Johnny, you are too experienced to really believe this old saw about 'barrel seasoning'. This myth was started by the Bore Butter marketing guys. It just doesn't happen. A clean bore is a clean bore.
50/50 Dawn and Water patch lube?
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Thats why they make BORE BUTTER, it seasons the bore
Disclaimer....it does not.
Barrels are different than frying pans.
Try mink Oil or we have a guy here that sells bear oil lube (its not oily, its like a hard mix like mink oil). Got me a few tubs but no chance to try em. PRICED RIGHT. I'll report back when I get to the range. Same with my .36 sherrif rec'd back from Mike in time to carry (but not test fire) after goonerization, I will say its smooth as heck!
O wanna retire but need cash now. Like the JG Wentworth commercials. LOL I HATE THAT JINGLE, every time I hear it I sing it for days and wife has taken to launching stuff in my direction??
O wanna retire but need cash now. Like the JG Wentworth commercials. LOL I HATE THAT JINGLE, every time I hear it I sing it for days and wife has taken to launching stuff in my direction??
NO 13 bore cleaner. Hmmm, I never tried it but our beloved late Zonnie sure hated it. I guess it rusted anything and everything he used it in and he lived in AZ where humidity is not. Fo a wet lube IMHO one will not beat Hoppes #9 Black powder patch lube and cleaner (don't use th regular Hoppes #9, it's for copper n lead n such and STINKS). Don't bother the cleaner part either, not a bit better than plain water with or without Dawn and at any temperature.
As with anything everyone has their favorite. Mine is good old Crisco. Super cheap, I can shoot all day long.
Probably works no better than my Grandfathers patch lube which does not need a container. Hold the strip of patch material in mouth, lube with spit then cut at muzzle. We could shoot all day squirrel hunting and he always made head shots with his Ohio 36 cal flintlock.
Winter windshield washer fluid (methanol, water, blue dye) is for no-wipe, shoot all day use for those of you who live in the frozen land of Hoth.
Hoppe's #9 Plus is about as good as it gets for range work but it destroys the skin on my fingers so I use it very little. Most of the bottled patch lube/cleaners are hard on oil finishes and skin. Simple Green is like paint stripper. Dawn isn't harmless to finishes, but less so than many things. I recently tried a chunk of Neutrogena bar soap dissolved in water, kept adding soap until the patch quit wanting to stick in the barrel, worked great. I hear that glycerin is no good for patch lube but it's derived from animal or vegetable fats, is water-soluble, and seems to work just fine.
Hoppe's #9 Plus is about as good as it gets for range work but it destroys the skin on my fingers so I use it very little. Most of the bottled patch lube/cleaners are hard on oil finishes and skin. Simple Green is like paint stripper. Dawn isn't harmless to finishes, but less so than many things. I recently tried a chunk of Neutrogena bar soap dissolved in water, kept adding soap until the patch quit wanting to stick in the barrel, worked great. I hear that glycerin is no good for patch lube but it's derived from animal or vegetable fats, is water-soluble, and seems to work just fine.
You need to ask the person that wrote what your reading.
Because they are the person that is recommending the mix as patch lube,
, (it was a cool looking guy with sunglasses in U-tube link, right?).
A heavy surfactant like "Dawn" isn't need for lubrication.
A few drops of Dawn in water is an excelent cleaning agent, but it's pretty low on the list for patch lubricant.
flatcreek
40 Cal
What is it with Dawn and black powder.
It gives old men something to argue about on the internet.
Here's one I haven't tried but will: 50/50 Dawn and NAPA water-soluble cutting oil.
Here's one I haven't tried but will: 50/50 Dawn and NAPA water-soluble cutting oil.
50 / 50 Dawn and Ginger. 
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When Dawn first came out it was advertised as "Dawn cuts the grease" and in one of the only times the advertising of a product was correct the darned stuff actually did what it said.What is it with Dawn and black powder.
I know it works wonders on cleaning oily residue off cooking stuff and the wife will not buy other dishwashing detergent.
Fast forward to guys cleaning their BP firearms and especially those who use petroleum products and...... lets face it, you already have it in the house and as long as you do not empty the bottle (That will not make her happy!) you have one of the best petroleum removers right at hand.
I think guys started using it, it worked, it's that simple.
Since this is a family forum I won't give my opinion of Crisco for any use in this ml game of ours.
user 34300
54 Cal.
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Soaps and detergents are decent lubricants. They are better than spit in that regard. Slippery is not necessary, or desirable, for a patch lube. I have observed that a super slick lube, say jojoba oil, does not shoot as accurately as spit or the dry patch scheme. Back pressure promotes a more consistent powder burn. It makes sense.
As far as not building up fouling, water cuts fouling. A patch wet with mostly water will self swab the bore, more or less. If guilt edge accuracy is not important then a soaking wet patch will probably work well.
When speculating based on theory or superstition, be careful with absolutes. Maybe it is better to actually try it out and then report back.
The ML hobby is ripe with superstition based on unproven lore. A lot of it is pure bunk.
As far as not building up fouling, water cuts fouling. A patch wet with mostly water will self swab the bore, more or less. If guilt edge accuracy is not important then a soaking wet patch will probably work well.
When speculating based on theory or superstition, be careful with absolutes. Maybe it is better to actually try it out and then report back.
The ML hobby is ripe with superstition based on unproven lore. A lot of it is pure bunk.
It's safe, I mean they wash baby ducks with the stuff right?What is it with Dawn and black powder.
It's the grease cutting aspect of it as well as environmentally stable, no "fragrance" to deal with,,
Sure there's plenty of other stuff out there, Simple Green is pretty high on my list Pinesole is another
I mean any soap,, works,,
But Dawn is simply the best, affordable, available everywhere,, etc,,.
It "cleans" well. But it's not a patch lube,,,,
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But what about Mary Ann, she's a sweet hometown type?50 / 50 Dawn and Ginger.
Personally I find having to handle liquid lube a pain. TOW Milk became my favorite; just wipe and load, or even pre-lube and just load as you go.
BUT THEN I discovered Bear Oil...I really like it, but it was back to fumbling with liquid again....but....
....mix some Bear Oil into the TOW Mink Oil, while it into a thick'ish lather, set set again - VOILA (I think Ginger said that..?) I had some nice slick paste lube that don't dry out in days, or even weeks, and slides right down better the Mink alone!....but I still wipe every two or three shots, not sure if I 'have' to, I just do.
Sun City
45 Cal.
I've been around this game a bit and I've come to the conclusion is that a spit patch probably works just as great for me as when I was using Canola oil!
I keep patches and the swaged balls in the tin!
IMG_3713 by Sharps Man, on Flickr
I keep patches and the swaged balls in the tin!
IMG_3713 by Sharps Man, on Flickr
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There's no seasoning in a modern steel barrel, just fowling. It's all about managing that fowling!
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