Bore Cleaning?

[John V.]

Okay...What the he** am I doing wrong? I cleaned my Pennsylvania rifle with tepid water and Dawn soap as suggested(after a reange trip last weekend). I did not as of yet have any Barricade as was suggested here, but I did have WD40 (which was also suggested).After I ran dry patches through (which came out clean)I applied a liberal amount of WD40 to a patch and ran it down the barrel. That was a week ago. Fast forward to tonight. I just received my Barracade and a drop in bore light via US mail. I take my rifle down and run a Barricade covered patch down the bore and it came out slightly brown "what the ****". I drop in the bore light and "holy manure" it would appear there is some minor pitting in the bore? I just do not get it? I cleaned with water and soap and dryed then applied WD40. Should the patch come out brown a week later? What am I not doing right? Please help with advise. Thanks.

 

[hanshi]

Did you dry it thoroughly before you oiled it? WD40 is not good for lengthy storage but a week should be okay. Something else is amiss.

 

[John V.]

Yes...I was careful to make sure I dried it thoroughly before WD40?

 

[Colin Sprute]

my buddy had a problem kinda like that. im not sure if his cleaning jag is slightly small or if the barrel is slightly big, but he runs a cleaning patch thru with hot water and a dash of soap. then he puts 2 patches over the jag and pumps it thru and i guess the barrel comes clean. i guess a guy would just want to be sure it would go and not get it stuck??

 

[sidelock]

Well, I have been over ruled on here, but I would say you made two mistakes. I only use boiling hot water, no soap and pump water until it comes out CLEAN. By that time the bbl. becomes too hot to hold without gloves. (I use waterproof gloves) I then swab the bbl. with several clean patches to dry it and while the bbl. is cooling and DRYING from the heat I clean up the other parts with a tooth brush in the hot water. Then I oil a patch till it is dripping wet with 3 in 1 oil and swab the bbl. really well, finishing up by using the same patch to oil the other parts. I AIN'T NEVER HAD ANY RUST.

 

[Zonie]

It sounds like you did everything almost right.

The only things that might have been done better was to run a few more dry patches down the clean barrel to make sure ALL traces of water were removed and your choice of a rust protection wasn't (IMO) the best.

WD40 is made to displace water but keeping rust away is not its prime function.

Had you used regular motor oil, 3 in 1 oil or one of a number of oils that are actually made to protect the metal from rust I don't think you would have a problem.

 

[coloradoclyde]

I'm guessing he did everything right except,....He should have checked on it sooner...
Also I'm guessing that he probably cleaned it and the weather changed....it probably rained and the temperature dropped.....perfect conditions for rust to develop.

 

[swathdiver]

If cleaning with hot water and allowing the barrel to cool too much, flash rusting will occur. Get that bore dry while the barrel is hot; if you go the hot water route.

 

[John V.]

Should I be changing out my soapy water for clean water once it becomes dirty, and then continue cleaning? Also is there anything I can do for the (what I believe) to be pitting that has now developed? If it is pitting will it affect my accuracy much? Honestly, I am so frustrated about this because I just really love this rifle.

 

[fleener]

a week is not enough time to get minor pitting, at least not with the amount of rust that you have reported.

What you see as pitting might be chatter marks from the cutter used to cut the rifling.

After your oil dries your patches will come out a light straw/brownish color, no worries.

Everyone has their own opinion, but I would not use WD-45. I use G-96. And I am most likely moved away from cleaning with straight water.

shoot the rifle, that will clean up the bore and don't worry about the barrel. I bet you are just fine.

Fleener

 

[coloradoclyde]

G96 is one of the very best rust preventatives out there for guns.... :thumbsup:

 

[Loyalist Dave]

a week is not enough time to get minor pitting, at least not with the amount of rust that you have reported.

Agreed.

After cleaning I run a patch down the bore each morning for the next couple of mornings, with either WD-40 or Barricade, depending on how long the guns will sit.

Sometimes I get a little tan color, most times I don't. I get more tan in the Spring/Summer with higher humidity.

LD

 

[hanshi]

You might try something I have made a practice of. That is run some patches down the bore the next day and put in a better oil meant for rust prevention. I constantly check my guns just to make sure all is right. Seldom do any of mine go much over a month without a check. But the first week or two after cleaning I stay right on top of the process.

 

[John V.]

Thanks for the suggestion. I had thought about re-checking the bore a couple days after cleaning, but then I thought...no I am just being paranoid. I oiled it and it should be fine. Apparently not so much.

 

[Danny Ross]

I have had issues similar to what you describe when cleaning barrels. I think I have it clean and dry then rerun a wet cleaning patch down the barrel and it comes back with the tan like coloration or black on the damp patch where the folded dry patch just before showed clean. Personal opinion not fact: I believe some of it is coming from edges/corners created between the lands and rifling. It is difficult to get patching material into those edges/corners. If you have used Borebutter or something similar in your barrel previously it could hold crud which could be baked on which could cause rusting. I have gotten black out (possible carbon) of what I THOUGHT was a clean barrel and have really worked hard to remove it. I have quit using Borebutter after finding out about Barricade on here. If it is the case that something has baked on, something to could try is Brake Cleaner that some have recommended on here for new guns to get the grease out it may also removed any a baked on stuff that maybe causing they rusting. Just a thought. DANNY

 

[John V.]

I never thought about trying brake cleaner to get leftover "crud" out of the bore?Not every time just this once. Anyone else want to weight in on this idea?

 

[coloradoclyde]

I never thought about trying brake cleaner to get leftover "crud" out of the bore?Not every time just this once. Anyone else want to weight in on this idea?

Sure!...........It's a bad idea.....

 

[mnbearbaiter]

I've had my best luck with bore mops. I use the hot water with soap sure but after that I run tight fitting patches down barrel till dry, then a bore mop saturated in rubbing alcohol. Wait 10min then I run a mop with a heavy amount of my patch lube (TOTW Mink Oil) for storage. Seems to work well for me :idunno: :idunno:

 

[John V.]

I never thought about trying brake cleaner to get leftover "crud" out of the bore?Not every time just this once. Anyone else want to weight in on this idea?

Sure!...........It's a bad idea.....

Thank you...that is why I asked. Can it damage the bore?

 

[coloradoclyde]

Hard on the finish on your gun and won't help your rust problem any.....

Best advice I can give anyone about muzzleloaders, is to stay out of the auto parts store....
Your muzzleloader is not a car......Period.

Looking for shortcuts to proper cleaning will ultimately cause you more problems....