The makers of Gunk and Liquid Wrench have taken to repackaging what proved to be one of the finest metal preservatives weve tested here in Idaho. Our tests (September 2012) on a bar of bare steel exposed to salt and rain for weeks showed the product, originally called Smith & Wesson Lubricant and Protectant, to be among the very finest at keeping rust off that steel bar. We had first tested that oil in July 2010, and it had been one of the best two preservatives wed tried, the other being Boeshield. Our steel test bar now has sat outdoors all last fall and winter, and it has yet to show any rust in that spot, though the rest of the bar has rusted badly. The accompanying photo of pistol and bar at right shows it as it is today, the oil having never been reapplied.
That preservative oil was at first hard to find, and then became impossible to find. Along the way we published a few sources, but they dried up. Imagine our joy to learn that the oil is now being repackaged as a liquid, not in a spray can, and its readily available. Its called Bushmaster Firearms Master Lubricant & Protectant. The sample we got was actually part of a cleaning process that involves three fluids, called #1 Master Bore Cleaner & Polish, #2 Master Bore Rinse, and #3 Master Lubricant & Protectant oil.
The three cleaning products come in small, flattish plastic bottles with twist-to-open caps. First, we tried the three products conventionally on a Glock 23. That means we used cleaning rods and bristle brushes and patches. To do this, we put on gloves, because this stuff is labeled as being irritating to skin. The first product, Bore Cleaner & Polish, looks like mud. In fact it has clay in it. One patch, rubbed diligently through the bore, cleaned out everything from the barrel, and we mean everything. The barrel was just sparkling clean. The next product, called Master Bore Rinse, is alcohol based and is used to wash out all traces of the first product. That took two patches, one wet and one to dry it. The final bottle held the magick juice, which is called Master Lubricant & Protectant, with which we anointed the Glocks bore. Based on our rust tests, we know the Glocks bore will never rust, even if we leave it outside a year with no further protection.
Our next test was to try the Bushmaster Squeeg-E Universal Cleaning System, which uses the three fluids and almost eliminates the use of patches. This kit comes in a fist-size zippered case that holds 27 parts including ten of the bore-dedicated orange plastic wipers, or squeegees, that fit most barrels from 22 to 12-bore. There were also several bristle brushes in the kit, small samples of the above three fluids, and two pull-through cables that can be joined to reach through most rifle barrels, or used singly for handguns or carbines. The case included full instructions, which must be followed.
We first tried the system on a Rock River Arms LAR-8, a 308 rifle currently under test here. The system again promised to be messy, so we first donned some nitrile gloves. The cleaning process simplified is to drop the cable through the bore, affix the correct-size bristle brush on it (.50-caliber brush for .30-caliber rifles), carefully anoint the bore with some of the mud…er, Bore Cleaner & Polish, and pull the whole thing through the bore. Theres a clever handle to make pulling the cable easy. This is repeated four times, being sure to use more of the cleaning mud every time. Then you change the bristle brush for the appropriate, labeled, .30-caliber squeegee and pull it slowly through the bore, just one time. Lo, the bore is clean! At least its supposed to be. And, were happy to say, it surely was clean. Then came the mess.
We were instructed to clean the action with the second fluid, the Bore Rinse, using what amounted to a low-cost acid brush, the bristles of which started to fall out and get stuck in the action and chamber well before we were done with our first gun. The other end of the brush had a cap. Beneath the cap was a flattened, sharpened scraper that actually was handy. But the brush quality was, we thought, way too low for the uses to which itll be put. To our surprise youre instructed to wash all the crud and dirt from the action into the chamber, muzzle down, and then rinse the chamber well with the Bore Rinse. Then you pull all that stuff through the bore again. Presto, youre done.
Except youre not. The procedure left the bore immaculate, but it would have taken the entire bottle of cleaning fluid to properly rinse the chamber. We resorted to a patch on a cleaning rod, and pulled lots of nasty stuff out of the chamber. We also had to clean the muzzle inside the flash hider with another patch, because the squeegee left some crud behind where the bore expanded into the flash-hider area.
We next tried the system on a 45 auto, specifically a Colt CCO. On this the system worked perfectly, with no complaints. The chamber and bore were both cleaned very well by the 45-caliber squeegee. In fact we thought the system left the bore and the rest of the gun as clean as its been since it was new. We didnt have any leaded bores on hand, but the instructions made it clear that if the bore contained reluctant lead, a bronze bristle brush or other tried and true methods of removing the lead would have to be used. But for our Colt CCO we had no problems, and in fact liked the Squeeg-E Cleaning System very much for that type of handgun. We had to use a conventional rod with a patch to oil the 45s bore, and the same would be true for a rifle. We would maybe get weary of pulling a bristle brush through the cylinders of a revolver, but were sure the system would do the job. Another slight gripe with the system is in the shape of the larger bottles of fluids that we first tried. Wed like to see the three products put into bottles of round or square configuration that would be less likely to tip over, but we do like the easy-twist tops on these. The exit hole for the first product, the Bore Cleaner & Polish, could be a bit larger.
Our Team Said: All in all, we liked this three-shot system very much, and can recommend it. Even without the Squeeg-E system, the three fluids seem to drastically cut down on the quantity of patches needed to do the job.
Gun Tests Grade: B+
Written and photographed by Ray Ordorica, using evaluations from Gun Tests team testers.
