Cleaning solution

[Clowdis]

There used to be a cleaning solution shooters were making at home using vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, and Mother Murphy's oil soap. I remember it was bad about causing flash rusting if oil was not applied right after use. Does anyone remember the formula for this cleaner?

[Tony N]

I use a 3 part solution with alcohol, peroxide and murphy’s oil soap. I haven’t tried it with vinegar

Tony

[smylee grouch]

There are many combinations like that that people use. I use water. If you use hydrogen peroxide and or vinegar I'm thinking you should rinse with water anyway. Otherwise you might find yourself in a " pickle ".

[Kurt]

I found this when searching "window cleaner for cleaning guns". This is Louisiana Sportsman. https://www.louisianasportsman.com/general/gun-cleaning-miracle-home-remedy/

I use window cleaner and tried to avoid the stuff with ammonia because I heard it was damaging to metal, but I have since found that Sweets and Barnes C10 both contain ammonia and are made to clean guns.

[MuskratMike]

Yes it is tap water

[Hawg]

I use dihydrogen monoxide and Dawn dishwashing liquid.

[Daryl]

I've been using cool to cold water only, since 1976. I've not rusted or flash rusted a barrel since.
Before that date, I was using hot water - THAT flash rusted barrels so I stopped using hot water
as recommended by Holland and Holland of England. THEY said cold tap water only. No soap, no
chemicals, except for a water displacing lubricant after drying to flush out any residual moisture.

[Bigmon]

I have a good recipe for what is called "Moose Milk.  I don't remember it exactley, but do remember there was NO vineger in it.  HAd Murphys Oil Soap, Peroxide, water, and water soluable machine oil.
I have the recipe somewhere.  If you want it, I'll post it.
I use it for shooting lube for trail walks, bench, etc.  But not for hunting or if I am going to leave the gun loaded.
It works very well and I can get 15 -20 shots with out wiping.  But I also use lower loads than most fellas.

[Clowdis]

I use a 3 part solution with alcohol, peroxide and murphy’s oil soap. I haven’t tried it with vinegar

Tony

Was having a hard time getting the Murphy's to dissolve into solution. Maybe alcohol will work better than vinegar, I'll check it out.

[Maven]

The 1/3 Murphy's Oil Soap, 1/3 Isopropyl Alcohol (70% or 90%), 1/3 household (2% -3%) peroxide solution is sometimes called "Friendship Speed Juice."  It is very fast and effective for removing BP residue, but needs to be followed up with dry and then oiled patches.  I use it when I don't want to bring a smelly BP rifle into the house since there is no water at our range:  it works, but don't leave it in your bbl. too long as it can promote rust.

[MuskratMike]

Not trying to be a smarty or wise-ass but with all these concoctions why not tepid water? It's free easy to come by and has worked great for hundreds of years.

[Marcruger]

No real solution needed.  As was posted, room temperature (NOT hot) does a great job.  Bob Hill recommended simple blue windshield washer fluid (WWF), and it does work better.  Not earthshaking, but maybe 10% or 20% better, but better.   

I plug my touch hole or nipple and fill the bore with WWF, let it sit five minutes, them pour it out.  I repeat that process, then use the WWF on patches to clean the bore.  Sometimes few patches until clean, sometimes a lot of patches.  I dry the bore, and clean the bore again with Mr Flintlock or Lehigh Valley Lube (LVL, same formula for both) that takes out graphite.  I again dry it, and wet the bore good with WD 40 to remove moisture remnants.  I take the gun home, and the next day dry patch out the WD 40.   I then scrub it good with wet patches of Break Free Gun Oil and it's done. 

May sound lengthy, but my bores aren't rusted, and I live where it is humid.  BTW, if you store vertically, it is safer to store muzzle down so no oil creeps into the wood at the breech. 

God Bless,   Marc

[Hungry Horse]

 Tap water, cool or cold works as well as anything I’ve tried, and I’ve tried them all. I hate to think about how much ranges time, and building time I wasted make some silly monkey formula that the old timers dipped out of a wagon rut.

Hungry Horse

[elk killer]

just water works very well most places its free

[B.Habermehl]

I use Simple Green detergent. Straight out of the spray bottle. A couple of sloppy wet patches followed with dry patches. Repeat if necessary. Really only water is needed, but there is allways some oil to get under to get things clean. I even use the stuff for patch lube for range use. I normally use olive oil for hunting patch lube.

[Pukka Bundook]

As Daryl said, Water.  Nothing else required.

[D. Buck Stopshere]

Blair,

As I recall, the combination of using a 3-part solution of alcohol, hydrogen peroxide and Murphy’s Oil Soap, appeared in Muzzleloader Magazine, way back in the last century, '80's maybe? 

The feller who came up with the formula, was a member of the Carolina Firelocks or the Alamance Longrifles. I remember it well that the gentleman in the article was a "Tarheel" muzzleloader, and Bill something comes out of the fog in my mind.

When that was published in the magazine, the shooting public embraced it with zeal. I'm sure the Murphy folks were scratching' their heads as to the surge of sales in their product.

I confess I tried it back then, but being tighter than Dick's hatband, I returned to cold water and a squirt of Dove Dishwashing Liquid for my cleaning solution. I believe ol' John Baird in his rag, "The Buckskin Report", favored cold water over hot water. It cut the crud better and if one was (& is) patient enough, spending more time drying the barrel out with patches prior to the last patch dipped in one's favorite oil, watched with skepticism, the folks using hot water, claiming the evaporation would speed up the cleaning process by a few seconds.

[bob in the woods]

Water , followed by some WD 40 ,then bear oil

[Clowdis]

Blair,

As I recall, the combination of using a 3-part solution of alcohol, hydrogen peroxide and Murphy’s Oil Soap, appeared in Muzzleloader Magazine, way back in the last century, '80's maybe? 

The feller who came up with the formula, was a member of the Carolina Firelocks or the Alamance Longrifles. I remember it well that the gentleman in the article was a "Tarheel" muzzleloader, and Bill something comes out of the fog in my mind.

When that was published in the magazine, the shooting public embraced it with zeal. I'm sure the Murphy folks were scratching' their heads as to the surge of sales in their product.

I confess I tried it back then, but being tighter than Dick's hatband, I returned to cold water and a squirt of Dove Dishwashing Liquid for my cleaning solution. I believe ol' John Baird in his rag, "The Buckskin Report", favored cold water over hot water. It cut the crud better and if one was (& is) patient enough, spending more time drying the barrel out with patches prior to the last patch dipped in one's favorite oil, watched with skepticism, the folks using hot water, claiming the evaporation would speed up the cleaning process by a few seconds.

You know, I think I know who you're talking about. He used to hang with Lynn Schoffner.

[satwel]

Hydrogen peroxide is a powerful oxidizer that causes flash rusting when applied to gun bores. It is not necessary for cleaning  your muzzleloader. Do yourself a favor and forget about it.

[Jeff Murray]

Windex is inexpensive and works well on the range and after shooting.

[Daniel Coats]

Having an extra hand with a spray bottle helps.




Image I made for entertainment.

[axelp]

I'm a tepid water only guy. Seems like every time I add something fancy, it makes the process take longer. I use various water displacement/preservative methods AFTER the bore is cleaned with water. Most of them work just fine. My favorites are WD-40 and Ballistol but I know some folk swear by others.

K

[Chris in SE PA]

When I'm at the gun range, I use a mixture of 1:1 Simple Green and water. Reason being is mt hands. When I'm shooting black powder my hands get covered in burnt powder from the ram rods, jags, etc... I'll spray may hands, scrub them a bit, wash off with some water and dry on a paper towel.

Once at home to clean the rifle for years I used boiling hot tap water. I was taught that the barrel being warm helped dry the water.

I no longer do that. Just plain old cold water. I run brushes and patches on a jag. I change out the water as it gets black. It usually takes 2 or 3 water changes until all of the patches stay white and the water doesn't get black.

After that I use a series of dry patches. Once they come out dry, I then go to a series of patches sprayed w/WD40. After that a few patches with a gun oil. 

[Waksupi]

Hydrogen peroxide is a powerful oxidizer that causes flash rusting when applied to gun bores. It is not necessary for cleaning  your muzzleloader. Do yourself a favor and forget about it.

Years back, a guy brought a gun into the shop. He was a firm believer in the cleaner containing hydrogen peroxide. When I unbreeched the barrel, it appeared rust was the only thing keeping the plug and the barrel connected. The threads were toast.

I saw mention of cleaning solutions containing ammonia. Those are for modern rifles, as the ammonia will remove the copper jacket fouling. It can not be left in a barrel long, as it will etch the steel.