Cleaning mix?

[Carbon 6]

I'd try it, but then I would have to go buy some. I think I have all the ingredients around the house short of color and fragrance, maybe I'll try to make my own simple green.

 

[dave951]

Windex wipe down inside and out. Dry and oil. Done and done

 

[Brokennock]

... Guys it’s soap.... no where near as important as plain ticking vs striped ticking.

And more important than that, if striped, do the stripes go horizontal or vertical?

 

[Carbon 6]

Diagonal

 

[Zonie]

I've used Simple Green to clean my cap & ball pistols a couple of times and for them, it does seem to have a bit of an advantage over just soap and water.

Simple Green is a strong detergent so it will easily wash off the grease I put over the balls in the chamber's mouths that gets blasted all over the frame and the back of the barrel. It also does a number on the arbor grease that has become fouled while I was shooting.

That said, for cleaning a rifle I don't think it has any advantage over just a little DAWN and a bucket of water.

(Gotta love that!!!!! "The Battle of the DAWN". Boo,ha,ha,ha,ha! )

 

[dave951]

And more important than that, if striped, do the stripes go horizontal or vertical?

Gigham works best followed by Linsey Woolsey

 

[Eutycus]

I guess that leaves me out, my patches dont have any print. I must be doing something wrong???

 

[old ugly]

DAWN

 

[Carbon 6]

Simple Green is a strong detergent

Ya, diluted with water.

Water 7732-18-5 > 84.8%*
C9-11 Alcohols Ethoxylated 68439-46-3 < 5%*
Sodium Citrate 68-04-2 < 5%*
Sodium Carbonate 497-19-8 < 1%*
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate 51981-21-6 < 1%*
Citric Acid 77-92-9 < 1%*
Methylchloroisothiazolinone 26172-55-4 < 0.002%*
Methylisothiazolinone 2682-20-4 < 0.001%*
Fragrance Proprietary Mixture < 1%*
Liquitint Colorant Proprietary Mixture < 1%*

 

[Juice Jaws]

Ya, diluted with water.

Water 7732-18-5 > 84.8%*
C9-11 Alcohols Ethoxylated 68439-46-3 < 5%*
Sodium Citrate 68-04-2 < 5%*
Sodium Carbonate 497-19-8 < 1%*
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate 51981-21-6 < 1%*
Citric Acid 77-92-9 < 1%*
Methylchloroisothiazolinone 26172-55-4 < 0.002%*
Methylisothiazolinone 2682-20-4 < 0.001%*
Fragrance Proprietary Mixture < 1%*
Liquitint Colorant Proprietary Mixture < 1%*

SHOW OFF

 

[Carbon 6]

SHOW OFF

 

[Eutycus]

Time to put your Math Hats on. If Simple Green is 84.8% water and you mix it 50-50 with water as a cleaning solution how much water do you wind up with?

 

[Ralph Meisse]

Thanks to all who replied. I don't know what the Dawn post was all about but that's okay. I do however have a question about cleaning my flintlocks. These guys who say all it takes is two wet patches, two dry patches, two oil patches and twenty minutes and your all done. How do you do that? Takes me way more patches and time then that. What am I doing wrong? I shoot Kentucky style guns so I can't put it in a pail of water. Hell, the first six wet patches come out solid black and then they start lightening up a bit but I know it's going to be another hour before it's clean and oiled.

 

[azmntman]

Time to put your Math Hats on. If Simple Green is 84.8% water and you mix it 50-50 with water as a cleaning solution how much water do you wind up with?

Twice as much. How high is up? Easy, twice as high as down.

 

[AlanG]

Thanks to all who replied. I don't know what the Dawn post was all about but that's okay. I do however have a question about cleaning my flintlocks. These guys who say all it takes is two wet patches, two dry patches, two oil patches and twenty minutes and your all done. How do you do that? Takes me way more patches and time then that. What am I doing wrong? I shoot Kentucky style guns so I can't put it in a pail of water. Hell, the first six wet patches come out solid black and then they start lightening up a bit but I know it's going to be another hour before it's clean and oiled.

Honestly the "two patch, ten minute" stuff is just an exaggeration, just not happening. Cleaning a flintlock/pinned barrel gun is hardly a big deal though. By clean I mean a gun that can be set aside for 2 or 3 months, taken out and no gunk, rust etc. in or on the barrel and the lock.

Simple green works, but there are other products that work just as well or better, and it is not a good patch lube at all. Murphys soap cut with alcohol is cheaper by far when it comes to home brews. Of course water (as long as not too hard or soft) always works, but isn't always convenient. One thing you have to figure is whether you want to clean at the range, or are willing to take your gun home- can really change your methods depending. I'm a clean at the range guy, even if the "range" is a gravel pit 1/4 mile away. I have my own methods- which I ain't mentioning here, but if you haven't tried it, Ballistol is simple and effective, reasonable in price, and very versatile. It has the distinct advantage over the Simple Greens, windex, w.w. cleaner or water in that it won't kill you if you don't get things perfectly dry. The smell does bother some people, but once you mix it with water it changes a bit.

ballistol has been discussed ad- nausea, but Mixed 8 or 10 to 1 it makes an excellent between shot swab and final cleaner. Is very good at cleaning the lock, and used straight it is a very good gun lube for the lock, and rust prevention in the barrel- about the only thing I know that is literally one stop shopping. Spray inside of lock, set aside, four to six wet patches down bore ( usually flip them over) last patch rubbed on barrel and touch hole to clean outside, set aside. Toothbrush inside of lock, wipe lock dry with rag, set aside. Dry patches till clean in barrel. Lube lock with straight ballistol and coat inside and outside barrel. Lock back on and done. It's pretty fast, but not 10 minutes.

 

[Carbon 6]

Post Removed!

 

[Carbon 6]

Honestly the "two patch, ten minute" stuff is just an exaggeration, just not happening. .

Anything can become an "exaggeration" when misquoted.

 

[Nessmuck56]

If wiping aftah shots....I use Windsheild washer fluid cut with water in the Summah....and straight Windsheild fluid in the Wintah ...won’t freeze.

 

[Carbon 6]

I have my own methods- which I ain't mentioning here,

Yep! your post convinced me to do the same.

 

[tenngun]

Thanks to all who replied. I don't know what the Dawn post was all about but that's okay. I do however have a question about cleaning my flintlocks. These guys who say all it takes is two wet patches, two dry patches, two oil patches and twenty minutes and your all done. How do you do that? Takes me way more patches and time then that. What am I doing wrong? I shoot Kentucky style guns so I can't put it in a pail of water. Hell, the first six wet patches come out solid black and then they start lightening up a bit but I know it's going to be another hour before it's clean and oiled.

I plug my touch hole, fill barrel with water, left stand then dump. Repeat. Then with one patch swab through a few strokes. Re fill barrel and let it sit whil I renise out patch. Dump and swab. Then use a few(6?) patches for drying then an 3 patches to oil. One with wd40, one to wipe out wd40 one to apply oil.
Lock is done with wet patch from barrel and dry patches, oiled patches same from barrel, top of barrel with same. Then clean damp patch for stock, dry patches then stock oil. Say a dozen all together. Field about six globs of tow, one dry rag one waxie rag.