I use hot water and Spic and Span or a squirt of an Amway cleaner.
I find that there are two processes going on.
Vibration separating hard materials from the base metal, and solution of compounds that can be dissolved into a soap/detergent/water solution.
Most of what builds up on a shotgun is non polar, so, any detergent that might dissolve an organic is fine.
After a couple cycles (480 sec ea) rinse out and use fresh hot water. When done, the steel will be hot enough to dry itself, or you can blow air on it.
Occasionally, there will be salts precipitated on the steel, or grime that isn't 100% broken loose. No worries, as a popsicle stick will scratch it loose quite easily.
An action will be super clean and must be lubricated after a sonic bath. They are probably more clean than when manufactured, as current steel processing is quite an advanced science.
Some people go:
1)Polar
2)dilute mild acid Muriatic Acid
3)dilute mild base (NaHCO3) Baking soda
4)water rinse
5)dry and lubricate
There's no reason to be treating locks or an action like body panels or range brass, so I'd avoid too complex a process.
Hot water and a non polar solvent detergent or soap product suffices.
edited to add:
cleaning a complex mechanism for maintenance isn't the same necessarily as preparing it for exacting machine work.
So, if you are concerned about removing patination, stay away from acidic solutions. Use neutrals, like Spic and Span, Dawn, Amway, etc. Nothing that might etch.
Last edited by ClapperZapper; 05/31/16 01:11 PM.
