Ruger Forum

Dabruins · August 26th, 2012, 11:09 AM

Having only fired 75 rounds of factory ammo (Federal American Eagle 230 gr fmj) through my new SR1911, I've noticed some burning/discoloration at the muzzle end of the slide. There's a 1/2 inch wide band of discoloration around the end of the slide. I applied some Outer's cleaning solvent to the stain in an effort to remove the discoloration, but it didn't have any effect whatsoever. So, I have 2 questions: is this a normal occurrence for a stainless steel slide? Also, is there a polish, rubbing compound, etc. available that will clean up the discoloration without destroying the finish?

Thanks for any help you can offer!

Benemorte · August 26th, 2012, 11:17 AM

Might be important to note here that discoloration can also be caused by the tempering effect in the metal of the gun. It is not all that unusual for metal to take on a burned/bluish appearance if heated to high enough temperatures. This can be caused by rapid-fire in some circumstances, but I have my doubts as to whether or not only 75 rounds would do such a thing.

In a worse case scenario, you could give the gun a polish with a product such as Flitz, but be careful with taking the spot you want to clean beyond the finish on the rest of the gun.

I would surely attempt standard gun solvents first.

MJD23 · August 26th, 2012, 03:32 PM

Dabruins, just as Benemorte said standard gun solvents. I have a SR1911 and SR9c
in stainless and after a day at the range having put 100 to 150 rounds thru each
one the muzzle and areas of the slide from powder (dirty ammo) some more than
others. I use Hoppes #9 Bore Solvent , as I take the gun apart to clean, each part
gets wiped down with hoppes and let it set. work on cleaning part that aren't as
dirty first, some areas may need a little more solvent then others.
Hoppes #9 has been around a long time, GREAT STUFF. some say it smells
I kind of like it myself.

When done they look and shine like a new dime, ready for the next range day.

Dabruins · August 26th, 2012, 04:19 PM

Thanks for the solvent suggestions! As I was cleaning the gun, it seemed like the Outers wasn't doing a very good job of cutting through the carbon buildup in all the nooks and crannies of the slide, around the extractor, etc, and it crossed my mind that trying something different might be a good alternative. I'll pick up some #9 and give the gun another thorough cleaning and see if there's any noticeable improvement.

Thanks again!

StrutStopper · August 26th, 2012, 05:39 PM

My SR1911 always gets discolored when I shoot. My reloads aren't the cleanest burning rounds on the planet. I have always been able to clean it right up using just Breakfree CLP.

jrprich · August 26th, 2012, 07:28 PM

I have used Froglube on my SR1911 since I bought it and all discolorations from firing just wipe right off with a paper towel

stargeezer · August 26th, 2012, 07:48 PM

How about a picture or two? I have not seen anything that was no caused by burning powder and cleaned easy.

jlh820 · August 26th, 2012, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrprich

I have used Froglube on my SR1911 since I bought it and all discolorations from firing just wipe right off with a paper towel

+111!

I'm a FrogLube junkie and it's removed soiling/fouling on any gun I've used it on plus future firings any dirt/fouling just wipes right off without scrubbing.

Highly recommended!

James6591 · August 27th, 2012, 01:09 AM

I've used the same ammo to start off with, no problems this end.
Clean it off and see if it reappears.

Dabruins · August 27th, 2012, 02:34 PM

I took a photo of the barrel discoloration, but couldn't figure out how to upload it with my post! DOH!

If I look very, very closely at the affected area, it does appear to be residual powder or carbon buildup, so giving it another cleaning with a different solvent or some froglube will (hopefully) make the gun look like new again. Looks like I'll be visiting my lgs tomorrow!

tglazie · August 27th, 2012, 02:54 PM

Mako patches work well for me. At the range before I pack up I run a boresnake through the gun a few times, wipe down the slide with a Mako patch and towel it off, then clean it properly later. I didnt care for the patches for my other guns (too wet) but I like the idea of getting that discoloration off immediately so I use them on the SR1911

Amazon.com: Mako 40 Pop-Up Weapon Cleaning Wipes: Sports & Outdoors

jlh820 · August 27th, 2012, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dabruins

I took a photo of the barrel discoloration, but couldn't figure out how to upload it with my post! DOH!

Take your picture. Upload it to a photosharing website such as Photobucket or Google's Picasaweb (my favorite). Once your photo is uploaded to your photosharing website, it should have a link to this photo link. Copy that link.

In Rugerforum, write your post and when you are where you want to post your picture, click the little yellow box with the picture of a mountain and the sun. A dialog box will pop up with the first part highlighted saying http://. Select all and paste your URL from the link you copied before.

That's all there is to it.

PS - don't move your photo around on your photosharing site or you'll break the link. Make sure you have it where you want it before sharing the link.