Funny story about Hoppes #9. Didn’t happen to me, but I recall reading about a guy who cleaned his gun, then put it in his IWB holster and went to the store. As he was standing in line, the lady behind him quietly commented, “Lovely scent, that. Hoppes #9, eh?” Made him aware that maybe he should clean his gun at night and give it a chance to air out. Little less advertising that he’s carrying a gun.
But it’s like a secret society handshake — anyone likely to recognize it is almost certainly a member of the same brotherhood.
November 21, 2023 at 4:30 am
Bill G
Regarding that ‘Secret Society Handshake’ … this is from the week on Small Arms at the Gunners Mate, Guns, A-School in Great Lakes. We were being instructed on the M-870 Shotgun, AKA the Remington 870, and the instructor had just gone over how to clean the barrel. Feeling I wasn’t paying attention, he snapped out “Mister, how do you clean the shotgun barrel?” I repeated his words on using hot soapy water on the disassembled barrel, and then added “But I’ve always just used a bit of Hoppe’s #9.” And so I was OK with him for the rest of my time there.
November 21, 2023 at 4:16 pm
Browncoat57
I’d like to meet a woman that knows the smell of Hoppes…
Like asking a potential date, “Bolt-action or semi-auto?” and getting “Belt-fed” as an answer.
November 21, 2023 at 1:22 am
ULTRA-MAGA TOP DAWG JTC
Samuel! Where you been boy? Getting big! Learn to use that stuff you’re advertising there regularly and thoroughly, and for God’s sake when you wipe on the oil wipe off your prints! How many beautiful guns have I seen cross my counter that were ruined, or their value halved, just for neglecting that simple rule? Of course if you shoot ’em at least weekly you can skip the prints, just keep up the with cleaning and the oil.
“wipe off your prints”
Oh how I wish someone had told me that before I ruined the finish, both bluing and parkerizing. I’ve since taken to wearing those cheap cotton gloves.
Tried that too, actually those blue rubber mechanic’s throwaway gloves, call me a damn Fudd but I just have to have that tactile feel and feedback, just have to watch those prints because I might not see some of these things for a year or more…fingerprint perspiration is like fucking acid on any metal or finish, blue, parkerized, chrome, it will eat the finish first and go irreparably right into the metal…only thing that resists it is stainless and even then the prints are indelibly visible. Not to mention stainless guns are NOT all stainless and those components are subject to the destruction by fingerprints too. I am not and will never be a full-on fan of the plastics but for the most part at least your fingerprints won’t destroy them.
November 21, 2023 at 6:40 pm
resolute
Samuel and Sam need to be extra careful with those prints. Those who walk amongst us with their natural flaming red hair are known to have slightly more acidic perspiration and skin oils than us mere mortals. They can etch their prints into clean steel in no-time.
A friend bought a parts cleaner setup from Harbor Freight and naturally had to replace some parts. He volunteered to clean one of my guns so when it was returned something was unusual. He had used kerosene for a cleaner but when he tried to buy it, he found he could only buy scented oil. It was scented strawberry kerosene.
Around here, most gas stations have kerosene at one pump, they don’t deliver ‘light stove oil’ anymore and there are still some oil stoves plus a few furnaces, mostly in older trailers, that use it and a lot of kerosene space heaters.
November 21, 2023 at 2:25 pm
WayneM
Speaking of light furnace oil, up in Canada, Trudeau the Younger decided to try to win back a few hearts and votes by carving out a temporary exemption from his punishing carbon taxes for furnace oil.
Was it calculated? Oh hell, yes!! Oil burning furnaces are becoming rare. The vast majority of users are in Canada’s Maritime provinces, especially Nova Scotia and PEI… including my place where I have an oil boiler and wet radiant heating… So this temporary exemption is being described as a “carve out” and the rest of the country are objecting and demanding an end to carbon taxes on home heating.
In my case, the oil boiler is ancient but still functioning well. Despite this, I am considering moving to a newer model to raise the efficiency from low 60s% to Energy Star rated (87%), partly just to say “pound sand” to the eco-communists and partly because I intend to keep using oil as I have a diesel powered whole house generator which, oddly enough, can run on light furnace oil…
November 21, 2023 at 11:44 am
PeregrineJohn
Never thought I’d read or hear the phrase, “strawberry kerosene.”
As to “parts cleaners” we always had a gallon-size ultrasonic for jewelry, as beautiful job as it did, one time I thought it would really do a fine cleaning and save some time doing a full teardown of a couple old shooters and let ’em vibrate in the hot cleaning solution for a minute or 20. I shoulda stuck to the minute; did you know those things actually remove metal? And did you know that not at all a good thing for little gun parts like springs and sears? Incapacitated a Smif 645 and a Ruger MK until new parts were installed. Lesson learned.
The Third Bullet, by Stephen Hunter. The scent of Hoppe’s #9 on an old coat convinces Bob Lee Swagger that there was a second shooter in the JFK assassination.
Hmm. Had popcorn and home made by me cinnamon rolls washed down with beer for my wife’s birthday dinner last night. Much better than a Ho-Ho and we are way past stage of worrying about natal episodes. Interesting timing of this topic, however.
As for Hoppes, well, a dab behind the ear can do wonders, as long as you keep it out of your hearing aids.
23 Comments
I like his shirt… Cosmoline is a condiment, Hoppe’s #9 is a after shower cologne.
Funny story about Hoppes #9. Didn’t happen to me, but I recall reading about a guy who cleaned his gun, then put it in his IWB holster and went to the store. As he was standing in line, the lady behind him quietly commented, “Lovely scent, that. Hoppes #9, eh?” Made him aware that maybe he should clean his gun at night and give it a chance to air out. Little less advertising that he’s carrying a gun.
But it’s like a secret society handshake — anyone likely to recognize it is almost certainly a member of the same brotherhood.
Regarding that ‘Secret Society Handshake’ … this is from the week on Small Arms at the Gunners Mate, Guns, A-School in Great Lakes. We were being instructed on the M-870 Shotgun, AKA the Remington 870, and the instructor had just gone over how to clean the barrel. Feeling I wasn’t paying attention, he snapped out “Mister, how do you clean the shotgun barrel?” I repeated his words on using hot soapy water on the disassembled barrel, and then added “But I’ve always just used a bit of Hoppe’s #9.” And so I was OK with him for the rest of my time there.
I’d like to meet a woman that knows the smell of Hoppes…
Like asking a potential date, “Bolt-action or semi-auto?” and getting “Belt-fed” as an answer.
Samuel! Where you been boy? Getting big! Learn to use that stuff you’re advertising there regularly and thoroughly, and for God’s sake when you wipe on the oil wipe off your prints! How many beautiful guns have I seen cross my counter that were ruined, or their value halved, just for neglecting that simple rule? Of course if you shoot ’em at least weekly you can skip the prints, just keep up the with cleaning and the oil.
“wipe off your prints”
Oh how I wish someone had told me that before I ruined the finish, both bluing and parkerizing. I’ve since taken to wearing those cheap cotton gloves.
Tried that too, actually those blue rubber mechanic’s throwaway gloves, call me a damn Fudd but I just have to have that tactile feel and feedback, just have to watch those prints because I might not see some of these things for a year or more…fingerprint perspiration is like fucking acid on any metal or finish, blue, parkerized, chrome, it will eat the finish first and go irreparably right into the metal…only thing that resists it is stainless and even then the prints are indelibly visible. Not to mention stainless guns are NOT all stainless and those components are subject to the destruction by fingerprints too. I am not and will never be a full-on fan of the plastics but for the most part at least your fingerprints won’t destroy them.
Samuel and Sam need to be extra careful with those prints. Those who walk amongst us with their natural flaming red hair are known to have slightly more acidic perspiration and skin oils than us mere mortals. They can etch their prints into clean steel in no-time.
Priorities. The answer to the first question is Yes.
I made a batch of pickled mustard eggs and onions for a younger guy I work with about a week back…. Around 18, he asked yesterday if I had more.
his preggo wife had a craving and was sucking them down like candy.
A friend bought a parts cleaner setup from Harbor Freight and naturally had to replace some parts. He volunteered to clean one of my guns so when it was returned something was unusual. He had used kerosene for a cleaner but when he tried to buy it, he found he could only buy scented oil. It was scented strawberry kerosene.
I hated to shoot the 1911. It smelled so nice.
Should have gone to Ace or Tractor Supply. They usually have white K-1.
Zar Belk!
Around here, most gas stations have kerosene at one pump, they don’t deliver ‘light stove oil’ anymore and there are still some oil stoves plus a few furnaces, mostly in older trailers, that use it and a lot of kerosene space heaters.
Speaking of light furnace oil, up in Canada, Trudeau the Younger decided to try to win back a few hearts and votes by carving out a temporary exemption from his punishing carbon taxes for furnace oil.
Was it calculated? Oh hell, yes!! Oil burning furnaces are becoming rare. The vast majority of users are in Canada’s Maritime provinces, especially Nova Scotia and PEI… including my place where I have an oil boiler and wet radiant heating… So this temporary exemption is being described as a “carve out” and the rest of the country are objecting and demanding an end to carbon taxes on home heating.
In my case, the oil boiler is ancient but still functioning well. Despite this, I am considering moving to a newer model to raise the efficiency from low 60s% to Energy Star rated (87%), partly just to say “pound sand” to the eco-communists and partly because I intend to keep using oil as I have a diesel powered whole house generator which, oddly enough, can run on light furnace oil…
Never thought I’d read or hear the phrase, “strawberry kerosene.”
Pretty sure they were a psychedelic ’60s band.
As to “parts cleaners” we always had a gallon-size ultrasonic for jewelry, as beautiful job as it did, one time I thought it would really do a fine cleaning and save some time doing a full teardown of a couple old shooters and let ’em vibrate in the hot cleaning solution for a minute or 20. I shoulda stuck to the minute; did you know those things actually remove metal? And did you know that not at all a good thing for little gun parts like springs and sears? Incapacitated a Smif 645 and a Ruger MK until new parts were installed. Lesson learned.
The Third Bullet, by Stephen Hunter. The scent of Hoppe’s #9 on an old coat convinces Bob Lee Swagger that there was a second shooter in the JFK assassination.
Hmm. Had popcorn and home made by me cinnamon rolls washed down with beer for my wife’s birthday dinner last night. Much better than a Ho-Ho and we are way past stage of worrying about natal episodes. Interesting timing of this topic, however.
As for Hoppes, well, a dab behind the ear can do wonders, as long as you keep it out of your hearing aids.
Got 1,2,3 with two in the oven. Can the DD support that much? Only time will tell.
Maybe, but before you know it the creator might get overwhelmed and move to Mexico…
Mexico or… https://babylonbee.com/news/libertarian-pilgrims-set-sail-for-argentina-in-search-of-a-better-life