Removing rust

[Daryl]

Good note on the Hoppe's #9 smokeless powder solvent. In rust prevention tests, it proved better than Hoppe's Gun Oil at preventing rust.
Hoppe's #9 (not the BP solvent) was beaten by only one or two others.
Here's what one bloke had to say (I personally have never heard of this product before)

"WD40 ``Long Term Corrosion Inhibitor'' is the best I have found to prevent rust. It's expensive. A 6.5 oz can goes for about $20 at the local hardward store. I use it on the barrel surfaces and in the bore. Firearms are kept displayed in a basement room and never see any signs of rust.Apr 2, 2019"

[Scota4570]

I have not noticed any real difference in cleaning liquids and oils. As long as it has some water you are good.  I do use regular windex, industrial window cleaner,  plain water and moose milk.  IT all does the same job.  for oil I use mostly ATF with a little lanolin melted into it.  Fluid film is a lanolin based rust preventer I use.  As long as I completely clean the bore I get no rust. 

The ammonia Windex vs vinegar Windex was from a BP cartridge book years ago, it was by Mike Venturino.  He only stated that you do not want ammonia in your rifle.  There was no reason given.  I speculate that he was just guessing  and did not test anything.  I further speculate that the amount of ammona in windex is tiny.  The amount of ammonia in copper remover for modern guns is large.  If you clean the bore in the modern gun after the copper solvent, then oil you get no rust.  IF ammonia was really a problem you'd see it here.  Like so many things in the hobby it seems to be based no data. 

[Maven]

Did you ever notice that BP residue on your hands is slippery if you wet them.  That's because those by-products are chemically basic, as is ammonia. You use vinegar and or vinegar added to Windex to neutralize them.

[Scota4570]

Why does that matter?

[Maven]

If you're cleaning BP cartridge empties fired with BP, you don't want to soak the brass in NH4OH as it weakens the brass.  Also, Sweets 7.62, an ammonia based copper solvent, shouldn't be left in bbls. too long.  Windex with vinegar probably works OK on ML's, but I don't use it or ammonia.  Soapy water or 1 Ballistic : 6 water for swabbing work just fine for me.