Cleaning BP with solvents?

[smoke]

Hi: Does anyone clean BP fowling with ED'sRed,Hoppes#9 etc. or do you just use cold water? Dan

[BrownBear]

I've used Butch's Bore Shine, Hoppes #9+, Lehigh and one other I can't remember right now.  All worked to a degree, but after using them a pass with a patch dampened with plain old water always yielded a little more black.  Best cleaning I've had always combined water and flushing.  I simply can't afford to try flushing with any of the commercial solvents.  I tend now to use the solvents for swabbing at the range, especially when I'm shooting multiple guns and leaving fired guns sitting for a few hours before getting home to clean them.  The solvents are better than spit patches for that, but they're still no substitute for a thorough cleaning back home.

[Kermit]

Compresser? Bicycle pump? Forge bellows? I gotta give that trick a try.

Me too. Hot soapy water and water to rinse. Then dry patches followed by a good oiling (no petroleum here) after there's been some time to dry.

[VtBlackdog]

I've read you can use olive oil to prevent rust (cheaper to raid the wifes pantry than actually buy special oil).....has anyone used it to prevent rust?  I've also read linseed oil works, but I would think it would make a sticky mess?

[david50]

cool water,no soap,followed by dry patches then a bit of denatured alcohol to remove any water left behind,then oil well.

[Roger Fisher]

Water - soak - wipe breech & bore - dry - oil !

[SCLoyalist]

I've read you can use olive oil to prevent rust (cheaper to raid the wifes pantry than actually buy special oil).....has anyone used it to prevent rust? 

I've been using olive oil as my main after-cleaning bore lube for the guns I shoot regularly, like every couple of weeks.   A patch run down the bore after a few days will come out a little dark looking, like the oil has discolored.  I don't trust olive oil for longer term, like if it's going to be 3 months before I shoot the gun again. Patches then look a little too reddish for me to feel comfortable about.

As to cleaning with solvents - I switched over to plain, cool tap water.  Seems to work satisfactorily, plus it's easier on the stock finish if any gets on the stock during cleaning.

[Dphariss]

Hi: Does anyone clean BP fowling with ED'sRed,Hoppes#9 etc. or do you just use cold water? Dan

If you want to use a "solvent" mix some windex with vinegar with 2-3 parts water.
Its as good as anything you can buy. I have used several gallons of it over the years.
Using anything but water for BP is asking fro trouble.

Dan

[Acer Saccharum]

COLD water, please. Now I'll try the follow up with alcohol. Good idea.

The use of hot water actually is bad, causes oxidation. As soon as the water evaporates off a hot barrel, it begins to rust.

tom

[Acer Saccharum]

Ah, timing is everything. I must have let my bore sit damp for too long.

[Jerry V Lape]

Guess I don't understand how rubbing alcohol, which is probably what is being used drys a barrel when it is about 70% water.  I tried it a couple times and had flash rusting.  I use tab water to clean the barrel, dry with several patches, and then wipe with Ballistol.  Longer term storage I wipe dry and then wipe with Breakfree CLP.  No problems.  

By the way, cleaning BP with solvents sort of forgets that water is the universal solvent and it's powers are not insignificant. 

[david50]

denatured alcohol,not the same as rubbing alcohol. it dissapates the water as it evaporates

[Leatherbelly]

 Best solvent for spit/liquid patched is cold H2O,IMHO. Grease/wax patch,different story.  I like the de natured alchohol idea, makes good sense. Gosh,it's been so long since I used a grease  patch, probably hot water with lots of soap!  I've been using WD40 as the final wipe.works good.
IMHO, two distinct types of fouling.

[Colonial Riflesmith]

I don't use any solvents in my barrel at all. All I use is Bore Butter. Cleans, polishes and protects at the same time.

[Greg Field]

Cold water. Oil with whatever afterward.

[Dphariss]

Ah, timing is everything. I must have let my bore sit damp for too long.

When the water evaporates it rusts. So the second it not the first dry patch will have rust.

Dan

[Dphariss]

Best solvent for spit/liquid patched is cold H2O,IMHO. Grease/wax patch,different story.  I like the de natured alchohol idea, makes good sense. Gosh,it's been so long since I used a grease  patch, probably hot water with lots of soap!  I've been using WD40 as the final wipe.works good.
IMHO, two distinct types of fouling.

Grease/oil patch lube really does not build. But its why I use the window cleaner mix to clean.
No need for hot water or a great deal of soap.

Dan

[G-Man]

Cold water and really dry it when done as the others have said, followed by whatever oil you prefer.   Only other thing I would recommend is after the first wet cleaning patch (get it really soaked and make sure to plug the touch hole) I use a fouling scraper to clean the face of the breech plug till you can feel bare metal.  Then proceed with the rest of the cleaning.  I always remove the lock - clean any fouling or liquid that seeped down during the swabbing of the barrel.  A little light oil on the lock internals, but wipe off any excess before replacing  - go easy on the oil around the trigger/ lock mortice area.  If any moisture gets in here during cleaning, I'd not oil the lock till the wood has a chance to dry - i.e. take it home, pull the lock again and set it somewhere safe to dry before replacing the lock.

Guy

[northmn]

Paul Matthews in his books on BPC,s mentioned the use of antifreeze.  I tried it and it works, whether better than water I do not know, but it contains alcohol and anti corrosives which may help.  Quit using hot water as it did seem to promote rust.  Used to use some of the commercial cleaners and found they were not all that bad but too spendy as it takes a lot to clean up.  Those that mentioned this likely did not want to use a half bottle to clean the firearm. Had some green stuff once that you mixed with water that was really good.  For me it seems that no matter what I use I need to go back and check things out in a day or two.

DP

[Potsy]

For some years, I've just been running a few patches with rubbing alcohol down the barrel, getting out the chunks, then running a couple of ballistol patches down the bore, then spraying a healthy dose of ballistol down the barrel.
I'll put a cleaning patch between the hammer and nipple to keep the mess from running out the nipple and all over my rifle.
I still water clean every now and then, but rarely.

[Leatherbelly]

   Dan,
    Thanks for that great tidbit about the Windex /vinegar solution. Cody sent me some beargrease for a hunting lube. Will give it a go,thnx again.

[Leatherbelly]

Ya know Roundball,
 I never liked that stuff. I bought my first M'ler,a TC BigBore in.58. Had a miserable time cleaning it when I patched with BB. TC threw in a tube when I bought this one in '87. Still have the lion's share of it left over today! I think this stuff is just axel grease with oil of wintergreen in it for the pleasent smell. Different strokes...etc...

[Leatherbelly]

yep, that's it in the yellow tube, bottom photo. Don't hunt much with my M'ler's but will try this fall. Got both my smoothies for sale so ya never know!The forty might be a bit marginable on a big bull moose!

[Dphariss]

   Dan,
    Thanks for that great tidbit about the Windex /vinegar solution. Cody sent me some beargrease for a hunting lube. Will give it a go,thnx again.

I always used the window cleaner stuff until recently
.
They have come up with some "Multi-Purpose stuff with vinegar at its pretty vinegary.  I think the "green" formula means they reduced the surficants in increased the vinegar. This may require a more dilution or going to a non-vinegar formula.
DO NOT put this in a bore before diluting.
Any soap requires flushing the bore with clear water afterwards since soap can be mildly corrosive.

In a ML it worked well if put the stuff in a spray bottle, plug the vent and spray it in about 10-20 sprays (enough for 4-6" in the bore) then slosh and dump. I cleaned a rifle with straight water this way yesterday spray an dump twice then wipe and twist a rolled up piece of flannel against the breech with a worm then spray and dump and it was clean with a few dry patches.
Using a spray bottle saves trying to pour it in the muzzle.

It was a match and I had been wiping between shots. 15 shots total.

Dan

[Daryl]

Hi: Does anyone clean BP fowling with ED'sRed,Hoppes#9 etc. or do you just use cold water? Dan

Smoke - lots of different and not so different methods of cleaning - they all work - BUT - Hoppe's #9 and Ed's Red are smokeless powder solvents - won't "CUT & DISOLVE black powder fouling.  Now, Hoppe's #9 PLUS is a BP fouling solvent and will work, as does WIPE-OUT Black Powder SOLVENT and Butches Black Powder Solvent. The regular Butches and Wipe-Out are for smokeless fouling.  Use of a comercial solvent becomes expensive - when straight water, water with soap and winter windshield washer fluid actually do a better job, for much less money.

I use winter windhield fluid for a lube, with a bit of body soap added to help reduce evapouration.  I clean by the water flush method with one patch, followed by drying with up to 4 or even 5 patches, then spray/squirt WD40 down the bore until it either runs out the vent or the nipple seat. The last drying patch (which grabs on the way out due to the dry bore) is then inserted in the muzzle on the jag and driven down the bore with a strong push. This blasts WD40 out the nipple seat or vent and with it, any residual moisture that might be down there hiding.  I then run this patch up and down the bore a few times - it comes out white with no fouling on it.  I use that patch for wiping down the outside of the barrel, then return the barel to the stock.

For cleaning with the barrel left on the gun (rarely happens with me) I then put paper towel into the lock mortice to prevent any oil from getting in there plug the vent or nipple with a round toothpick, then fill the bore with cold water, muzzle stading up. I let this sit for 15 min., then pull the plug and let the water run out, gun held so water doesn't get into the lock mortice.  Repeat this procedure, then patch the barrel out until dry with patches on a jag's rod until dry and clean, and do the WD40 flush and wiping as above.

Cleaning ML barrels is much easier than cleaning modern rifles (unless using Wipe-out on them)- just a bit different.  I've spent days of using strong copper solvents cleaning modern guns for people who don't know they have to be cleaned or how to clean them.