Cleaning off gunk on scope

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  • jeffsqartan

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    I'm working on some loads for my Dad's bolt gun and noticed that there is some kind of black gunk on his scope. Almost like it had been wrapped in electrical tape for years on end.
    I could literally grab the scope and go fill out a set of finger print cards with what is left on my fingers...
    Problem I'm having is how to clean it off. I tried Goo-Gone, my old go-to, but it's not working very well at all. I had to scrub and scrub and scrub with a shop rag and I've barely gotten one end of the scope cleaned off. There's lots of nooks and crannies where this gunk is; it's even on the turret caps.

    If anyone has some expedited cleaning ideas, that would be greatly appreciated.

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    patience0830

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    Brake Klean?

    Had the same kind of residue on a no name scope that I collected in a trade. Some kinda cheap coating that didn't age well. I threw the scope away.
     
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    bwframe

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    I have a BSA air rifle scope that has it's matte finish sticky and rubbing off for years.

    After reading this thread, I gave it a go with WD-40 and De-Solv-It. Neither melted the sticky finish. Both seemed to only removing what was going to rub off anyway.
     

    bwframe

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    Uh oh, may have got lucky. Looks like acetone (nail polish remover) may actually work.

    Looks to be a multi step process though, not just easily wiping off the first pass...
     

    jeffsqartan

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    Sweet, got some good suggestions here. Thanks, guys!
    Oooo, reminds me I have a large container of denatured alcohol in the garage. I'll have to give that a try, too.

    Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
     

    Dead Duck

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    As dry-solvents go Acetone is usually up there as the strongest.
    Oil based thinners are down toward the weakest end of the spectrum. I will start out with a variety to play with. Checking in areas that won't be seen in case someone painted it at some point or some cheap scopes finishes can smear and smudge. The worse one I had was a real old Tasco (japan glass) that had many coats of camo and tape grunge through the years. I ended up using straight acetone way more than my comfort zone allowed. Lot of soft rags and a few toothbrushes later and it turned out absolutely gorgeous. The perk is a great contact high all afternoon.

    **Warning** - Acetone is one of those chemicals that can be absorbed through the skin and cause bad stuff. So I wear gloves then counter that by breathing it generously. :n00b:

    A good anodized finish should hold up but you just need to be careful.
     

    dieselrealtor

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    I used acetone or mineral spirits to clean mine last year, I believe it was a BSA with a rubber coating that had broken down & turned "sticky".
    It took around 30 minutes if I recall, but all clear now with no residue.
     

    natdscott

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    Just keep the acetone OFF the plastics and rubber seal rings.

    Trust me.
     

    Cameramonkey

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    I have a BSA air rifle scope that has it's matte finish sticky and rubbing off for years.

    After reading this thread, I gave it a go with WD-40 and De-Solv-It. Neither melted the sticky finish. Both seemed to only removing what was going to rub off anyway.

    I used acetone or mineral spirits to clean mine last year, I believe it was a BSA with a rubber coating that had broken down & turned "sticky".
    It took around 30 minutes if I recall, but all clear now with no residue.

    No, you dont have a BSA scope. You (probably) have a counterfeit.

    The gunk comes off with Heet in the red bottle (pure isopropyl alcohol) with some elbow grease. Change your rag often. (and use something about as abrasive as a shop towel... but not one. The red will come off with the alcohol)

    I had the same problem on my "BSA Cats Eye" scope. Before my first Appleseed I couldnt find my manual to fully grasp its settings (how many clicks/MOA, is it a shift in POA or POI, etc) so I jumped on the BSA site and went looking for one. Trouble is, BSA never actually made one with my model number. It didnt exist. Not even the specs. (objective lens + magnification range)

    Oh well. For a rimfire scope, it does well even if its not the real McCoy. :dunno:
     

    Hohn

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    Brake Klean?

    Had the same kind of residue on a no name scope that I collected in a trade. Some kinda cheap coating that didn't age well. I threw the scope away.

    Brake cleaners will eat come kinds of plastics. Same thing with lacquer thinner.

    Use electrical contact cleaner instead. You're looking for something with trichloroethane or tetrachloroethane in the ingredient list.
     

    Hohn

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    Just keep the acetone OFF the plastics and rubber seal rings.

    Trust me.

    Acetone also has a bad habit of just spreading goo around rather than actually removing it.

    Hence, my STRONG preference for electrical contact cleaner above. It's safer on the materials AND more effective.

    Just don't make a habit of sniffing the stuff or ingesting by any means.
     
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