Can the need to swab be fixed?

[herbpagel]

The formula for moose milk that an old-timer posted was equal parts Murphy's Oil Soap, water soluble milling oil, and water. It was pretty good, but I still like to follow up with Ballistol.

 

[Dr5x]

The old timer who gave me my Moose Milk recipe included the hydrogen peroxide. I later came to understand that it served as a wetting agent, helping the DAMPENED wiping patch to more easily penetrate the baked on BP residue..




i later decided the hydrogen P was so diluted by the water and Pinesol it probably had little effectiveness.

Dutch Schoultz

What's the peroxide do?

 

[Rifleman1776]

The addition of hydrogen peroxide makes the solution a more aggressive cleaner. Even with the weak solutions of H2O2, an extra oxygen molecule is added and can promote rusting unless a good rust inhibiting lubricant is used following cleaning with the Murphy's Oil Soap, rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide (MAP).

Can only half agree with that statement. I have used H2O2 for final cleaning by letting set in the end of patent breeches to work on gunk trapped in any crevasses. But, I do not use it, or alcohol, for regular swabbing, field cleaning or patch lube. Both of them deteriorate very rapidly and alcohol absorbs moisture from the air. I believe their usefulness is zilch. For cleaning, the various moose milk/snot formulas have worked well for many for a long time. Go with what works for you but keep experimenting. I'm about to make a change to my current practices for end of day cleaning. More on that later.

 

[Carbon 6]

The addition of hydrogen peroxide makes the solution a more aggressive cleaner. Even with the weak solutions of H2O2, an extra oxygen molecule is added and can promote rusting unless a good rust inhibiting lubricant is used following cleaning with the Murphy's Oil Soap, rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide (MAP).

I'm always curious about the guys who have trouble with M.A.P. saying that it causes rust. I've never had that problem at all. In fact just the opposite. Makes me wonder what I'm doing right and they are doing wrong.

 

[Stantheman86]

.520 round balls with .10 prelubed Minuteman patches. I fired 50 balls through my Mississippi without even a thought to clean. Shot baseball sized groups at 100, rang the 12x12 steel at 200. Patch/ball was gliding down the bore, maybe the last 5-6 needed just a little pushing to get down.

 

[sgeisz]

Our formula, back in the late sixties, was an ounce each of water soluble oil, Lestoil, two of hydrogen peroxide and sixteen ounces of water. Even soaked fiber wads in it for trap and skeet shooting. In my .58 I used a .070 20 gauge card wad over the powder.
Match shooting where every point is important you wipe between shots.

 

[Grenadier1758]

I'm always curious about the guys who have trouble with M.A.P. saying that it causes rust. I've never had that problem at all. In fact just the opposite. Makes me wonder what I'm doing right and they are doing wrong.

I suspect that you are using a good rust inhibiting lubricant to protect the bore. I never had a problem with MAP. The actual amount of H2O2 is so diluted that what you mostly get is a lot of foam as you clean. I would follow the MAP with WD40 and a good lubricant.

 

[hinamanra]

Got it, Thanks

 

[Rifleman1776]

I'm always curious about the guys who have trouble with M.A.P. saying that it causes rust. I've never had that problem at all. In fact just the opposite. Makes me wonder what I'm doing right and they are doing wrong.

Sometime ago this discussion came up about hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) being corrosive. Technically, it is. But the stuff you buy at the drug store or Walmart is only a very dilute percentage of industrial hp. I did a test by putting a short section of an ml rifle barrel into some hp and refreshed periodically. After weeks it showed absolutely no signs of corrosion. Lesson learned: don't sweat it.

 

[59sharps]

Sometime ago this discussion came up about hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) being corrosive. Technically, it is. But the stuff you buy at the drug store or Walmart is only a very dilute percentage of industrial hp. I did a test by putting a short section of an ml rifle barrel into some hp and refreshed periodically. After weeks it showed absolutely no signs of corrosion. Lesson learned: don't sweat it.

Well I have a nasty star on my sHiloh sharps barrel where it dripped on by accident . From when I used hp in my formula. I wI'll never use it again

 

[Dr5x]

WHAT IS MAP?

DUTCH

I suspect that you are using a good rust inhibiting lubricant to protect the bore. I never had a problem with MAP. The actual amount of H2O2 is so diluted that what you mostly get is a lot of foam as you clean. I would follow the MAP with WD40 and a good lubricant.

 

[Idaholewis]

WHAT IS MAP?

DUTCH

Murphys Oil Soap, Alcohol, Peroxide

 

[Dr5x]

My Damn near waterless quick rifle cleaning method ends up wip[-;
th the squeaky clean barrel saturated and stored saturated with WD 40.
The last time I cleaned my barrels took 5 minutes at most at the range, followed by about 20 some years of storage in humid St Louis and at the end of that time displayed NO rust and NO schmaltz resulting from residue.

Dutch

WHAT IS MAP?

DUTCH

 

[Raikes]

Back in the day, many years ago, I'd shoot my .45 under hammer rifle about 20 times without cleaning between shoots. A simple method that worked fine for me was to have my patches soaked in WD40 and that cleaned the barrel with each shot. Never had a single problem. In fact I'd have my sister throw up old cracked 78 RPM records and most often I'd shatter them Only thing is I'm not sure WD40 now is the same as it was 35 or so years ago.

 

[Dr5x]

WD 40 WAS DEVELOPED TO COAT THE OUTSIDE , VERY THIN METAL OFROCKETS INTENDED TO GO INTO SPACE.
PEOPLE WHO HAD ACCESS TO IT BEGAN TAKING IT HOME AND OTHERWISE USING IT FOR A MYRIAD OF OTHER USES. Its composition is allegedged to be one of the most closely guarded secrets. I bought a spray can of it in France during my brief visit there. It had been made in England,

Wouldn't using it as a soaked shooting patch lubricant cause your powder charge together wet and weaken OR did it give the explosion extra zip?

Dutch Schoultz

QUOTE="Raikes, post: 1544231, member: 33053"]Back in the day, many years ago, I'd shoot my .45 under hammer rifle about 20 times without cleaning between shoots. A simple method that worked fine for me was to have my patches soaked in WD40 and that cleaned the barrel with each shot. Never had a single problem. In fact I'd have my sister throw up old cracked 78 RPM records and most often I'd shatter them Only thing is I'm not sure WD40 now is the same as it was 35 or so years ago.[/QUOTE]

 

[Rifleman1776]

Told to me personally by Norm Larsen, the inventor of WD-40. Yes, it was invented for the aerospace industry. He said it was designed for high voltage switches that operated in a high humidity environment. He said "it is a pure petroleum product". But the molecular structure had been messed with as scientists can do. It was designed to displace the moisture but also provided some lubrication. As we know it is used for countless other applications these days. Regardless, the myths and disagreements about it are sure to continue.

 

[Barkiller]

WD-40 stands for water displacement number 40. It was the 40th attempt to get the product to work the way it was intended.

 

[Woodwright]

I shoot a match once a month and normally take home a few ribbons. Last month I shot in 4 legs of the match...3 rifle and 1 pistol...and walked away with 4 blue ribbons. Everyone that shoots black powder seems to have a different way of doing things and gets pretty set in his ways. I shoot the entire matches without swabbing at all using the method I was broken in with about 40 yrs. ago. I never have a problem with loading the prb and it always goes down the barrel with the same amount of resistance...which is about medium I'd say.
I started many years ago using a mix of Windex and Murphy's oil soap in a small spray bottle. I give the patch a couple squirts and load up. The patch is pretty damp and pushes a lot of the fouling back down the barrel each time and sort of just cleans the barrel as it goes. I've shot probably 100 shots through a rifle this way and never had to clean it or seen and difference in the point of impact. I use the same mixture to clean the firearms afterward and it just works good for me.
I've experimented with lots of stuff over the years including the mink oil, etc...and never have the same results.
Ymmv...but I will continue with my old method and hopefully win high aggregate for the club again this year.

What percentage of Murphy's oil soap to Windex to you use?

 

[Stony Broke]

I mix a cup of Murphy's soap with a bottle of Windex..I think the Windex spray bottles are about 32 ounces. The Murphy's just gives the mix a little lubrication. The last match I shot, I again just loaded and shot the entire match...and scored a 50 on the last target, without swabbing the entire match. I have used this technique for many, many, years without any problems. I give the patch a couple squirts from a spray bottle and seat the ball without any troubles. A pretty wet patch and a tight fit with the patch/ball combo just pushes the crud down the bore and just does about the same thing as swabbing the bore as far as I am concerned....but I think in many cases simplicity is the answer to many problems.
Many folks have different ideas about this type of procedure and I have to respect their opinion as well. We all get set in our own methods of shooting these smokepoles and it's just whatever you think is best for you. Best of luck.