeze bottle with a pointy tip is pretty convenient.

Costs of commercial lube/cleaners is often brought up in these kind of threads, but if you consider the most expensive commercial products may cost $20 per 4 oz container, and that 4 oz bottle will last probably 2,000 rounds. The cost of buying the most expensive lube/cleaner would be completely lost in the other costs involved in normal training costs.

[willie]

I buy the safety lecture as long as the speaker does not use tobacco in any form or Cartel products sprayed and or cooked with whatever.

[UNM1136]

I mixed up a bunch of Ed's Red about a decade ago. I store it in a .50 cal ammo can that doubles as a parts dunk. I like for my 1911, all but the slide and grips. Most other pistols are plastic, and I use it for the barrels only. And AR/ shotgun bolt groups. I am thinking about adding the liquid lanolin for the self lubing qualities. Maybe trying it as an ultrasonic fluid.

I have used nitrile or latex gloves for gun cleaning for more than 20 years. Even when using non chloronated brake cleaner.

pat