Gun product review - RB-17

After reading several good reviews of RB-17 gun cleaner on the gun forums I check in on I decided give the product a try myself. According to the company RB-17 "is a non-toxic, biodegradable gel made of natural products that contains no acids, phosphates or petroleum by-products. RB-17 Gun Cleaner completely dissolves (deep cleans) rust from all metal parts in seconds by removing the oxygen molecule from the process of oxidation. The breakdown of the oxides, i.e. lead, copper or iron, is done quickly and safely. RB-17 Gun Cleaner removes the rust off of your blued gun without harming the bluing. RB-17 Gun Cleaner will dissolve/remove lead, copper and brass build-up from the bore". Sounds like a miracle product doesn't it? Well it might be...

Let me say that I have used this cleaner a few times already and my initial impression is that the company's claims for their product are true. RB-17 is a gel, it can be applied to your gun and will actually stick to where ever you put it so very little is wasted. I purchased a 16 oz bottle and I expect I'll work from this same bottle for a very long while. As a cleaner it excels. I applied some to the inside of the barrels and chambers of my guns and left it there a short while; 6-10 minutes would probably do for everything but the most stubborn crud. After letting the RB-17 sit and work on the dirt for a brief time I found that my guns clean up quickly and easily. Fouling, powder residue and even powder burns come right off with almost no effort. It is safe to use on delicate finishes too, my Colt Python cleaned up fast and easy and it did not harm the fine polished blue finish. The company also states that it is great for cleaning up black powder guns and I have no doubt that it would. RB-17 is non-petroleum based and has a pleasant odor if those are issues for you. It is not a preservative though; you do need to apply a regular coating of your favorite gun oil after cleaning with RB-17. So far I am very happy with this product and the claims made by the manufacturer seem to be accurate. RB-17 appears to be as advertised...