I’ve usually shied away from reviewing products, because I hate the idea of spending my time doing other people’s marketing for them, but sometimes I run across a product that genuinely is really good, and I think would be of help to other shooters.
While at the NRA convention in St. Louis back in April, I bought a small bottle of a gun cleaner called Gunzilla. The guy at the Gunzilla booth said the product was developed for the military, was plant based, had very little odor, wasn’t harmful to the environment, but still “removes rust, lead, copper, plastic, carbon and even cleans corrosive ammo.” I was skeptical of these claims, but he was offering the 5oz bottles for six bucks, so I thought I’d give it a try.
Now, I’ve always been a Hoppes No. 9 guy when it came to cleaning the power residue out of firearms. I’ve tried other cleaners, and I always thought No. 9 did the best at cutting through thick residue. The chief problem with No. 9 is that it smells, though not necessarily badly in my opinion, it’s quite strong. After I clean my Glock, for the next few days, I’m waiting for someone to come up to me and say “My, that’s an odd fragrance you’re wearing, what do you call it?” I’m probably the only one who can detect the smell, but it’s definitely there. I usually put all the wet patches and q-tips in a zip lock to keep it from continually stinking up the house.
So tonight I decided to try the Gunzilla to clean the Glock. When they said it didn’t have much odor, they weren’t kidding. Vegetable oil has a stronger scent than this stuff. I did take a quick whiff before I bought it, but even with a few wet patches laying out, I still couldn’t smell anything. I was skeptical when I bought the bottle that it would be a truly effective cleaner, but my skepticism was unwarranted. This stuff cleans pretty well! Granted, I’m meticulous about keeping my carry piece clean, but it cut through the powder residue pretty ably. I think for my regular cleanings, I’m sold on Gunzilla.
The real test will be to use it to clean the Kalashnikov, which I clean maybe once a year, after a thousand or so rounds of filthy Russian ammo have been fed through it. If it can clean up that mess, I may never buy another bottle of No. 9 again. You can’t beat something that cleans well, and saves both the environment and your nose!
UPDATE: A few people have asked if I got paid to do an endorsement. Who would pay a C-list blogger to endorse their product? Nah, I just thought it was good stuff.  If someone offered to pay me to write an endorsement I’d tell them to get lost (well, unless there was a lot of money involved)
I’ve not used Hoppes before, I’m an Outers guy. But I absolutely adore the smell of my solvent. I’m just waiting to run out of my current bottle so I could pick up some Hoppes #9 because I hear it smells even stronger.
However, I’d gladly try the Gunzilla stuff. I just might open the Hoppes / Outers as an air freshener.
And I can’t shoot 20 rounds through my M44 without cleaning the damned thing. Is that being too anal? I shoot corrosive ammo and clean it generally as soon as I get home, if not the next day.
And I can’t shoot 20 rounds through my M44 without cleaning the damned thing. Is that being too anal? I shoot corrosive ammo and clean it generally as soon as I get home, if not the next day.
If you shoot corrosive ammo, cleaning it at the range before coming home is not too anal or too soon.
I would not wait even one day after using corrosive ammo. They don’t call it “corrosive” for nothing.
Sailorcurt ain’t kidding. You have to me meticulous with corrosive ammo, or you’ll be sorry. I had some I didn’t know was corrosive, and within a week I had rust in the gas system. It was very upsetting.
Cleaning it at the range is a no-go unless I wear asbestos gloves and use flame-retardant cleaning patches.
That damned barrel gets friggin’ hot.
So a day is too much, eh? No problem, I’m pretty good about it, but there’s been a time or two when I wasn’t able to.
How did the Ruskies deal with them in the field? I can’t imagine they would stop and clean during a protracted firefight.
I’m a BreakFree CLP kind of guy myself. Very little odor and it does the job of solvent and lubricant. Each of us have our preferences. I used Hoppes early on and switched because of my ARs and then found the other guns liked it too. I keep the Hoppes as a backup.
Sailorcurt is right about cleaning with corrosive. I keep a bottle of 50/50 Windex and water in my bag and run a couple of soaking patches through the bore at the range. A couple dry patches to mop up and clean normally. The one time I forgot the dry patch I had rust in the bore (nothing a quick pass didn’t solve with normal cleaings) but I’ve never had a problem with corrosive ammo even a week later doing this. As a matter of being protective of my 60-70 year old rifles, I generally clean the corrosive shooters immediately upon getting home and leave the normal stuff for the following day if I am short on time.
A day is fine. A week probably isn’t. I’ve waited a day with no problems. In a dry environment, which my basement isn’t, you can probably wait longer. The Russkies probably didn’t care whether the rifle survived much longer than the war.
So, if someone offered you $10,000 to endorse their system of “Become a Millionaire in the Real Estate Market with No Money Down”™ you’d do it?
Well, in order to say something good about it, I’d have to try it and become a millionaire first.
For $10,000 I’d shill for Hillary.
With corrosive-primed stuff, also depends on the weather. Humid as it’s been in OK the last while, overnight would let rust start.
Been using Ballistol and water to swab the bore & bolt face at the range when the barrel’s cooled enough, then regular cleaning after I get home.
Haven’t seen Gunzilla. If it’s the same as the stuff the Army issues, my son hates it, at least for cleaning a M16; says it just doesn’t cut the gunk very well.
I don’t think it’s the same stuff, but I could be wrong.
I have tried almost all, to include Clenzoil and MP7. Gunzilla is the only one that removes powder and plastic fouling from a shotgun bore without requiring the use of a copper brush. After I cleaned the bore for the second time with Gunzilla the cleanup was the easiest by far of any product. It even got the forcing cones clean. I usually shoot 200 to 400 rounds between cleanings and gunzilla is by far the best.
I got a free sample at the National Sheriffs’ Convention in Indianapolis. Tried it, liked it, ordered enough for 25 Officers including the SWAT Team. I’m ordering more to give out as Christmas gifts to my Hunting Buddies and friends at the Sporting Clays range.
I have allways been a #9 fan but this stuff is the best I’ve seen in 33 years of Public Service.
That’s quite a testimony! It’s been more than a year since I wrote that, and I still swear by the stuff.