Confused newbie

[Brokennock]

What do you all recommend for a rust preventative? I always seem to get rust/brown on my patch when i run one down the barrel.

Is the rust-brown color on the patch rust, or just the color of rust. Unfortunately I've found that most of the things I've used as a bore protectant seem to turn this color over time.

I usually just use one of my patch/wad lube mixes of beeswax and some type of fat or oil, usually olive, refined coconut, or neatsfoot oil. Just enough wax to keep the fat/oil in place. Or mink oil.
But, as stated before, I swab the bore with an alcohol patch before loading my 1st shot.

I do have it from someone who gets to hunt with a muzzleloader a few times a week almost year round, that he doesn't swab the bore before loading, sometimes doesn't even clean the gun if he is going back out the next day,,,, but he only uses animal fat based lubes and animal or plant based oils. He has no rust issues or major crud issues.

[badwolf]

Hard to say, they look brown. Could be turning brown. 

[recurve]

Keep it simple make only ONE change at a time.

 Never dry patch between shots you might get your jag stuck in the barrel(not fun)

Before you load use 91% alcohal to wipe the barrel and lock (takes all the oils out)

 To wipe between shots , one wet patch,( I like the next size smaller jag for this  .45 for a .50 barrel, once all the way down  turn the rod to the right, then pull out, ( a smaller jag rides over the fouling turning to the right expands the patch then you pull(insted of pushing fouling into  the breach area)
then dry
I like to use windex to wipe fallowed by 91% alcohal on patch  (wipe all lock ,pan rock with the 91% alcohal)
 I like #40 drill cloth or 10oz denim (can be found at joeane fabric ) tallow or neat foot oil100% pure for lube
With the right load you will get several shots before needing to wipe (5 for me when doing target work)

[Bassdog1]

Shooting 32,36,45,50 and 54 Caliber use Tracks Mink Oil or Hoppes BP Cleaner and lube as lubricant and no wiping. Finding that right patch and ball fit that seals the bore tight without having to pound it down the bore is real Important. I keep several 100 count bags of different patch thicknesses for testing loads for new rifles. Make sure the patch has a tight weave pattern. Only time I wipe now is at the end of the day before heading home then it is a few wet patches then a dry one on a jag I turned on a drill with some fine grain sand paper to take a little off of the diameter. As far as WD40 I spray it in the breech to drive out moisture after cleaning followed by compressed air and a dry patch to remove it. Then Barricade to protect inside and outside the barrel.

[B.Barker]

I have found Swiss powder fouls less for me but the fouling is much harder than Goex. The problem I have with the Swiss is the fouling that builds up about an inch above where the bullet seats. I've tried various lubes and nothing so far has helped. WD-40 doesn't work for long term storage but is great for getting the last bit of moister out of the barrel when cleaning.

[Mad Monk]

So I’m using .570 ball and .015 patch with bore butter. Guy at store told me it’s “great” and I’ve been trying to figure out why my first couple shots are good then it starts being inconsistent. I was thinking I needed to clean the barrel better and let barrel cool

The Bore Butter can be a problem.  It is basically a microcrystaline petroleum wax with a low melting point as those waxes go.  But in cool weather it can be a nightmare.  It will form a hard wax film in the bore.  In a hot barrel it will form a liquid film fairly easy to wipe.  Do not depend on it to be a rust prevention film in the bore.  If the film on the bore contains any amount of the residual BP fouling you will see rust spots. 

Do not get too concerned about grey stains on patches pulled out of the bore.  All of the different brands of BP use graphite as coatings on the powder grains.  But the Swiss use the least amount.  The graphite is used to lubricate the surfaces of the powder grains to insure a "free flowing" powder.  But the graphite does not burn when the powder does.  The bores gases just don't get hot enough to burn off the graphite.

Start looking at some of the soapy liquid patch lubes these others are posting on.  And a slightly damp swab after shooting does not hurt.  Some do and some don't.  Just depends what your gun likes.

When the Swiss powder burns it gives a little water as a product of combustion and sort of activates the soap on the bore.  But if the gun sits unswabbed too long at low humidity you can loose that moisture in the bore.

[Marcruger]

"I have found Swiss powder fouls less for me but the fouling is much harder than Goex. The problem I have with the Swiss is the fouling that builds up about an inch above where the bullet seats."

Same experience Brian.  Less fouling but harder.  Ring of crud too. 

"I've tried various lubes and nothing so far has helped."

Daryl and Bill Knight provided the information I needed to get past that.  I wet lube now as Daryl instructed, and use either Hoppe's BlackPowder Cleaner or Mr Flintlock as lube.  Both work great, but I am leaning towards Mr Flintlock as best because it dissolves the graphite in the barrel.  The Hoppes BP is a little slipperier though. 

Cleaning  -  I use blue Windshield Washer Fluid filling the bore for the first 80% of cleanup.  I dry patch afterwards to wipe out the WWF, and then switch to Mr Flintlock for the final barrel cleaning.  I dry patch again to remove the Mr Flintlock, then use WD40 for my trip back home and overnight.  The next day I dry patch to clean out the WD40, then use Break Free CLP as my storage bore protector.  Works fine in an air conditioned house.  Always go back the next day to put in the storage protectant oil.  My bores are clean down to the shiny metal when done.  Since I do not use a lube with wax in it, no need for the hot water cleaning some seem to cherish. 

 "WD-40 doesn't work for long term storage but is great for getting the last bit of moister out of the barrel when cleaning."

Exactly. 

God Bless,   Marc

[Mad Monk]

Time for another sot at Bore Butter here.  Using my own BP sub known as Cheap Shot !!!

The brown color you are getting out of the bore comes from an oil-soluble bright orange dye they add to the mineral oil used in the lube.  I'll save you guys my normal rant on the "all-natural" "food grade" $#@* they hand out.  The use of mineral oil as a lube softener and "slicker" points directly to the use of the petroleum derived microcrystalline wax.  Then they add the bright orange oil-soluble dye to convince the rubes that the lube is based on a modification of beeswax and a natural fat.  Sort of like the use of oil of wintergreen in those types of lubes.

Sort of like the one bore cleaner also claimed to be "All-Natural" and "Non-Petroleum".  A silicone oil in water emulsion.  The exact same stuff they use as the tool coolant and lubricant used when they machine their ml gun parts.  Now before 1947 this silicone oil did not exist anywhere in nature in this universe.  Some lab guy at Owens-Corning in New York invented it when he was trying to develop a new form of glass using silica hydroxide not seen in nature.   As to all natural   Well !! it comes from a tank FARM!  All the proof we need !!!

[Bob Roller]

The WD in WD40 means WATER DISPLACING.It will if it runs out of a nipple ruin the finish on a stock so caution is advised.After I case harden triggers with Kasenit in a nitrated water quench I spray them with WD40 and dry them with a shop cloth and before assembling them I put a drop sperm oil in the holes where the pins go thru.
Seems to work.Ihave had the sperm oil since the 1950's and it was bought legally from Wes Kindig back in "the day".I am also a notorious pack rat that saves anything that MIGHT be needed years from the day I got the item.

Bob Roller

[Daryl]

Interesting. I have never hurt the finish of my rifles with WD40, Bob and have been using it on my BP rifles and smoothbores since I started with them in the 1970's.
I use it after drying the bores - every time and have wiped off water spots on the stocks with WD40 - never a problem. Maybe damage depends on the finish actually
used and is not a universal problem.

[bluenoser]

I have been using WD40 almost as long as Daryl, and in pretty much the same manner, and have also never experienced any damage to wood finish.  All of the stocks are finished with BLO and, in some cases, a coat of wax over AF and sundry stains.  Perhaps, as Daryl has said, some other finishes are less tolerant.

[PAFlinter]

I wipe the whole gun down with WD-40 or Ballistol, which ever can I can find, with no ill affects on the finish as well.......

[Dennis Glazener]

I have used WD40 for years on numerous type finish and have never had a problem with it. I also use Ballistol with no problems.
Dennis