What was the solvent that we used to clean our rifles in the Marine Corps?

eaglesnester

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Ok you jar heads, ex jar heads and retireds what did we use to clean our M-16 with?
what was the name of the solvent and where can I get some in civilian life?

Cheers & Tighter Groups: Eaglesnester
 
I don't think either of those are the answers he is looking for. Yes the Marine Corps uses them on weapons but thats not whats in the solvent tanks at armories. I think that is what he is looking for with the word solvent. Although the question was kind of unclear.

I was working at an armory for a while and we got a tank in while we were there, but it was always just called solvent. The liquid was always handled by a contracting company and even they just called it solvent. I am sure there was some technical name for the chemicals in it on the MSDS but I never cared to look at them.

Honestly not sure why you would need it though, solvent was just the lazy way to clean up the weapons and it certainly did a number on any plastic parts. A little elbow grease and some CLP gets the weapon just as clean and keeps it in better shape.
 
LSA was developed for gas operated full auto rifles and machine guns
gary

My first real job about 40 years ago was a QC technician with a government contractor for military lubricants. Jet and helicopter hydraulic fluids and lubricants, and LSA grease. The test standards for LSA were very stringent. A whole battery of ASTM tests for metal friction and corrosion were performed on every lot, then the results inspected by Uncle Sam. One test was to coat a sandblasted carbon steel plate with LSA and place it in a high temperature, high humidity, salt water chamber for one week. As I recall, when complete, if you were able to count more then 5 spots of rust the size of a pin head or larger, it failed. I tried this test with some Outers Gun Grease that was a common product of the day and the plate was totally rusted in 2 days. I didn't even bother trying it on the friction tests. I used LSA on my 45ACP's when I shot IPSC. Good stuff!!!
 
I don't think either of those are the answers he is looking for. Yes the Marine Corps uses them on weapons but thats not whats in the solvent tanks at armories. I think that is what he is looking for with the word solvent. Although the question was kind of unclear.

I was working at an armory for a while and we got a tank in while we were there, but it was always just called solvent. The liquid was always handled by a contracting company and even they just called it solvent. I am sure there was some technical name for the chemicals in it on the MSDS but I never cared to look at them.

Honestly not sure why you would need it though, solvent was just the lazy way to clean up the weapons and it certainly did a number on any plastic parts. A little elbow grease and some CLP gets the weapon just as clean and keeps it in better shape.

when I was gainfully employed I had a hot tank for my own use. We used a high concentration of floor stripper in it at about 170 degrees with the cleaner agitated with air lines. The old time carburator cleaner (the bad smelling stuff) will clean gun parts very well, but don't think you can buy it anymore. Much of the chemicals used even fifteen years ago, are now illeagle to use anywhere. Most chemical cleaners these days are water based, or ment to be cut with water.
gary
 
My first real job about 40 years ago was a QC technician with a government contractor for military lubricants. Jet and helicopter hydraulic fluids and lubricants, and LSA grease. The test standards for LSA were very stringent. A whole battery of ASTM tests for metal friction and corrosion were performed on every lot, then the results inspected by Uncle Sam. One test was to coat a sandblasted carbon steel plate with LSA and place it in a high temperature, high humidity, salt water chamber for one week. As I recall, when complete, if you were able to count more then 5 spots of rust the size of a pin head or larger, it failed. I tried this test with some Outers Gun Grease that was a common product of the day and the plate was totally rusted in 2 days. I didn't even bother trying it on the friction tests. I used LSA on my 45ACP's when I shot IPSC. Good stuff!!!
LSA sounds very familar. It came in 1 quart OD containers with a screw cap and I do believe these containers had the milspec number or stock number written on and the letters LSA.
 
The solvent was issued to us from the armory when we would finish at the range. Now it may not have been LSA but it sounds darn familar for some reason.
 
The solvent was issued to us from the armory when we would finish at the range. Now it may not have been LSA but it sounds darn familar for some reason.

LSA is rather thick, whitish looking (like snot<g>). I have mixed it with automatic transmission fluid at one time or another. Results were also good (we used the same stuff that came in CD850 tank transmissions as it's also super high detergent).
gary
 
well if it were whitesh and like snot it was not LSA

I've been thru hundreds of bottles while I was in the Army, and every bottle was labled LSA. That was so far back in time that we were some of the first users of the stuff. Perhaps they changed the formulation; I don't know. But it was developed when they were having problems with M16's, and hit the scene in early 1968 or late 1967
gary
 
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