? about striker channel cleanout hole

[ParrotHead]

What is the reason that a cleaning agent needs to be shot into the hole? Is it oiled inside from the factory and needs to be removed?

[Glock23]

Ya never know what kinda crud might find its way in there. Easier to spray it out than break it completely down to detail clean it.

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[Bawanna]

In the past there were reports of left over machining debri left in the channel. Undoubtedly oil at least. Since no one knows how long a gun will sit on a distributors shelf they usually are literally soaking in oil in and out.

Following those reports when I got my PM45 I detail stripped the slide mostly just to see if there was any truth to it. Mine was pristene inside, clean as could be but oily.

Oily isn't a bad thing really but it does attract contaminants. I suspect they may get some primer residue etc from the striker introduced to the striker channel and need hosing out.
Once it's clean the brake cleaner spray should more than take care of it. If there's debri in there from the start the spray might not get it all out.

I think in recent times they are clean out of the box.

[ParrotHead]

OK thanks. So the two holes that need sprayed are located in yellow here?:

http://img542.imageshack.us/img542/9358/lube.jpg

Should I just spray the entire slide in brake cleaner and wiped down then oil as per the diagram?

[getsome]

Only need to blast out the little hole next to #9 in the photo...The red tube that comes with the brake cleaner will fit in there real tight and then just blast away and if you can while spraying push back on the striker spring there at #7 so it's real good and clean then blast the whole slide inside and out...wipe any left over cleaner off and lightly reoil at the spots shown and your good to go...

[Bawanna]

^^what he said except I don't spray the whole slide. I also put the tube in the striker hole in front and give it a little blast. Also push down on #8 while giving a blast and you'll reach more area also.

I don't do this very often though. Some do it routinely every cleaning and that's probably a good plan.
I take mine down probably once a year, to check and also so I don't forget how.

[Harrylee]

If that was me I would take the slide down and just clean the whole thing.If I shoot 10 rounds or 100 rounds that slide assembly comes apart.The machine needs to be clean to function proper

[wyntrout]

The slide doesn't need to be detailed that often. I don't even use the Non-Chlorinated Brake Cleaner everything I shoot. It is advisable to do that once, at least, to see what's in there and prevent buildup. Most of us have found debris in there... metallic slivers. From my photography... videos of shooting and taking stills from those, I've seen fire and flaming particles coming from the REAR of the pistol... around the slide! I'm sure that there are lots of slivers of brass from the cases banging around in the area behind the chamber and plenty of gases and pressure to force stuff through the pin hole. I don't think that all of it can be blasted out with the NCBC, either. As Bawanna does, I pull the striker to the rear and blast some NCBC through the pin hole to force stuff out the back, too. The NCBC will blast out the lubricants, too, and you need just replace the small drop on the safety block and maybe a little near the rear of the spring, but none in the striker tunnel/channel. The extractor "channel" can be lubed by lightly oiling the pins and springs when you detail strip the slide.

I lightly oil the safety block and its small spring with my fingers before re-assembling the slide. I really lightly do that the the rear of the striker spring in the area of the plastic guide rod.

Wynn:)

[ParrotHead]

So I have CRC Brakleen that I have used to clean cosmoline in the past. It doesn't say anything about non chlorinated. Can I still use this?

Isn't the pin behind the striker plastic? Brake cleaner doesn't affect it?

[CJB]

You can find just about any sort of thing collecting in the striker channel. I suspect my sock, that mysteriously disappeared from the drier last week, will eventually be found in someone's striker channel.

Rumor has it, that God intended the belly button to be a clean out hole, but Engineering had trouble getting it right, and decided put it off "till next week", which didn't really fit the project schedule.

[ParrotHead]

Can I used red can Brakleen for this? I don't have the non chlorinated stuff.
Will the red can hurt the plastic sight or paint on it?

[CJB]

It will hurt the striker spring guide on all models. It will hurt plastic front sights on modelsvso equipped.

[ParrotHead]

OK so as long as it's non chlorinated...any brand will do?
I don't have a NAPA anywhere close to me unfortunately

[MW surveyor]

You are good to go with any just as long as it is non-chlorinated!

[jocko]

Can I used red can Brakleen for this? I don't have the non chlorinated stuff.
Will the red can hurt the plastic sight or paint on it?

surprsies me one can evenfind cholorinated cleaner anymore. EPAhas damnear put that its grave. Read ur red canbrakekleenbetter. I think it inon chorlorinated, but if it doesn't say so. then don't use it.:Amflag2:

Look at any NAPA STORE FOR 3m #08180.tHIS STUFF IS THE MOST POWERFULSPRAY i HAVE EVER USED AND IT IS NON CHOLORINTED.

[wyntrout]

OH! You guys(me,too) with painted-dot sights, be careful when you're cleaning and lubing your pistols. We've had more than a few guys "clean" the white dots off their pistols!:eek:

Wynn:D

[ParrotHead]

surprsies me one can evenfind cholorinated cleaner anymore. EPAhas damnear put that its grave. Read ur red canbrakekleenbetter. I think it inon chorlorinated, but if it doesn't say so. then don't use it.:Amflag2:

Look at any NAPA STORE FOR 3m #08180.tHIS STUFF IS THE MOST POWERFULSPRAY i HAVE EVER USED AND IT IS NON CHOLORINTED.

Well...it doesn't specifically SAY it's non-chlorinated, but it doesn't say chlorinated either. It DOES say to keep away from plastic and painted surfaces so I'm assuming it's not a good idea.

[ParrotHead]

What's the difference between 08180 and the 08880 can? I see the 08880 says it has no chlorinated solvents but I don't see that on the 08180 can.

[jocko]

it says that on both. I have not seen the 08880 in my napa store, I think the 08180 says supin about low VOL, which Iam told is some fokking epa sh!t. Both are perfect.. I think unless u have just bought the 0880 that the 08180 replces it. I might be wrong on that to.

[sharpetop]

If there is no NAPA near you, Wal-Mart or any auto parts store sells it. Yes it will dissolve the paint on the sights but won't harm plastic. [That's what it says on the can]

If you fokk up the sights, just get some model paint, fingernail polish, etc. and re-paint them.

[ParrotHead]

Hmmm...if brake cleaner dissolves sight paint maybe I don't want to use that then.

[jocko]

thats ur call to make. IMO most cleaners that actually clean are not good on painted surfaces. I was reading the can of Gun Blast by Birchwood and it said to keep away from wood surfaces. A guy outta be able to spray clean his slide without getting anything on the sights, I would think...

Not sure I would want Hoppe's #9 on painted sights. I know it ruined my wood Herretts grips duye to carelessnes and the colonel had to redue the for me..