gloves for cleaning guns

[Spear Dane]

If you are cleaning with traditional petroleum based products then yes you should be wearing gloves. Frog lube, not so much. In fact you might want to rub some on your teeth and gums for that fresh minty smell.

 

[thephasdin4]

I've never used gloves cleaning guns but after reading this I might have to get some. I mostly clean bolt guns so I mostly push patches and hardly touching any chemicals

 

[Bigtanker]

So when I put a dab of Hoppes #9 on my neck before I go out isn't a good idea? It really attracts the right kind of ladies.

 

[freekforge]

I wear them if I'm doing something afterwards where i don't want dirty nails or smelly hands but most of the time i dont. I have been exposed to more dangerous stuff than whatever is in the solvent or the residue and have bigger things to worry about. Besides im 23 nothing can kill me.

 

[Expat]

Next thing people will say we shouldn’t have been playing with that mercury...

 

[STFU]

Next thing people will say we shouldn’t have been playing with that mercury...

Said the Mad Hatter!

 

[Sniper 79]

I generally dont for gun cleaning. I did start using them for cleaning and light mechanic work. Nitrile form Harbor Freight. Buy six or eight boxes at a time. Will throw a box in my gun room.

 

[freekforge]

Next thing people will say we shouldn’t have been playing with that mercury...

I had a tube i stole out of the garage when i was little, played with it on the kitchen table. Later in middle school a kid brought some in and spilled it all over the school. They took everyones shoes and had us showering in the locker rooms. I got sent home with no shoes and sopping wet in november if i remember right. They said our shoes would be returned but they never were. just got a $35 check which didn't even cover half of the cost of mine.

 

[LockStocksAndBarrel]

Always wear nitrile when using chemicals. Gun cleaning, handling ammo, hell, I even use them when gassing up my yard machines. It's a habit. I use the blue ones. Harbor freight has them for $5.99 per 100 with coupon. I stock up.

 

[Winamac]

I never used to wear gloves, but I have started using disposable surgical gloves the last 4-5 years. The idea just dawned on me one day after smelling cleaner on my washed hands for a couple days after a cleaning session. Been using them ever since and works great.

 

[Yankee Zulu]

An alternative to wearing gloves is using non-toxic cleaners. Such as the M-Pro 7 or SLIP2000 products. I wear gloves for protection mostly when the job is very dirty (like flushing a Mosin barrel) or I need to use lead solvent. I think everyone who believes in using gloves should consider going green. Toxicity is more about what you inhale than what you touch, by the way.

I do wear gloves occasionally to protect the finish from my sweaty hands. CanÂ’t stand palm prints.

 

[gregkl]

I had a tube i stole out of the garage when i was little, played with it on the kitchen table. Later in middle school a kid brought some in and spilled it all over the school. They took everyones shoes and had us showering in the locker rooms. I got sent home with no shoes and sopping wet in november if i remember right. They said our shoes would be returned but they never were. just got a $35 check which didn't even cover half of the cost of mine.

I remember breaking old thermometers and rolling the mercury around in our hands. I'll probably die one day.

 

[singlesix]

An alternative to wearing gloves is using non-toxic cleaners. Such as the M-Pro 7 or SLIP2000 products. I wear gloves for protection mostly when the job is very dirty (like flushing a Mosin barrel) or I need to use lead solvent. I think everyone who believes in using gloves should consider going green. Toxicity is more about what you inhale than what you touch, by the way.

I do wear gloves occasionally to protect the finish from my sweaty hands. CanÂ’t stand palm prints.

What about the stuff the cleaner removes from your gun?

 

[Yankee Zulu]

What about the stuff the cleaner removes from your gun?

Powder residue is not known to be particularly toxic on brief contact. Elemental lead is definitely not, but lead salts and oxides can be. I think lead solvents do warrant extra precautions. I hardly ever shoot lead anyway.

 

[Drail]

Shooting lead is not nearly as dangerous as breathing the fumes from the primers. That stuff will kill you just from standing around in an indoor range. How many guys wear a respirator at the range? Don't get me wrong here - if I must use toxic chemicals to do a job I will - and I will wear protection but I will not use those chemicals to clean a firearm because they are totally unnecessary. I used to have to clean maybe 20 guns a week for a few years and I have never used aerosol brake cleaner to clean a gun.

 

[Robert Richardson]

Shooting lead is not nearly as dangerous as breathing the fumes from the primers. That stuff will kill you just from standing around in an indoor range. How many guys wear a respirator at the range? Don't get me wrong here - if I must use toxic chemicals to do a job I will - and I will wear protection but I will not use those chemicals to clean a firearm because they are totally unnecessary. I used to have to clean maybe 20 guns a week for a few years and I have never used aerosol brake cleaner to clean a gun.

Another

 

[natdscott]

What I've wondered about is the lead, powder, AND primer fumes coming out of rimfire rifles.

I do end up breathing a fair amount of that anytime I am shooting Smallbore. At least it's outdoors I guess.

-Nate

 

[cosermann]

Use nitrile gloves most of the time.

 

[IndyIN]

I'm guilty of forgetting to put gloves on. I have a box on my cleaning bench that I intend to use all the time, but occasionally jump straight into cleaning and forget. I needed the option to vote "I'm easily distracted, and forget to put them on".

 

[Nojoy621]

Gloves?! Hell I put a little hoppe’s 9 behind my ears every time I go out on the town.......but seriously, never gave it a second thought, I’ll have to pick up a box.