Barrel cleaning

[elarges]

Hi all!
I've been shooting for quite a few years, and tend to pick people's brains at times. Right now, I'm using Thompson's Black Powder Solvent to clean my barrel. It takes about a dozen patches (many using both sides) to get the barrel down to what would be considered clean. I tried the mixture of hydrogen peroxide/alcohol/murphy's oil soap...but a gun-building friend of mine told me to NEVER put peroxide down the barrel, because of the oxide factor (rust)...AND that the oil soap would build up over time.
Does anyone out there have any fool-proof method to get your barrel "sparkly-clean", or am I on the right path with the Thompson's???
Thanks!!!!
:v

 

I use Tracks best bore solvent from Track of the Wolf. I've also had good results with Thompsons #13 Bore Solvent. I never use petroleum based cleaners or lubricants in any of my BP firearms.

 

[poloman]

I use hot soapy water and plenty of elbow grease. It is working very well so far. I am new to the black powder game though, others may have better suggestions.

 

[Swampman]

Like my forefathers, I use tepid water.

 

[jimeckersley]

Like my forefathers, I use tepid water.

DITTO. The water doesn't need to be "boiling hot." Warm water with a little Murphys or any soap for that matter will work just fine. If you don't have any soap, just use water. Blow through the barrel, use several dry patches and immediately use some WD-40 or Ballistol soaked patches. WD-40 displaces remaining water. Ballistol mixes with water. When the water evaporates, the oil is left to protect the metal from oxidation.

 

[roundball]

Hi all!
I've been shooting for quite a few years, and tend to pick people's brains at times. Right now, I'm using Thompson's Black Powder Solvent to clean my barrel. It takes about a dozen patches (many using both sides) to get the barrel down to what would be considered clean. I tried the mixture of hydrogen peroxide/alcohol/murphy's oil soap...but a gun-building friend of mine told me to NEVER put peroxide down the barrel, because of the oxide factor (rust)...AND that the oil soap would build up over time.
Does anyone out there have any fool-proof method to get your barrel "sparkly-clean", or am I on the right path with the Thompson's???
Thanks!!!!
:v

There are several ways to do this...the way I do it is for all my TC Hawkens is to soak/clean the barrels in a hiuge bucket of steaming hot soapy water, then a clean hot water rinse, then get it 100% bone dry, then plaster it "heavily" with Natural Lube 1000...done that way on a dozen+ Hawkens for 15+ years...bores are still like new today. Discipline: 100% clean, 100% dry, 100% lubed

 

[WV MZL HUNTER]

I agree because I have been cleaning my T/C;s the same way and they look new and shoot like new.
:thumbsup:

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

FWIW Butch's Bore Shine "Black Powder" formula will clean that barrel sparkly clean in 2-3 patches. At a recent shoot, all my buddy's were cleaning their smoothies with their own hot/warm water recipes ... when they were done, I gave them each one patch with a few drops of Butch's BP solvent on them.

All patched pulled more fouling from their barrels! Let's just say that they too are now sold on Butch's BP Bore Shine :thumbsup: !

That said, when I'm in a hurry - I use the BBPBS, when not - I too use the hot, soapy water method ...

 

[PALongbow]

I poor some of the Butches Bore Shine for Blackpowder in a small platic container and soak some patches. This way I am not wasting the BBS. The patches really soak this stuff up nicely. It works excellent for the in between shot swabing. Before I leave the range I swab the barrel out good with BBS. When I get home I use Dawn dish detergent and hot water for final clean up. The BBS helps to loosen everything up. Highly recommended!

Ron

 

[2172]

I follow Roundball's method, except that I use Butch's Bore Brite after drying the bbl, but before the wonderlube...I haven't been pulling fouling from the clean bbl's, but I want to be sure...Hank

 

[leslie]

After shooting for a lot of years and trying all kinds of magic elixirs to clean,I started to read labels and look at the ingredients of the home brews,gee the first item was water so I went to water to clean,warm if available,cold seems to work just as well except you have to be a little more careful drying.Why spend money to buy a water mix containing some addititive that doesn't get the barrel any cleaner.M2C

 

[Johnny Tremain]

Scalding hot water, and Dawn dishwashing soap.
Been doing it for year, aint gonna stop anytime soon

 

[roundball]

In my personal opinion, I think if it's available, hot water is the best for the following reasons:

1) We've learned in our lifetimes that hot water & soap cleans most anything better than cold water & soap...and particularly if you want to keep a bore at it's basic, raw, bare metal state with no buildup what-so-ever.
To make the point, I'll repeat the example someone gave on an ML forum one time...when you finish breakfast and take the plate to the sink...if you hold it under cold water, the egg residue remains stuck to the[url] plate...within[/url] seconds after changing that to hot water, the egg residue melts and slides right off the plate, leaving the plate squeaky clean;

2) The residual heat of a barrel that's been soaked / cleaned in hot water, aids in getting it bone dry after dry patching is finished, and before lube is applied.

Those are the two reasons why I use steaming hot water out of the tap with a couple shots of dishwashing detergent in a huge 5-6 gallon bucket.

Not saying it's the only way to clean something, it's just that it works so perfectly I havn't seen any compelling reason yet to try anything different

 

[DrTimboone]

Plug the vent & pour in Windex w/ vinegar --or just plain water depending on where I am. Run a Shotgun bore brush up and down a few times. Run a scraper over the face of the breech plug. Let it stand vertically for a few minutes while I light a pipe etc. Pour it all out. Rinse with water. Unplug the vent and run a patch or two through to dry. Plug the vent and spray in a generous amount of WD-40 let it sit a few minutes. Pour it out. Druy patch or two and then a really soaking patch of pure Ballistol. Leave the ramrod in overnight.. Next morning pull the ramrod and run another patch with Ballistol. I use the soaked Ballistol patches to oil the outside and hang her up.... she shines!

 

[buckknife]

I know you guys have had good luck using hot water but i never have.I must have tryed it dozens of times and i get a flash rust quicker than i can get a patch downer.
Knowing this i got the bright idea :youcrazy: i could possible brown a barrel this way.i took my 36 barrel and removered all the bluing with a birchwood casy product then used alkey to clean it up some more.Pluged the muzzel and the nipple.
I then put the barrel on 2 blocks and ran hot water on it with the shower hose.It took a little while to get er good an hot but as soon as i shut the water off you could see the barrel start drying.As the drying spread it instantly left a rust on it.So after it dryed i did it again.More rust on rust.After a while i tried carding it off some but the rust really came off easy.This was on the outside of a barrel.I can only imagine how fast that rust would set up in the inside of a bore where it is really hot.
I gave up this idea of browning a barrel because it just would come off too easyly.Cleaned it up and 2 years later its starten to get a nice gray look to it.
I only used cold water with soap now and use rubbing alkey after wards to make sure i get the water out and remove any left over lube.Cold water dosnt seem to break down the grease or wax type lubes very well,the alkey will knock it out fast.
Besides hot water burns :haha:

 

[Landngroove]

I would not feel comfortable just using a bore cleaner, such as T/C #13, or Butch's Bore Shine, etc. Now I'm talking about final cleaning after a shooting session, and putting the gun away till next time. Yes, these bore cleaners will clean the bore, but the powder well, and flash channel leading up to the nipple don't benefit from these cleaners. Pumping hot soapy water thru the barrel, followed by a rinse of hot clean water will keep these areas clean. Dry completely, then use your favorite lube/protectant.

 

[Swampman]

"I know you guys have had good luck using hot water but i never have.I must have tryed it dozens of times and i get a flash rust quicker than i can get a patch downer"

Exactly, hot soapy water is corrosive. Tepid tap water or creek water isn't.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

Yes, these bore cleaners will clean the bore, but the powder well, and flash channel leading up to the nipple don't benefit from these cleaners. Pumping hot soapy water thru the barrel, followed by a rinse of hot clean water will keep these areas clean.

You make an EXCELLENT point :thumbsup: ! And as big of a fan as I am of Butch BP Bore Shine, once the boat's in the water and the MLs are to be put away on the rack ... I will heed your advice, thanks!

 

[PALongbow]

I agree and thats why I use BBS right after I am done at the range and then the hot water & Dawn wash when I get home. The combination of the two works very well at breaking up the crude and cleaning.

Matter of fact the BBS serves well for a swab solution between shots while at the range. I wouldn't just rely on BBS for the end cleaning solution.

Ron

 

[Halftail]

I was at a shoot once on a very humid day and the fouling was starting to screw up an otherwise good shooting day.There was no water only a coffee pot donated by the local Tim Hortons.You guessed it....I used Coffee and it worked fine. :hmm: