Hoppes 9 Plus lube

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

I know this has been talked about a lot. But I just wanted to say I finally got to try some recently. I don't know how others use it, I just put some patches in a tin and poured some hoppes in and stirred it around, the patches were somewhat juicy to say the least, and it made my patches kind of curl up which was a little inconvenient. But after firing close to a pound of powder (80 shots or so) the last shot loaded as easy as the first shot. I was amazed.

When I cleaned the rifle the first patch came out black but just the first one. So I think it also made cleaning more efficient as well.

[roundball]

It is really terrific stuff for sure...

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

I did notice an improvement in accuracy, don't know if that is all attributed to the Hoppes, I've been shooting a lot more lately.

For those that use it, how wet do you make your patches with the hoppes? Mine were very wet and juicy. For hunting would you load them with a wad or card to keep it from migrating into the powder or use something else for hunting loads?

[Scout]

I use it really wet and like the rest of you have had excellent results in the process.
The part of the story that has yet to come true for me is the cleaning with just a few patches when I'm done shootin. I still use 7-9 patches to clean prior to runnin a dry one down before the Ballistol treatment.
Barrel rough maybe? It looks OK, loads smooth, I don't have a clue.

I'm still not complaining though. It beats the hot water, scrub the dog snot out of the barrel with a brush for 10 minutes, air dry and lube routine.

I don't think Crockett did all that too often, he probably just used Hoppes#9 Plus !Heck I'm sure someone must have found some empty bottles near the stockade fence at the Alamo. 

[Daryl]

I'm still not complaining though. It beats the hot water, scrub the dog snot out of the barrel with a brush for 10 minutes, air dry and lube routine.

Probably takes me 5 minutes or less to clean the barrel and lock by removing them from the rifle, emersing the breech end of the barrel in a container of water and pumping COLD water in and out.  It takes 1 patch to clean the bore and 4 or 5 patches to dry it, then spray WD40 until it runs out the vent, then pump out the excess of that, wipe it down and replace it on the rifle. Takes almost as long to type this as to clean the rifle - probably the same of less time than trying to get it clean with mere patches while still on the rifle.

There is no brush needed - absolutely no air dry - that will cause pits to start then flourish.  A single patch cleans it spotlessly, 4 or 5 patches dry it bone dry. another patch and WD40 flush to remove every last vestige of moisture from the breech area, then slush spray the excess out the vent. Dry, assemble, and store muzzle down.

Ole Scout - I don't know where you could have aquired that info quote above about what has to be done to properly clean a ML barrel?

Is your barrel finely pitted one end to the other - maybe, quite possibly- just as D. Boone's was.  That's why he and everyone he knew had to have them re-freshed and re-cut so often.


If you find a big difference in lubing quality between a water based lube like spit, and Hoppe's, the premise about fine pitting is probably correct.  The use of Pyrodex in the past & cleaning it on the stock with patches as you've indicated, will also have increased that likelihood many times over due to the fouling left inside the bore and the vapours of it's chemicals being present all the time.
 

[robert]

Mix a pint of water soluble machine oil to a gallon of windshield washer solvent. It does the same thing.Does not freeze and is a whole lot cheaper.

[hanshi]

I like my patches to be wet but not drippy with Hoppes.  It even works well after the patches feel "dried out" as there is still lube in there.  I really like the way it allows 40-50 shots with no loading problems.

I envy you fast cleaning guys.  It takes me 5 minutes just to remove the lock and get the cleaning stuff laid out.  I don't remove my barrel for cleaning as the "pumping" method is no faster (for me) than cleaning with the barrel still in the stock.  At best it still takes a couple dozen patches to get the bore as clean as I like.  I also finish up with the WD40 treatment.  The next day I swab out the WD40 and use Barricade as my final step.  During cleaning even after patches start coming out clean I can run a brush or ScotchBrite pad down the bore and get a half dozen more black patches out of the bore.  I generally clean with room temp water & drop of dish detergent and my bores stay in fine shape.

Maybe it's just because I'm OCD but it takes me a good while to clean.  I often watch TV or listen to music while gun cleaning so I go slow.  If I'm finished in 30 minutes I feel I've been moving FAST.

[Macon Due]

hanshi
Man,you sound like me! I can never do the "5 min. 5 patch" clean that some of these guy can do! Takes me at least 30 min. as well.
Macon

[Scout]

I'm still not complaining though. It beats the hot water, scrub the dog snot out of the barrel with a brush for 10 minutes, air dry and lube routine.

Ole Scout - I don't know where you could have aquired that info quote above about what has to be done to properly clean a ML barrel?

Is your barrel finely pitted one end to the other - maybe, quite possibly- just as D. Boone's was.  That's why he and everyone he knew had to have them re-freshed and re-cut so often.


If you find a big difference in lubing quality between a water based lube like spit, and Hoppe's, the premise about fine pitting is probably correct.  The use of Pyrodex in the past & cleaning it on the stock with patches as you've indicated, will also have increased that likelihood many times over due to the fouling left inside the bore and the vapours of it's chemicals being present all the time.
 

I'm sure you are correct. I learned that "procedure" from a friend in high school. He always cleaned his BP rifles like that. I did also as I did not know any other way at the time. My current and only flint rifle was purchased used and in pretty good condition as far as I could see. I think the barrel has a bit of pitting as like you say the spit or water lube didn't work as well as the Hoppes. How do I go about "refreshing" the barrel ? I noticed a big change when I ran a piece of emory down the barrel a few times. It was as accurate as before ( or as good as I can shoot it )  but much easier when it loaded and cleaned up faster too with less patches. I have never had a rifle that cleaned up as easy or as fast as those described here. I also have 2 caplock rifles, a .50 CVA mountain and a Lyman .54 GPR I built from a kit. The barrels of both are not pitted as far as I can tell but both take a bit of work to get them cleaned up to my satisfaction.

[Daryl]

"Freshing' the barrel involves casting a lead lapp inside the bore on a rod, in a manner it can be adjusted for diameter (tapered spindle that is threaded on one end, then cutting a groove in the lapp for a cutter/scraper. Marking orientation, then, in a nutshell, running that lapp up and down the bore for each land scraping a new surface on each, as well as re-casting, and cutting each groove to a new surface.

Today, with today's barrel materials, much easier to re-barrel, or have someone like Ed Rayle re-bore and re-cut it for you.

Casting a lead lapp in the bore and lapping the bore with various grades of grinding compounds can also 'save' a barrel.

Taylor and I 'saved' a friend's custom rifle (built by Taylor) by doing this, using 2 lapps over 2 days, and about 8 total hours of work.  Peter had always used boiling hot water as some writer said it was necessary and flash rusted his barrel every time he cleaned it.  He was quite anal about having his barrel cleaned immediately after shooting and was always the first to have his rifle clean. He wouldn't even have a beer after shooting until he'd cleaned his barrel first. 

The boiling hot water he used caused flash rusting every time, as soon as the wet patch was removed and before he could run a dry patch down the barrel, it would have dried and 'flash rusted' due to the barrel heat.  continual flash rusting his barel over a period of 30 years use and it's bore was covered with fine pits, one end to the other. It was a horrid fouling gun with water based lubes like spit.   The pits held onto fouling and although it didn't need to be wiped, loading was diffcult with the 3/8" to 1/4" tapered rod. 

At least now after lapping, while not totally reguventated, it can be shot wit no wiping and easier loading with the rifle's tapered rod using our standard load practice, ie: 8oz (.020"denim) and a .395" ball, however his mould casts a .398 X .397" ball, which I have now for my .398" bore .40 cal. rifle. I use a slightly heavier patch yet in it's deep  .010" rifling.

[FRJ]

I too liked the Hoppes #9 plus but couldnt find it in the stores around here. I tried 20/20 wsw fluid and it worked fine. I use mink oil for my hunting loads.
Just an aside I did everything wrong when I got my GPR, used Pyrodex, very bad move and wont go into it all now but don't use it. Then I had also been told to use boiling water to clean. End result is I am now looking for a new barrel due to the flash  rust and pitting caused by using these 2 methods. FRJ

[Daryl]

I think perhaps some barrel steels are more prone to the rot caused by those two causes, than others.

FRJ - Track used to carry replacement GM barrels for the GPR's - one of those would be an excellent replacement & is ready to put on.

Daryl