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I have had a half-full bottle of No. 9 on the windowsill in my kitchen for many, many months. The window is on the north side of my home, so it doesn't get a lot of sun. Just for giggles, I opened the bottle yesterday (July 22) after it having set there for maybe as long as two years. The bottom of the plastic bottle had become soft, because it crumpled when I attempted to remove the cap. I saw fluffy sediment in the fluid. Once I got the top off I saw a crusty, light tan-colored coating in the neck of the bottle. I don't remember if I took a sniff; I decided to throw the stuff away when I saw the crusty stuff in the bottle's neck.

Has anybody ever seen No. 9 do what mine did? I obviously do not shoot very much, else I would have consumed the bottle long ago. Maybe I should not have put it where the sun wouldn't get to it. It's in a brown bottle (as is beer), so I figgered that would have protected the quality of the product. I think I'll buy a tin of paste bore cleaner after this, if such a thing exists.

EDIT: Yes, paste-type cleaners do exist. One of the best is said to be J-B Non-embedding Bore Cleaner. I read a few reviews of it; seems to be the stuff to get. I'll get a tub when I go back to Scheels tomorrow to exchange the scope I bought today. I got the brand and zoom ratio I wanted; the knock-out salesbird gave me one with a simple v-plex reticule when I wanted one with a hashmarked reticule to aid in holdover. I should have looked at the description on the box when she gave it to me.

Now I have to spend $10 in gas, drive 60 miles and take upwards of two hours to correct the mistake. It's going to be in the upper 90s tomorrow, and I usually do not use the A/C in my car because we have such low humidity here. I made the trip today in a retired friend's car; he wanted to go with me to have something to fill his day. He has a Honda Accord with an A/C that works very well, so we rode in coolness. Won't be that way, tomorrow...
 
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Bought a new bottle of #9 and the plastic had collapsed a bit. Contents was fine. I guess the old fashion glass bottle is to fragile or too expensive.

But, if you're worried about the contents in your bottle.....go clean some guns. Then again, you could always dilute it with more of the fresh stuff.

Just a thought......as I have no proof that it will actually work.:eek:

Aloha, Mark
 
Went and bought a five-ounce bottle of the stuff ($5.97 at a local ranch & home store; $2.97 at Walmart) a few days after the original post was written. I went with the smaller bottle because at $76.03 per gallon before the County sales tax, we want to avoid having it "go bad" again.
 
I personally have never had any go bad. I have some that belonged to my Grandfather [ He died in 67] that still looks and smells fine. Obviously its in a glass bottle. So maybe its just the plastic that deteriorates. DR
 
So maybe its just the plastic that deteriorates.
Possible. The bottle was exposed to sunlight for a long time, albeit the light was not direct. I've since consumed the small bottle and will place the next one entirely out of any sunlight during storage. What I wish would happen is that GM Vehicle Care's Top Engine Cleaner would be made again. My original gunsmith from 2005 said it was the best stuff for cleaning guns. It's been out of production for over ten years, now. More like twelve. I have to ask, "What do GM dealerships use today to internally-clean an engine? Why can't we use that?" It's got to be pretty much the same stuff just more "environmentally-friendly," to use the tree-huggers' drivel...
 
I've used Hoppe's #9 on my firearms for most of my life, but recently I found a couple of my AR's I hadn't used in a while, with gummy bolt carriers.:eek:

I washed them down with spray brake cleaner and lightly lubed them with type A tranny fluid. Now they're working like they should.:)
 
I'm over 70 and have been using #9 since I was a kid.
Without getting into the "my stuff is better than your stuff" issues, I have never had OP's description present itself to me with #9, or Outers for that matter. I have had though, many plastic things crack, break, go mushy, white, dissolve, and crumble from environmental and chemical causes UV being the biggest. Just the other day I picked up a tube of Neutrogena's hand lotion setting on the kitchen window only to have it split down the sides having gone brittle.
All my chemicals from solvents to window cleaners are kept in a dark cupboard somewhere and glass containers, without a doubt, last longer.
So I'm exonerating Hoppes #9, and blaming it on the plastic container and Window.
north or not.
But then, Hoppes did choose to use the plastic container and has to own up to that.
 
Possible. The bottle was exposed to sunlight for a long time, albeit the light was not direct. I've since consumed the small bottle and will place the next one entirely out of any sunlight during storage. What I wish would happen is that GM Vehicle Care's Top Engine Cleaner would be made again. My original gunsmith from 2005 said it was the best stuff for cleaning guns. It's been out of production for over ten years, now. More like twelve. I have to ask, "What do GM dealerships use today to internally-clean an engine? Why can't we use that?" It's got to be pretty much the same stuff just more "environmentally-friendly," to use the tree-huggers' drivel...
Its in a brown bottle for a reason. Heat is ok but sunlight will cause to break down.
 
Hoppe's #9 is my go-to for general firearms cleaning. I never tire of the smell. It works well for the cost and a bottle goes a long way.

I remember the glass bottles - always worried about dropping one and having it break. When they switched to plastic, I wasn't much for the change but realized it was removing the glass breakage worry. Mine stays stored indoors, in a dark cabinet. Never a problem. But hey, I'm still using up a case of Milspec 1974 Rifle Bore Cleaner I picked up at a gun show in the early 90's. It was dirt cheap and so am I. 46 years old and it works fine.

I've tried brake cleaner, chlorinated and non-chlorinated - and it's just obnoxious no matter what I do to make it not so. Works great, but the side effects are not worth it for me.

I've been trying out Dexron/Mercon ATF fluid and am thinking it works just fine for a general lubricant. If it works in transmissions with all the stress and temperature, it's going to do just fine on a firearm is my thinking. I've seen no problems so far...but heck, conventional motor oil is fine for most firearm use. Go synthetic and you're styling.

Gun Scrubber aerosol was the best. But years ago, the price jumped from $2-3 a can to almost $6. May be even more now. I quit using it then seeing it was no longer economical.

I just saw Hoppe's #9 SYNTHETIC. Anyone try that? Whats the skinny on it?
 
Not sure about today's formula of Number 9, and in the past it took care of cleaning most except black powder, heavy copper, mercuric primer residue . Other things did that job a bit more effectively. I have used it since the mid fifties and still do. However, I find for certain chores, other things have been developed that do it quicker and more efficiently, so also use those methods too. Always love the smell of old Hopes #9.
 
Hoppes products, including the famous #9 and #9 Black Powder solvent, have been my cleaning, lubrication, rust preventative firearm go-to stuff from the git-go. Never got over liking that aroma- it says "Hunting, autumn/winter, guns, bunny-tracking, my dad,"... and all sorts of fond memories. I'd use it as a cologne if I could... It has been my staple for nearly 60 years. Ditto on the glass containers, plastic has it's uses, but only glass for long-term storage and use.
I have used Outers, Shooter's Choice, and assorted mil-surp bore cleaners, even L,SA which I do keep around and probably won't ever run out of thanks to laying in a supply during my improvident and checkered youth.... Heck I've used 3-in-1 Oil on occasion.
 
Hoppe's #9 is my go-to for general firearms cleaning. I never tire of the smell. It works well for the cost and a bottle goes a long way.

I remember the glass bottles - always worried about dropping one and having it break. When they switched to plastic, I wasn't much for the change but realized it was removing the glass breakage worry. Mine stays stored indoors, in a dark cabinet. Never a problem. But hey, I'm still using up a case of Milspec 1974 Rifle Bore Cleaner I picked up at a gun show in the early 90's. It was dirt cheap and so am I. 46 years old and it works fine.

I've tried brake cleaner, chlorinated and non-chlorinated - and it's just obnoxious no matter what I do to make it not so. Works great, but the side effects are not worth it for me.

I've been trying out Dexron/Mercon ATF fluid and am thinking it works just fine for a general lubricant. If it works in transmissions with all the stress and temperature, it's going to do just fine on a firearm is my thinking. I've seen no problems so far...but heck, conventional motor oil is fine for most firearm use. Go synthetic and you're styling.

Gun Scrubber aerosol was the best. But years ago, the price jumped from $2-3 a can to almost $6. May be even more now. I quit using it then seeing it was no longer economical.

I just saw Hoppe's #9 SYNTHETIC. Anyone try that? Whats the skinny on it?
ATF fluid works.. so does motor oil, I remember the day we lubed our AK rifles with motor oil taken directly off a dip-stick. It stinks the next time the firearm warms up but it serves the purpose.
 
I have only used the regular Number 9 Love the smell. I know from past years sometimes I use other things for black powder, mercuric primer ammo, heavier copper wash in bores. I don't think I'm ever without Hopes #9. Always in glass so far.
 
I'm leaning towards the UV light deteriorating and degrading the bottle.
I have two bottles of #9 I bought well over ten YEARS ago. I usually use Weapon Shield for normal cleaning, but if crud is thick in the bore, the Hoppes comes out. Absolutely nothing wrong with the stuff in the bottle, kept indoors in a climate controlled environment and not in sunlight. Plastic bottles. No problems whatsoever.
 

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