Any other heretics out there that oil their barrels?

[Urban Coyote]

I use CLP or Barricade, mainly Barricade these days.

I was given the late Ted Fellowes .54 flintlock fullstock Hawken, well used. He carried this rifle on a week long hunt we made several years back. When I went to wipe the bore it had a thick coating of some type of grease, about like RIG, he'd apparently applied for long term storage.

 

[TexiKan]

I can't understand the concept of seasoning steel. what is it chemically that causes the seasoning? Surely there is something more to it than I know. Might any steel implement be seasoned?

For a while, the seasoning concept was encouraged as such. When Lube 103 came out, I used it for the ease of loading and the less frequency of cleaning. Their instructions stated one could clean the gun and lube with it afterwards. I did that. Never paid much attention until a ramrod lug came off of my Sharon Hawken. I took it into our company repair shop to solder it back on and imagine my surprise after cleaning off the old solder and degreasing with denatured alcohol, while heating up the rib, the solder would not take because of oil oozing out. I heated it more until it the oil was no longer present. Flux would now take and the lug was reattached.

Later on, the Dutch Schultz method discouraged seasoned barrels and promoted a dry patch concept. Some shooting friends had been successful with it, but I did not. Apparently I had not found the right combination of dry lube mixture and my rifle certainly loaded harder. I had success with the various Shenandoah Valley types of lubes and continue to use a homemade version of it. Although I don't have much Lube 103 left, it is still used. Maybe the next time I can take a video of the barrel showing it cleaned and degreased and then heating it to show the oil. Why it does it is still somewhat of a mystery.

 

[11th corps]

I've used WD 40 ever since I purchased my ROA in 1975. Use it on all my BP guns.

 

[pmccoywss]

I can't understand the concept of seasoning steel. what is it chemically that causes the seasoning?

Not chemical seasoning, but physical filling of the pores in the steel (much like filling the pores in wood when finishing a stock). The liquid is just a carrier for the lube, which remains when the liquid evaporates.

I am changing to Slip2000 when my TetraGun Lube is gone (I believe they are similar in operation but the Slip does not separate in the bottle, and need to be shaken like the Tetra).

See here :Slip 2000 EWL (Extreme Weapons Lubricant)

Lubrication
Slip 2000 EWL has incorporated advanced technology additives to enhance film strength and anti-wear properties. Penetrating the pores and bonding its self to the surface of the metal through physical absorption reducing surface tension thereby reducing friction between moving parts and minimizing wear and the build-up of wear related debris.

Slip 2000 EWL will not dry out or attract dust or dirt particles like petroleum products. Even when surface is wiped dry to the touch Slip 2000 EWL is still present and lubricating the metal parts from within the pores of the weapon. This product does not require a liquid carrier to be present for protection. Slip 2000 EWL does not evaporate off because there are no carriers needed for continued protection.

 

[Grenadier1758]

I can't understand the concept of seasoning steel. what is it chemically that causes the seasoning? Surely there is something more to it than I know. Might any steel implement be seasoned? Like the bore of a cartridge gun that uses smokeless powder? Is there something special about ML barrels that lend themselves to seasoning? Does the use of blackpowder have anything to do with it? Is it a coating? And can that coating be removed by cleaning? One more question: If hour barrel is seasoned, will a cleaning g patch come out clean if the gun is neither loaded nor fired?

Nothing like a quick review of some of the topics in our General Information section of Useful topics. There we have a 12 year old thread on the Seasoning of Barrels. Haven't read much on the Forum to contradict the statements in that thread.

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/why-we-dont-season-barrels.61745/
Seasoning in a muzzle loading rifle is merely a layer of burnt oil and fouling that fills up the grooves. The burnt oil can be petroleum based or animal based. It's the same sort of crud.

 

[Black Powder Guy]

A heretic? Yes,have been for years. Thinking of bear oil as a patch lube . May try it for short term storage oil.

 

[Walkingeagle]

A heretic? Yes,have been for years. Thinking of bear oil as a patch lube . May try it for short term storage oil.

Works good but attracts lots of dust.
Walk

 

[Mike in FL]

I, being weird, want my barrel CLEAN. No build up of anything at all, regardless of how many times I can shoot without swabbing. I can't imagine a steel rifle. Barrel having pores, unless microscopically. Clean with soap and hot water, dry with white cotton patches until one comes out of the bore as clean as it went in. Then oil with "gun oil."
Before next outing swag with alcohol to remove oil. Swab after each shot. Keep everything the same all the time.

 

[Mad L]

Him, never heard oiling the barrel being 'herecy'?
My cleaning ain't done til I run an alchohol patch down and follow it with a good gun oil - I use Hoppe's #9 in the barrel (no humidity here) and prefer Barricaid outside, but also bear oil. I like the bear oil as it don't seem to dry out for a long long time but still hesitant to use it down the barrel as Hoppe's always done me good and leaves me more bear for patch lube.
I do like Shenandoah Valley lube, using the way they say on the label, I fire my last two or three shots with it then before packing to leave the range I run a sloppy patch or two down. When I get home it seems to clean out with much less time and patches then before I started using it. But bear oil and TOW mink oil still my favorite patch lube.

As far as contamination of powder: running a patch down before first load is no different then popping of a cap first on a Percussion

 

[GREENSWLDE]

.beardedhorse said "..now testing sperm whale oil" ... Real? If so,How did you obtain that?

The nearest sub. for Whale Oil is said to be Auto Transmission fluid. Used as a quenching oil as well. O.D.

 

[Eutycus]

The nearest sub. for Whale Oil is said to be Auto Transmission fluid. Used as a quenching oil as well. O.D.

I read somewhere that Auto Transmission fluid and Power Steeriing fluid are pretty much the same thing.Are they?

 

[DuncNZ]

I have found that the pure Jojoba bean oil ,( which is almost identical to whale oil , )I have becomes a soft waxy substance when it gets cold , not real cold just cold in my workshop cold , so I won't be using that for lubing locks etc , next I will try it as a patch lube maybe diluted with Isopropyl alcohol to thin it .

 

[Horse]

I oil mine when storing. Clean it off before shooting.

 

[Coinneach]

I oil mine when storing. Clean it off before shooting.

Same here.

 

[DuncNZ]

I have found that the pure Jojoba bean oil ,( which is almost identical to whale oil , )I have becomes a soft waxy substance when it gets cold , not real cold just cold in my workshop cold , so I won't be using that for lubing locks etc , next I will try it as a patch lube maybe diluted with Isopropyl alcohol to thin it .

Well I tried Jojoba oil as a bore protector between shoots , I lightly oiled the bores of 2 flintlock rifles and put them away in my gun safe , stored muzzle down . When I got them out to check them after 3 weeks in storage I found the barrels to be perfectly rust free . Then I noticed the flash holes were blocked with a hard yellowish substance , it appears this is the jojoba oil having set and hardened , it was easy to remove with some isopropyl alcohol , but it makes me wonder how close to whale oil this stuff is .

 

[vibraphonusrex]

Heretic here!

 

[cynthialee]

I use Rem Oil and 3 in 1, which ever is closest at hand.

 

[Mad L]

Well I tried Jojoba oil as a bore protector between shoots , I lightly oiled the bores of 2 flintlock rifles and put them away in my gun safe , stored muzzle down . When I got them out to check them after 3 weeks in storage I found the barrels to be perfectly rust free . Then I noticed the flash holes were blocked with a hard yellowish substance , it appears this is the jojoba oil having set and hardened , it was easy to remove with some isopropyl alcohol , but it makes me wonder how close to whale oil this stuff is .

Plant vs Fish oil
I have never used Whale oil but would asume it would be closer to Bear oil as long as it was properly rendered....never had bear oil dry solid like that.

 

[vikingsword]

Some years back an old gunsmith friend of mine passed on and I inherited nine 1/2 pint cans of Brownells Sperm Oil. seven of them still sealed. one nearly empty. and one fresh opened. I've been using it very frugally but it works very well as a bore lube and a patch lube. smells fishy though.

 

[Trapper Scott]

Clean mine with dish detergent and hot water, then wipe it down with my standard gun oil like any other modern gun. Run a gun oil patch down the bore for storage. A dry patch down the bore just prior to loading takes care of it all.