Any machine that you operate over the years is likely to suffer from degradation due to the accumulation of dirt and other prohibitive stuff. In order to maintain the optimum status and functioning of a device or a machine, you need regular maintenance. The maintenance helps to eradicate irregularities that plague devices whereas it fuels it with fresh impetus for smooth functioning. Guns are no different. Just as police officials, military members, and security cadre need to fire their weapons at the shooting range for practice and accuracy, the guns also need regular cleaning as well as maintenance for it to retain optimum status. The firearms are often cleaned using the ultrasonic gun cleaner.
Functioning of the ultrasonic cleaners
The fundamental concept behind the functioning of the ultrasonic cleaners is the quick building and the immediate collapse of the microscopic bubbles in the detergent solution. This agitation in the water causes multiple small implosions which in turn produces efficient scrubbing of the visible as well as concealed component surfaces. As the frequency becomes higher the count of those bubbles increases whereas the energy which is expelled by collapse decreases resulting in frequencies in the range of 35 to 45 KHz. This frequency is perfect for the eradication of the small particles without causing damage to the surface or the components.
DO’s of cleaning guns with an ultrasonic cleaner
Field-strip the weapon. Experienced people know that field-stripping and disassembling the weapon or a gun is part of the cleaning exercise by hand. The ultrasonic cleaners are no different. The ultrasonic cleaner works best with the smaller parts as it allows it to penetrate in the complicated holes, crevices as well as cracks that are hard to reach manually. The ultrasonic cleaner removes most of the contamination quickly without resorting to scratching the surfaces of the metal.
Maintenance of weapon after the cleaning is equally important in helping you run the machine at its optimum level. Once you are done with the ultrasonic cleaning, you must immediately rinse, dry and then lubricate the moving parts of the weapon to keep it rust free as well as clean. This must be done quickly since humidity and pollutants in the air can affect the weapon adversely.
DON’TS of cleaning guns with an ultrasonic cleaner
You must not clean wooden or ivory parts with the ultrasonic cleaner. While the ultrasonic cleaning is great for metal parts and components of the gun, it can have an adverse effect on the non-metal parts. The parts made of ivory or wood can crack or get damaged by the high temperature or the agitation that happens in an ultrasonic cleaning process. This is why alternative methods should be deployed for cleaning the wooden or ivory components of the gun.
You must avoid using flammable solvents for ultrasonic cleaning. Most of the ultrasonic cleaners are biodegradable, water-solvent detergents for cleaning. There are some exceptions which use flammable solvents. Even in these cases, you must be very cautious by keeping the area highly ventilated plus avoiding inhalation of the dangerous vapors.
