Black Powder Solvents

[luieb45]

I know this topic has been beat to death many times and I know that many of you will always say that water is the best way to clean bp but what solvent is best for dissolving real black powder? I have heard of t/c no. 13 bore cleaner works for it, I know hornady has something that works, and I have heard of butch's bore shine. Are there any others that would clean my gun effectively? I just don't want to be pouring water down my gun because to me that is just asking for rust. Thanks.

 

[Trench]

Luie, you're just going to have to take comfort that using water won't immediately lead to rust in your rifle. Thousands of these members (including me) use water to get it done.

On a side note, I used to own an SKS and shoot ammo with corrosive primers. The preferred way to remove the corrosive salts was to flush the barrel with water.

Now, I've used other cleaners too including T/C No. 13. It's all too expensive when compared with water. If you must buy something other than water, try 91% isopropyl alcohol from your local drug store. I use water and then follow up with an alcohol patch to help the barrel dry.

 

[rabjr]

Black Solve from Dixie gun works, comes concentrated and mixed with water a little bottle makes a a lot. Great stuff and don't smell bad like a lot of others.
http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=2070

 

[bingo1952]

I've been using water for nigh on to 40 years and haven't had a problem. If it ain't broke I don't fix it.

 

[Coot]

1) No reason not to use water as a solvent - as others have said, it works well & is cheap & available.

2) To avoid rust, just as you want to promptly clean the gun, you need to promptly dry the barrel after cleaning - (heat from boiling water helps if that was used, patches & alcohol if cool water was used for cleaning). You want to see a clean dry patch come out of the barrel - then wipe with your choice of protector (see other threads re ballistol, rem oil, etc.) no rust issues here.

 

[roundball]

We're raised in a world of modern shooting that exclusively saturates our brains with the simple notion that guns are steel and steel rusts when wet....and that's a true statement.

Therefore, brainwashed since birth that water and guns do not mix, its not uncommon when we start into this ML hobby to have serious doubts when we hear about using water to clean bores.....but its a fact...and its for sure all that the settlers had available to use before modern solvents were even dreamed of...and probably just cold water at that.

I've used nothing but steaming hot water with a shot of Joy dishwashing detergent to clean the bores of several heavily used muzzleloaders for the past 18 years and the bores are still like new today.

I immediately dry patch the bore good and dry with cotton patches...then I run a large sloppy dripping wet patch of WD40 up and down a few times...then dry patch that out and let the residual heat in the barrel (from the hot water) help get it bone dry. Then another sloppy wet WD40 patch and rack it muzzle down.

Just dry it right away after finishing with the hot water...if there's no moisture, there's no rust.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Use TEPID water, NOT BOILING HOT WATER. If the water is so hot you can burn your fingers or hand, ITS TOO HOT. Put some liquid soap in the barrel, before you pour the water in it. Set the barrel, filled with water aside to let the soap work chemically to loose up carbon deposits. Give it at least a half hour. Now, pour it out, and put fresh soap and water in it, and use a bore brush to scrub the crud loose from the corners of the grooves. Now, put a wet cleaning patch in front of the bore brush, and work that up and down in the barrel. It will come out gray and Black. That is good. You can now pour the water out. Use clean patches with the bore brush to dry the bore and check for remaining crud in the corners.

When the patches come out clean when you use a cleaning Jag under the patches, its time to oil the bore, and leave it that way. You can check it a few days later.

If you are still shooting that gun with the powder chamber, you are going to need TWO sizes of bore brushes- one for the bore, and the other smaller in diameter to clean that powder chamber. Use a pipe cleaner to clean out and dry the flash channel, behind the powder chamber. You can use isopropyl alcohol on the pipe cleaner to clean out this small tube. The Alcohol will evaporate.

Put a drop of oil on the pipe cleaner, and oil the flash channel. Just remember to flush the bore, and flash channel out with alcohol before you load the gun again.

 

[rabjr]

I asked a serious paper puncher who wins trophys all the time for muzzleloading shooting what he used to clean his guns. He told me and I've been using it ever since. It works for me and I don't try to talk anyone in to using it or doing it my way, I just suggest it as it was suggested to me.

 

[Tom Compton]

I won several containers of Black Solve concentrate about 20 years ago and just now using my last one. Don't know if I will buy anymore or not as after making a quart from the little container, it is obvious that water is doing the work.

 

[luieb45]

I won several containers of Black Solve concentrate about 20 years ago and just now using my last one. Don't know if I will buy anymore or not as after making a quart from the little container, it is obvious that water is doing the work.

Did the stuff work as well as regular water?

 

[pchwcf50110]

when i target shoot and swab after every three shots i use a solvent made of one gallon of water mixed with 28oz. of window cleaner with vinegar.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Hot tap water with a little Pine-Sol works great. Also a bit of Murphy's Oil Soap or Ivory Soap work as well. I have a bottle of Pine-Sol from when I was experimenting with lube mixes and have been using that.

 

[Zonie]

I tried TC Number 13 once. Never again.

The bores I used it in had flash rust before I could even run a drying patch down them.

I was so surprised that I thoroughly cleaned the barrels using soap and water followed by drying them with dry patches. The patches came out clean.
I then tried the #13 in the bores again and again, instant rust.

Knowing that a little soap to dissolve any remaining patch lube and water to dissolve any black powder fouling works, I see no reason to try anything else.

The remaining #13 got poured down the drain. I wouldn't even give this stuff to a stranger, let alone a friend.

 

[Wayne/Al]

Paul,
Whats the problem with useing boiling hot water? Is the concern for burning ones self or not good for cleaning ?

I have always used boiling as the point I turn off the burner and start cleaning the bore. My thinking is the heat will help dry the bore.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I tried TC Number 13 once. Never again.

The bores I used it in had flash rust before I could even run a drying patch down them.

I was so surprised that I thoroughly cleaned the barrels using soap and water followed by drying them with dry patches. The patches came out clean.
I then tried the #13 in the bores again and again, instant rust.

Knowing that a little soap to dissolve any remaining patch lube and water to dissolve any black powder fouling works, I see no reason to try anything else.

The remaining #13 got poured down the drain. I wouldn't even give this stuff to a stranger, let alone a friend.

Now that's interesting. TC #13 was what rusted first, even before the untreated bare metal or plain water, when I did my rust tests. I wouldn't put it in a bore after my findings, either.

 

[ohio ramrod]

There are many many solvents that will disolve black powder fouling. But disolving the fouling is only the beginning, you have to remove it from the barrel. Which is why so many use large amounts of water to "flush out the fouling" once it has been disolved. I find it interesting to walk into any gun store or gun department of larger stores and see all of the "Black Powder Solvents" and look at the prices. When good old water and just about any soap to remove left over lubes will work just as well at very little cost.

 

[roundball]

Bought a case of T/C's #13 bottles a few years ago and my experience is it's a very strong cleaner...seems to leach every bit of anything off the bore walls...I routinely use it to presoak ziploc bags of tee-shirt material wiping patches to use at the range...works fine.

 

[Tumblernotch]

Paul,
Whats the problem with useing boiling hot water? Is the concern for burning ones self or not good for cleaning ?

I have always used boiling as the point I turn off the burner and start cleaning the bore. My thinking is the heat will help dry the bore.

I personally like to use hot water (at home after shooting) because hot simply breaks stuff up quicker and better than cold. Go to your kitchen sink and hold a plate with some dried food remnants under cold water and see how fast it breaks it loose. Then, take another plate in the same condition and hold it under hot water. See how much faster and effectively the stains are removed. By the time I finish rinsing out the barrel, the water has cooled some, but by that time, the hot water has done its job. As far as residual heat drying the bore, the barrel would have to be very hot for that to have that effect, but it is possible. I wouldn't depend on that alone to do the job. You still need to wipe it thoroughly.

Some people say that hot water causes flash rusting. Personally, I've never seen it happen in 36 years of BP shooting. And so far, I've never seen anything remove fouling as good as water. And hot water with a little dish soap is even better.
:thumbsup:

 

[zrifleman]

Make your own BP solvent from a formula that has been used sucessfully by many BP shooters for years. 1 part Murphy's Oil Soap, 1 part 91% isoprpyl alchol, 1 part hydrogen peroxide. For less than $10 you can make up a batch that will last for years. Never have a speck of rust in any of my ML or BPCR. You can find all the components at any drug store or supermarket.

 

[necchi]

If you read the contents of t/c 13 then look up the words,,,

It's soap and water :wink:

I use a couple drips of Dawn dish soap, in about a gallon of tepid water