cleaning and alcohol

[roundball]

It seems that most every time this guy paul posts something he displays another undesirable characteristic...this time its poor reading / comprehension skills...my post makes no mention what-so-ever about putting alcohol down the bore. :youcrazy:

His memory is getting better however, because unless I'm running controlled tests where I want to have a clean cold barrel for each shot, I do indeed shoot 50 shot range sessions most every weekend without wiping between shots.

These practices are in anyone's reach who spends less time constantly telling people "I'm a lawyer"...and spends more time at the range learning about these things to acquire actual hands on experience first hand...instead of reading then repeating things from posts and articles as if they are his own origination...particularly when there is a an obvious reading / comprehension problem. :shake:

 

[paulvallandigham]

Roundball: I owe you an apology. I did misread your post. Its just that you have never before even mentioned this bit of cleaning of your gun or any part of it. Along with admitting that you switch from Bore Butter, to Hoppes No. 9, when you shoot during the dry colder months of the year, I just was caught by surprise, at this latest revelation.

I have been trying to figure out what I am doing wrong using bore butter, that I can't get 50 shots without cleaning, and talking to other members of my gun club about their use of it. I don't have to shoot 50 shots a day any time to learn what I need to know about my shooting, a gun, or anything else. I have done that. I did it for many years. I learned there is a difference between just shooting, and correct practice. Practicing my mistakes doesn't make me a better shooter: it only makes me poorer. And I learned that Long before I went to law school, from my Dad.

It apparently bothers you, as well as some others, that I am a lawyer. That seems to be a personal problem of yours which I can't help. As for my range experience, you are so far off the mark its funny. You have my apology, sir. Now, when do you apologize for the insults to me?

 

[sniper68]

As you see it's limited by only your imagination and ends up with you feel
confident with. For me, it's equal parts ammonia, vinegar and 91% rubbing alcohol. Great bore wipe and general household cleaner. Most(85% plus) homes have hard water. In your wash "and" rinse water, throw in a handful of baking soda and it will be a whole different ball game. No more flash rust either... For rust protection, short and long term..."petrolium or synthetic" only.
sniper :thumbsup:

 

[Harrod]

The only time I ever used vinegar around a gun it took the bluein' right off of my T/C Hawken. That was over 30 years ago so maybe things have changed since then. No petroleum products go down the bores of my MZs. I try to season my bores like an iron skillet.

 

[Cosmoline]

I try to use 10 year old Laphroaig when cleaning my smoke pole. Not FOR cleaning, mind you :thumbsup:

 

[Harrod]

I wonder how 100 Proof Bourbon would work?

 

[tg]

"I try to season my bores like an iron skillet"

Anyone gonna get into this fairy tale again or should we just let it slip by?

 

[Harrod]

TG, I'm fairly new here. Fill me in. Thanks.

 

[LRB]

I beg to differ. Plain olive oil, will in time go rancid. Extra virgin olive oil will not.

 

[tg]

Modern steel used in ML barrels does not season like the cast iron frying pans do, this practice is something carried over from when barrels were made of iron it is of little use today, except on the frying pan.

 

[renovato]

"Seasoning" is the build up of a layer of carbon. It doesn't build up evenly, which in a cast iron skillet doesn't matter, but matters a lot when it comes to accuracy in a gun bore. Also, with steel, carbon acts as a glue which holds on to particles of fouling. This could cause corrosion underneath the carbon where it isn't noticed until it's too late. The very act of seasoning requires that the carbon not be too thoroughly washed and scrubbed or it will be removed. This pretty much guarantees that the corrosive salts won't be removed either.

I've always wondered if the reason so many old guns had their bores "freshened" wasn't because of being shot out, but because of being corroded and packed with carbon. There was no other way to make them shoot good again other than reaming it out and starting with a "fresh" bore.

Back when I started muzzleloading in the '70's I didn't know how to properly clean the guns, so I cleaned and lubed them the way I did smokeless guns. I had issues with rusting and fouling. Then I discovered "seasoning" and thought I had found the solution. I still had issues with rusting and fouling. It wasn't until I learned to clean and protect them properly that my problems went away.

 

[roundball]

That's my feeling...I take a bore back to factory bare raw metal after every use...I don't allow any buildup of anything

 

[Semisane]

I beg to differ. Plain olive oil, will in time go rancid. Extra virgin olive oil will not.

I guess that could be Wick, but this is the first time I've ever heard of such a thing. Been using both for cooking for many many years and never noted a shelf life difference. Also, I've never had my patch lube go rancid. Maybe it's because I use it up before it does. :wink:

 

[Joel/Calgary]

Around here, the most cost-effective alcohol by far is methyl alcohol, AKA methanol, methyl hydrate, gas-line antifreeze, lacquer thinner, and fondue fuel. It contains no water, is even more widely available than rubbing alcohol, and is much cheaper. I haven't gotten any recently, but it was something like $8-10 for a gallon jug (actually 4 liters); also available in liter/quart± and smaller sizes.

I use it for drying after cleaning, especially patent breeches, and sometimes for diluting cleaning and/or lubing mixes, particularly for cold weather, instead of or in addition to water.

Joel