Cleaning black powder rifles

[tndavisusa]

I'm new here and new to shooting real black powder. I don't know if this is the right place to ask these questions but here goes. A old timer (I'm 72) gave me this advise. Mix equal parts of Murphy Oil Soap, Denatured alcohol, Hydrogen Peroxide to clean with. Pour 4 oz in barrel after shooting stop muzzle and rotate back and forth while turning two minutes with hammer down in cap rife. Pour out and replace with couple oz more doing the same. Pour it out, then cock hammer and run tight patch back and forth this will also run some of the mix through the nipple. After running several patches oil the barrel and your done. This may have been dicussed many times but I couldn't find any discussion. I'm really wanting advise about this. Sounds like a great way to clean.

 

[Stumpkiller]

First - don't rely on the hammer to seal the nipple. At least use a piece of damp leather under the hammer nose. Better is to keep your thumb over the nipple.

Hydrogen peroxide. The drug store variety is 96% water, and the other 4% is an oxidizer that will cause rust if it sits long enough. I don't use it when cleaning and my rifles and guns still get clean.

If you have a barrel held in with keys I would recommend removing it from the stock. I don't pully my pinned stocks off, but some do.

You're not done until the bore is wiped dry (I even add an alcohol wipe to chase off water) and some kind of protectant or penetrating oil is wiped on. I use Barricase from Beechwood-Casey.

 

[David W.]

Stumpkiller's advise is good. However, I use Ballistol to clean the bore's of my pinned rifles. Ballistol is good stuff, beware the smell! :haha: There is also a contraption Track of the Wolf sells that uses a rubber hose which attaches to the nipple. If you have wedge keys, pull the barrel from the stock.

After the bore is clean, follow up with a dry patch and then a lightly soaked patch with Remington oil, or Ballistol. I DO NOT like WD-40 at all, but some swear by it.

 

[ohio ramrod]

The three part solution has been used for many years. But most people just use a warm water (some add a little soap). Alcohol is also used by many. Many who use alcohol just buy the windshield washer mixture of alcohol and water sold at wally world.. I use a foam rubber ear plug between the hammer and nipple of percusion guns. to seal while letting the gun stand. Remember the most important thing about black powder guns is the cleaning and oiling for storage. Treat your gun right and it will do you right.Welcome to the forum. You can find a lot of good friendly advice here. :hmm: :hmm:

 

[DOUBLEDEUCE 1]

If your barrel is wedged you can remove it from the stock. I place my barrel in a bucket with dishwashing soap and warm water, enough to cover the breech end and nipple. Then I run a few patches down the barrel pumping water through the nipple. It gets the fouling out quickly with little fuss or mess. I follow it up with dry patches, some WD-40 and a preservative, then a light coat on the exterior of the barrel itself. I check the bore for a few days before putting it up for storage. Not a speck of rust for over thirty years. It works for me. :hmm:

 

[cas]

I started using it with my BPCR's and once I saw how well it worked and easy it was to use, I started using it on my muzzle loaders. I like being able to spray down the lock inside and out.

Followed by Ballistol.

 

[deseeb2001]

I use water & a little dish soap, haven't had any problems yet. I find that putting a light coat of oil in the bore afterwards is important, though. Welcome, you'll find lots of good info here. Most importantly, have fun :thumbsup:

 

[lakota]

I use the hot water and soap method for cleaning. It has to be the cheapest one out there.

 

[Nappers]

I use 3 rivers patch lube/cleaner. After a shoot, I run a patch with 3 rivers lube and clean around the nipple. I then remove barrel (I have a lock breech) I place barrel in a container with hot/warm water with a dab of dishsoap and "hydro" clean it with a patch and let the nipple soak in the cleaner. I use dental tools to scrape around the nipple (be careful of threads) and hydro clean again. I then run a dry patch down and dry it and use that Ballistol oil to lube and clean the stock etc. and polish my brass with Meguiar's NXT metal polish.....I use 6 patches in all. I put a patch on the nipple and drop hammer on it and store it in a zipper rifle bag until the next time.

 

[Captjoel]

I used to use the old "MAP" solution (Murphy's, alcohol, and peroxide), but found that the peroxide would remove the stock finish right down to the bare wood if they came in contact. I now just use a 30% Murphy's and 70% alcohol mix. It does a fine job and it smells good!

 

[S.Kenton]

I fill up a bucket with luke-warm water.. and a about 2 Tablespoons of dawn dish soap. I use a run a patch up and down the barrel while the breech end of the barrel is in the soapy water..it creates a piston action that draws the water up the barrel.I do this until the water that is forced out of the nipple is clean and clear.I find the dishsoap will readily clean any oily grime and powder residue left over from shooting. I then run a couple of dry patches through the barrel and then let it sit beside my wood burner...or a sunny warm window to dry. Then oil the inside and outside of the barrel after drying. I have no issues with rust unless I use HOT water. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Rat Trapper]

I use warm water from the kitchen tap with dish soap. A ice cream pail is used to hold the water.
I run the patch up and down a bit then dump the water and use some fresh clean water to rinse things out. I leave the nipple in for the first couple passes, before I remove the nipple. I always remove the clean out screw if the rifle has one. I put breech plug grease on the nipple and clean out screws threads before putting them back in. I use a light gun oil to wipe the bore and the outside. Don't forget to clean the hammer.