Hoppe's #9 smell

It's an acquired preference . smells ok to me, ballistol doesn't smell too bad to me either but my wife banned it from the house. I still use it but do so at work.

You shouldn't be handling any solvent without gloves.

#9 is mens cologne.

If they made Hoppes #9 aftershave, I'd wear it.

I like the smell, the old stuff smelled better.

Tomahawk674 said:

Last night I cleaned my Ruger SR22 pistol with some Hoppe's #9. I had never used that product, I had a bottle of the liquid from someone having gifted it to me a long time ago, and I was out of my preferred cleaner.

The solvent worked fine, oiled the gun and put it back together. The problem is that the gun now smells strongly like the solvent. I also noticed that the smell would not get off of my hands even after using dish soap, then a degreaseser, then a shower, etc.

Is this normal? it seems like the polymer frame on the ruger absorved the smell more than the metal parts. I know it's not going to harm anything, but man, that smell is strong.

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What is this world coming too???? The smell is normal, you aren't until you relish the smell..

frankmako said:

#9 is mens cologne.

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david58 said:

If they made Hoppes #9 aftershave, I'd wear it.

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troy fairweather said:

I like the smell, the old stuff smelled better.

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See what I mean?

35W

geez, my gun room has always had a bit of "the smell" makes me feel right at home....

I grew up smelling Hoppes No.9 when my older brother cleaned his guns.

Always wear gloves when working with any chemical solutions.

Smells like a clean gun to me and that is a beautiful smell.

Mainsail said:

You shouldn't be handling any solvent without gloves.

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bannockburn said:

Always wear gloves when working with any chemical solutions.

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Good grief.....

I first became aware of the tantalizing aroma of Hoppe's #9 when I was about 7 years old, almost 50 years ago, and my Dad took me dove hunting. He never wore gloves as he lovingly cleaned his Franchi Falconet with Hoppe's #9., and FWIW he just turned 85.

35W

I use that brand all the time.

I remove the label from my Hoppes and give it to my wife as a gift of perfume. She loves it. I like the smell myself, but it is residual.

Hoppe’s #9... a couple of dabs behind the ears and on your collar line and Voila! What Lady could not resist your intense masculinity and manliness...

Makes an excellent gun cleaning solvent too...

There are worst things to put on Your skin, my dad worked for a famous company when he was a teen. They made $$$$ perfume guess what's in it lol.

troy fairweather said:

I like the smell, the old stuff smelled better.

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I agree the old stuff smelled better. They used to make #9 air fresheners for your car as well.

Hoppes #9 solvent is made of kerosene, ethyl alcohol, oleic acid, amyl acetate and ammonium hydroxide. Not stuff you should really touch. Wear nitrile gloves. Have ventilation.

I've switched to Ballistol for many purposes in no small measure because it's non-toxic and I managed to poison myself from general exposure long ago in an acid etching room, didn't enjoy it at all. Ballistol even passes muster with the sensitive wife. I use it to oil wood things in the house. She's gifting some small sprays of it to people.

If you don't like Hoppes, don't use it.

(Note: Hoppes #9 used to be a product, a cleaning solvent. Now it's a brand. They put the "#9" thing on all sorts of liquid things like oils they sell, which is confusing.)

I like the smell but it's probably nostalgia.
My dad was strict about cleaning firearms every time you shot them. If you fired one round, you cleaned it. Needless to say we spent a lot of time cleaning guns, and the smell reminds me of that.

I cannot stand the smell of Hoppe's 9. Never have. Use G96 gun treatment. Smells like vanilla, no gloves needed.

Wife hates it. I love it.
If you can't wash off the smell, wash your hands with shaving cream. Just lather it into your hands and rinse. Same thing goes for diesel oil on the skin. Odor GONE!

Old shooters may rant and rave, but
The smell is gone with Burma Shave

I have one of those stainless steel soap bars, sounds crazy but it will take any smell off. Best $10 ever spent. I like ballistol when I have money. One thing it sometime makes my stomach turn.

If you use non-chlorinated brake cleaner it will rinse the Hoppe's #9 solvent off. You can then oil the gun. No smell.

Also Hoppe's #9 smells infinitely better than Ballistol.

As far as smell goes, I like Hoppes #9. I like WD 40 for the outside treatment of my firearms better yet.

For some reason I'm allergic to Ballistol. I have zero known allergies but the second I spray Ballistol, I find it hard to breathe. Its not just the stench, it's a literal closing up of the lungs type feel.

troy fairweather said:

There are worst things to put on Your skin, my dad worked for a famous company when he was a teen. They made $$$$ perfume guess what's in it lol.

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Whale poop? Lol. Aka Ambergris.

Mn Fats said:

Whale poop? Lol. Aka Ambergris.

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Skunk oil/ skunk spray. They have a way to add fragrances to the oil and remove the skunk smell that's why it's so pricy.