FINALLY got my first HK-questions about care/break-in

[DC]

Well it was a challenge but I am finally a proud owner of a USPF 9. I ordered a CTAC for it the other day...should be here soon.

Could a few of you experienced guys tell me what cleaning products I should get and where the best place to get them online is.

I also dont know much about procedures of cleaning, any links or suggestion?

Is break-in important? How do I do it?

I want to take really good care of this pistol the best I can.

Thanks

[massocrat]

Hey DC, welcome to the Forums! I would highly suggest M-Pro 7 products for cleaning and lubing your weapons. I use the CLP (cleaner/lube/protectant) for basic cleaning and lube, and the Gun Cleaner solution prior to lubing with CLP during periodic, in-depth take-down and cleaning. Here's the link to a good site to get them (Brownell's):

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/ns/store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=22573&title=M-PRO+7+PRODUCTS

As for suggested methods of break in, some folks on here shoot brand new out of the box with no complaints. Myself, I do a simple field strip and cleaning with a new weapon: "get the old gunk out and put the new gunk in."

[bordercop]

HK's are duty ready from the box. No break in period is necessary, though you will find that the trigger tends to smooth out after a few hundred pulls. They aren't put together like a custom shop 1911, so they'll be at full performance, and full reliability from the very first trigger pull.

Cangratulations, and welcome to the addiction.

[GroovedG19]

Congrats on your new USP9, DC.Fine pistol you have there.

I've used Hoppe's Benchrest cleaning kit for a few years with no problems at all.For a new pistol, you should take it apart, clean it thoroughly and give it a good coat of lube.

Welcome to the ADDICTION indeed!

[psg1]

No break-in needed. The trigger will smooth up with practice. I'd buy a simple cleaning kit like the Hoppes one mentioned above, and a 9mm pistol bronze bore brush. Hoppes makes an excellent solvent and lube. You'll find that a good half of us here use Hoppes 9 for cleaning. I just picked up a 32oz bottle!

[bordercop]

You'll find that a good half of us here use Hoppes 9 for cleaning. I just picked up a 32oz bottle!

+1 umm, for each gun I own on using #9 solvent.

[DC]

Someone told me when running a brush down the tube to only go one direction (dont stop and reverse) Is that true? Would I have to run it all the way out, unscrew it, pull the rod back out, screw the brush back in and repeat?

How much lube goes where? Im really new as you can tell and want to get it right.

Oh BTW I picked up a p2000sk for the first time today hehehe...It was bigger than I expected and was really thinking of getting a p2000 but the sk seemed the perfect size for carry.

[LSP 972]

True. If you reverse direction while the brush is still in the bore, you won't hurt the bore but you will trash the brush. BTW, MAKE SURE yo use bronze, brass, or nylon brushes. there are some stainless steel brushes available; they WILL damage your bore.

You don't have to actually remove the brush from the cleaning rod. Just push it through all the way, then pull it back. Its best to get an aluminum rod, or a coated steel rod, because eventually you will rub the rod against either the muzzle crown or the breech end of the chamber. An uncoated steel rod can score or burr these edges, and if you damage the crown your gun's inherent accuracy will suffer.

A cleaning rod with a swivel handle (especially one with a ball bearing support) is nice. You paid big bucks for the pistol; don't skimp on the cleaning accessories.

I too am a new HK owner; USPc .45. You're going to love it.... ;)

[DC]

Any suggestions for a good cleaning kit?

[nwusp45]

I use Rem Oil in the spray can to clean and CLP or Klean-Bore as a lubricant. Simply spray it on, scrub with a tooth brush and then wipe all the grit and excess lube off with patches or q-tips. Be carefull with the q-tips around the hammer, sear, etc. You don't want to ram it in and bend your flat spring. Then I put one drop down each rail in the slide, and one drop on the extractor and work it in by pushing on the extractor. Then I drop one drop around the sear and those parts. I put a drop of oil on my fingers and spin it around the recoil spring and then run my finger down the hammer spring. I also put one drop where the detent plat engages the take down pin. Then I rack the slide a few times in my hand and if I see any oil oozing out the back, I wipe it off. No heavy lube required. Your manual should spell out whats needed. Oh, don't forget your mags. Clean them every so often too. You can pick up a decent cleaning kit at most any sporting goods store.

[LSP 972]

When you purchase a "cleaning kit", you generally end up with stuff you never use.

All you need to do the job properly is a good rod, proper bore brushes, a patch holder/jag tip, a couple of old tooth brushes, rags, Q-tips and pipe cleaners, solvent, and lube. IOW, buying the stuff separately usually makes the most sense.

Outers use to sell aluminum swivel-handle rods (with a T-handle) in a re-usable plastic pouch that included both a slotted patch tip and a bore jag. A jag is a cylindrical attachment that force-fits a cleaning patch snugly in the bore , and IMO does a better job than a "normal" slotted tip that just holds the patch loosely. Dunno if these "rod kits" are still available.

I have one of those Outer's rods that; well, I have no idea how old it is- my dad had it when I was a young chap. I actually prefer it to an expensive Dewey (the best you can get, alledgely) that I paid 25 bucks for at a gun show in a weak moment.

KleenBore makes an ideal coated metal rod with bearinged swivel handle that I've seen for sale separately. It is just the right length for a four-inch barrel. That's one thing I don't like about the Dewey; it is too long and gets a bit clumsy on these short semi-auto barrels.

You might have to go to a specialty shop, or on-line, to find a good bore jag. Midway sells several varieties. Same for quality patches. The "volks-patches" now offered by Hoppes and the few other "popular" vendors (i.e., what you'll find at Wally World) are some kind of synthetic crap that simply do not do the job like good old cotton.

Betcha didn't think there was so much to simple cleaning gear, eh? :D

Some folks get by with the cheapest essentials, and their guns work just as well as mine. I prefer to approach cleaning as a part of the ritual.

[DC]

Thankyou guys for taking the time to educate me. I feel much better about how to take care of my new toy :)

[c0strer]

for lube i grease my rails with tetra gun grease, for cleaning i use hoppes elite, for other lube i use fp-10 good stuff i think i run a bore snake threw the bore right after um done shooting while its still hot so it get like 95 % of carbon out ... get you self a bore snake one of the best investments ive made

[Fooboy]

Just throw it in the dishwasher - its an HK.

:)

[trenace]

Actually for metal parts that might not be bad. I've never tried it though. It certainly would dry them adequately.

The one time in my life I've ever rusted a gun was, horribly, my Sterling P7M8. I actually think that the serial numbers and proof marks were stamped in AFTER the gun was blued... they certainly appear that way. Anyhow, after an ultrasonic cleaning and I'd thought the gun was well dried, I got a couple of rust spots, one in the center of a zero in the serial number and the other at the stag horn. I expect that what happened was that the crevices retained a trace of water, and that metal was more unprotected, and whatever cloth I wiped the gun with, with whatever product (don't recall) glided over the crevices.

So at least with P7's that have that characteristic -- my Chantilly does not -- water for cleaning does have a danger, but just hypothetically speaking a dishwasher should dry it well enough to be no problem.

Don't know if I'd put a polymer gun in one though as I don't know their heat tolerance.

Incidentally, I don't think rusting occurs at boiling temperatures; instead of any oxidation to rust occurring I expect it would be to blueing. Could be wrong though, if the critical factor isn't temperature but rather concentration of oxygen; but in traditional slow rust blueing boiling water actually converts rust to blueing. So, I don't tend to think that boiling hot water promotes rust. (It wasn't while in the hot water that my P7 got the rust spots. Dang that all anyhow. :mad: )

[Jefferdy]

First off, congratulations on your purchase! I remember the excitement I felt when I put my very first HK on lay-a-way back in 1993--a brand-new USP9FV1, so I know how you want to baby that thing. Treat her right and she won't let you down. I still have that pistol and it still amazes me with its accuracy.

That being said, here's my input on cleaning FWIW: I largely agree with the others on here, but my personal preferences lean toward putting your OWN kit together. I have a bunch of cleaning stuff, some good, some not, but what gets used time and again is that doggone Boresnake and some Hoppe's Elite. I LOVED Hoppe's #9 but those fumes could get you that "heavy lung" feeling after awhile, even in a ventilated area. The Elite is non-toxic and I've used it with great results from Iraq (where americansnipers.org donated a case to me) through the Q-course. I've had good experience with Militec as well for lubrication's sake. The "I just got through shooting and want to give 'er a once-over"-kit is the Boresnake, Hoppe's Elite, and a rag. The "detailed, white-glove" cleaning involves a little ultrasonic cleaner I got from Harbor Freight and some more of that Hoppe's Elite (I got a case of it, gimme a break!) to really get the nitty gritty off. Then work the nooks and crannies with Q-tips, the aforementioned rag and a toothbrush (preferably one that's out of hygenic circulation, although the Hoppe's is non-toxic, so...), and repeat as necessary. That ultrasonic is truly a "work smarter, not harder" tool. I highly recommend it.

So I hope that helps! Good luck with it and let us know what you decide!

[UTVOL06]

Hey DC, welcome to the Forums! I would highly suggest M-Pro 7 products for cleaning and lubing your weapons. I use the CLP (cleaner/lube/protectant) for basic cleaning and lube, and the Gun Cleaner solution prior to lubing with CLP during periodic, in-depth take-down and cleaning. Here's the link to a good site to get them (Brownell's):

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/ns/store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=22573&title=M-PRO+7+PRODUCTS

As for suggested methods of break in, some folks on here shoot brand new out of the box with no complaints. Myself, I do a simple field strip and cleaning with a new weapon: "get the old gunk out and put the new gunk in."

I agree with the M-Pro7 products. I bought mine from brownells as well. I bought the kit. Non-toxic too!

P.S. no break-in is needed..its ready to rock out of the box.

[DOC49]

Congratulations on your new HK purchase. I am sure this pistol will serve you well for many years. I have two H&K pistols. My USPC 40 shot without a problem right out of the box. My other H&K, a P2000SK 40 required about 50 rounds for a break in to overcome a failure to feed problem. After the 50 rounds, another 250 round were fired without a problem. For the most part, they all seem reliable right out of the box. I would clean the pistol prior to use to remove any factory anti rust coating that may be present. As far a cleaning and lubrication, I have discontinued for the most part Break Free CLP. I have found that Weapon Shield actually cleans and lubricates better without the smell. Good Luck Again with your new pistol.

[Sobriquet]

Weaponshield CLP. Run a search here for it.

I like Mpro-7 gun cleaner for really heavy fouling. I retired my boresnake for at-home cleaning because it's easier to use patches than to wash the boresnake. Both products are non-toxic and don't have a strong odor.

[detroit25]

I like OTIS cleaning kits, they use a plastic coated wire to pull the brush or swab through. I just got my first HK last week but I have been shooting match rifles for 15 years and most peolpe like the 1 direction cleaning (in the same diraction of the bullet). Again I am probably over protective of my firearms but better safe than sorry.

http://www.otisgun.com/

[USP40guy]

Congratulations on your pistol. Cleaning the H&K is a pleasure compared to losing an eyeball getting the recoil spring back into my Colt 1911. I usually do the solvent part of the cleaning while I’m still at the range. No sense inhaling that stuff in your garage for hours afterwards.

I use a bronze phosphor bore-brush soaked with Hoppe’s No 9 and run it through the barrel (at least 6 passes). Always start from the chamber end - not the muzzle end. Clean any fouling on the feed ramp. Switch to a nylon bore brush, and soak a patch, and put it over the brush and back several passes through the barrel. Repeat until the patches come out clean. Then use dry patches to dry bore.

I spray all the remaining components with Hoppe’s Elite Spray and use a nylon gun brush to scrub the breech face, extractor, slide assembly, hammer assembly, trigger spring, and inside the polymer grip’s to clean the hammer spring and magazine release. It’s completely safe to spray on the polymer frame. Wipe off with clean cotton rags.

I use Tetra Gun lube liquid for most parts and the cream version on a few areas. Put some liquid on a patch; pass it though the bore using the nylon brush. Then follow with a dry patch several passes to remove any excess. It’s important to never leave the barrel with a heavy coating of lubricant when you are shooting. It can cause excessive pressure buildup to occur as the bullet passes that could rupture or bulge the barrel. If you are storing the weapon for extended periods, its fine to leave a coating to fight corrosion - just be sure to wipe the bore dry before firing the pistol.

I put a small amount of Tetra lube liquid on my finger and apply to the following:

1. The outside of the barrel all the way around and the barrel opening at the front of the slide.
2. Locking block contact point with the recoil spring.
3. All inside parts of the slide.
4. Top of the slide where the locking block contacts the inside of the slide.
5. Sear and extractor face
6. Slide rail grooves.

I put the Tetra cream on the metal inserts in the polymer frame that contact the slide groove, and on the hammer face.

After assembling, rack the slide about 10 times to distribute the lubricants. Put a Snap Cap in the chamber and dry-fire the gun about 10 times. Wipe away any lubricant from the breech area, and Snap Cap. Last thing you want is a round with a dead primer from lubricant when you need it most (like defending your life). I tend not to get too carried away with lubrication. The pistol shouldn’t look like a fat guy covered in baby oil. The key parts are the slide grooves, and barrel exterior, since they are the parts getting the most friction.

Purchase:
1. A good gun rod that has a conical brass guide to protect the muzzle and keep the rod centered in the bore.
2. An Outer’s double-ended nylon and bronze-phosphor gun brush. They have a large brush end and a small brush end for tight crevices. These brushes cost a buck a piece, so buy several. Save your toothbrushes for your teeth – fluoride interacts with metals. Why risk it to be a cheap skate.
3. Several phosphor bore brushes, and one or two in nylon, in your caliber – again, a buck a piece at Wal-Mart
4. Cotton Bore mops in your caliber – good for removing any excess lubricant from the bore.
5. Good quality cotton patches, pre-cut in your caliber.
6. Hoppe’s No. 9 and Hoppe’s Elite Spray.
7. Tetra Lube or some of the other products others have mentioned.

Enjoy your H&K and get out there and shoot it!!! :44: