S&w 442

[JMACDONALD]

Is it safe to use RemOil wipes on an early 90s 442 with the nickle finish? Ive heard it wise to avoid Hoppes on it.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Why are you asking about Rem Oil because you heard Hoppes is a no-go?

Hoppes #9 is a solvent while Rem Oil is just a good gun oil. I happen to like Rem Oil a lot and use it on all my guns. I use the spray instead of the wipes because it's easier to get coverage in the tight spots with a spray. IMO it's an excellent gun oil which does what it should do. Like I said, it's a gun oil, not a solvent so it won't harm a Nickel finish.

 

[JMACDONALD]

RemOil is what I have stocked up on and wanted to see if it was okay to use on nickle.

 

[Tony_the_tiger]

Remoil will be fine, I have some too, however it will have a limited application for cleaning the barrel and cylinder. If you are wary of hoppes, something like CLP on a bore brush through the barrel followed by a piece of cloth or swab should do the trick. If the firearm is relatively clean, wiping down with remoil is probably all you need to do. Sometimes I'll coat and buff the exterior in johnsons paste wax, which seems to ease the removal of carbon and powder marks when wiping it down after a range session. If you do clean the barrel and cylinder with oil, make sure to get it all out and avoid an unintended combustion event when firing. Even for a nickel finish some hoppes on a bore brush in the barrel and cylinder would probably be fine if you don't give it a chance to corrode the nickel exterior. If you carry the piece, expect some mild finish wear from contact with the holster over time.

 

[MartinS]

unintended combustion event???

 

[JMACDONALD]

thanks guys. Shes 20 years old and has limited wear and tear thats why I was being cautious. About the only blemishes are under the Uncle Mikes boot grips and where the recoil shield meets the frame. Might just get a trip to Metalife after I put some miles on it.

 

[JMACDONALD]

"unintended combustion event"...........happens to every guy once in a while.

 

[Hapworth]

"unintended combustion event"...........happens to every guy once in a while.

Keep telling yourself that.

 

[bannockburn]

JMACDONALD

The concern with Hoppes and nickel plating comes from the fact that Hoppes is a copper solvent; in other words it's formulated to remove traces of copper found in your barrel. Many nickel and chrome plated guns had to have a coating of copper plate applied to the metal before the nickel plate was put on because the nickel plate wouldn't bond directly with the metal surface. What could happen then if Hoppes was used on the gun would be that the Hoppes could penetrate the nickel plating and go after the copper plating underneath. By breaking the copper plate bond with the metal, the nickel plate would peel or flake off the gun.

I have actually done this with an old rifle that was chrome plated and except in a few areas of the receiver and barrel where the plating was quite thick, the rest of the chrome plate came right off.