cleaning and alcohol

[David Snellen]

Gentlemen,
A friend of mine just told me he only cleans with alcohol and oils with olive oil. I have heard about folks using windex, but never straight alcohol.
Is there a difference with virgin/extra virgin olive oil?
What do y'all think about cleaning this way?
David

 

[jim m]

I clean with water and a drop of dish soap. wipe dry and then use a patch with alcohol to dry any moisture left in the barrel. alcohol is a good drying agent for water and I do it as a precaution. never tried olive oil. I use balistol and have never had a problem with rust. a mix of 1 part ballistol to 2 parts water also makes a good patch lube. oh by the way I like balistol. did I mention I like balistol :thumbsup:

 

[nchawkeye]

I've used several concoctions through the years, the last 5 or so I've also used rubbing alcohol, works as good as anything else...I just put a round toothpick in the touch hole, pour some alcohol down the barrel, swish around and pour out, then dry with a few patches and lube with WD-40...

 

[Semisane]

I use the Windex with Vinegar product for wiping the barrel between shots. I think the acid of the vinegar helps cut and neutralize the fouling. I use a light oil in my bore (Rem Oil, 3-in-1, etc.) to store my guns, and use pure alcohol to swab the oil from the bore before shooting.

The only practical difference between extra virgin olive oil and regular is that extra virgin tastes better and costs more.

My favorite patch (and conical) lube is 1/4 part bees wax, 1/4 part Crisco, and 1/2 part olive oil. Heat it up in the microwave until everything is liquid, stir it up a bit, and pour into a container of your choice before it re-solidifies. I use old bullet boxes and musket cap tins.

 

[tg]

I have used alch to clean or alch mixed with Murphys oil soap, it all works, you just have to fimd what you like the best, next time you shoot before you clean your gun take a rag with some alcoh. on it and wipe out the pan, frizzen and flint see how it takes off the fouling, this is a good measure of somethings cleaning ability.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I clean with soapy water and then use 91% Isopropyl alcohol on a patch to chase out the water before wiping with Sheath (a penetrating/protectant oil). I wipe again with alcohol to clear away the oil before loading the next time I use the rifle or gun.

 

[Trkdriver99]

I thought extra virgin was 16 year old girl friend's 13 year old sister that her mother sent with you on a date :wink: :grin: :rotf:
Ronnie

 

[rafterob]

Alcohol is an organic solvent thus it works well on the residue which is high in carbon. The residue is also high in salts which is why the vinegar works so well, acid-base reactions. Hot soapy water works cuz soap breaks up grease (lube) and allows it to be carried away by the water. And scrubbing action loosens particles. The type of oil you use I don't think really matters, other than food based oils will oxidize (go rancid) but if you are shooting fairly frequently that shouldn't affect anything. Olive oil is a monounsaturated oil and will solidify at cooler temperatures-that may make a difference.

 

[david50]

i use a mixture of denatured alcohol Joe's hand cleaner(lanolin)and a small amount of Murphys oil soap to clean with. when the alcohol evaperates it leaves behind a thin film of lanolin and Murphys,never had any rust

 

[pa woods roamer]

A word of caution on using Alchohol....mighty hard of gun finishes!!

 

[deanscamaro]

As a newbie, I'm starting to zero in on some lube/cleaning substances. It just so happens, the cleaning procedure of yours is what I am doing right now and I like it.
:v

 

[JackAubrey]

I have heard of people using alcohol as a drying agent.I suppose it depends on what type of alcohol.I have a bottle of isopropyl alcohol before me now.The label states:Active ingredients: 50% isopropyl alcohol,inactive ingredientsurified water.I clean with hot water then rinse with boiling water to heat the barrel.then I swab it dry.I have been told this can lead to flash rusting but I have not experienced it.When the barrel is still very hot and dry, I swab the bore with sweet oil(olive oil).It works well for me.Best regards,J.A.

 

[Tman]

I thought extra virgin was 16 year old girl friend's 13 year old sister that her mother sent with you on a date :wink: :grin: :rotf:
Ronnie

Oh the misery! Laughing here also! :rotf:

 

[MSW]

i am told by my friend Guido that extra- virgin olive oil is pressed earlier in the day, which effects the taste. i doubt there is significant difference in the chemestry. Guido is a good fellow and all, but he is known to use store bought pesto sauce, so his expertise as a 'foodie' might be a bit suspect.

now with all the vinegar and olive oil floating around, the range might start to smell like a salad bar... let's go make some proper smelling sulphurous smoke to mask that nasty stink!

 

[Johnny Tremain]

I clean with T/C 1000+ bore cleaner

then

lube with T/C 1000+ bore butter.

Been not rustin, and firin smooth for many year.

 

[Swampman]

The biggest problem with Alcohol is that it will ruin the finish on your stock. If you can keep it off the wood, no problem. Windex & olive oil are all you need. Forget the magic "snake oils" sold for big bucks. They are a waste of money.

 

[Parzifal]

When not in use my muskets are drenched in breakfree.

I heavily clean the lock and bore with alcohol before shooting with medical grade rubbing alcohol.

It works real well in my opinion. my musket very rarely misfires.

Rob

 

[roundball]

All I've ever cleaned with is steaming hot soapy water and hot water rinse, get the bore bone dry and plaster it with natural lube.

At the range, every 12-15 shots I slosh 91% alcohol onto an old washcloth and completely wipe down the entire lock, the breech, the tang and the wood all aound the lock...3-4 times per range session.

Then when I'm done with the range session, I get the washcloth dripping with alcohol and wipe down the entire ML to remove all the handling grime before putting it into the truck.

I've done that about 45 weekends every year since I started with Flintlocks in 2001...never harmed any of my stocks at all.

 

[paulvallandigham]

How many times have you written here, Roundball, that you never clean your barrel, and shoot 50 rounds every Saturday? Now you tell us you slosh alcohol down the barrel ever 12-15 shots and wipe out the barrel? Which is it?

Just curious.

 

[deanscamaro]

Sensationalism Reigns!!!

:rotf: :rotf: :rotf: