I've really come to like Ballistol for cleaning and Barricade for protecting my BP guns. Both are a pain to get at the moment and more than a little expensive. I'm less concerned on the cleaning as water will work in BP as many know. But what products are guys using for their storage oil? I do love barricade but I'm not paying $45-50 to get one can.
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Cleaning products
- Thread starter Bushfire
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A lot depends on storage conditions & relative humidity…
If you use your guns on a semi regular basis and maintain them after use… they’ll last a long time without any issue.
A wise Man once told me he used nothing but 30 w motor oil..
I prefer Barricade myself..
If you use your guns on a semi regular basis and maintain them after use… they’ll last a long time without any issue.
A wise Man once told me he used nothing but 30 w motor oil..
I prefer Barricade myself..
I'm honestly all over the place with that stuff, too many variables with varied seasons and I consider that when using protective oils with all my guns.
I kinda have an idea about how much I'm going to shoot them and when,
Active shooting during the summer vous season/or range with CF requires a medium gun oil, I use common Hoppes#9 gun oil on all the metals and keep focus on fresh oils for the locks and triggers. (that requires cleaning the old stuff out)
With Early spring/Late fall cooler temps I switch it up to Rem-oil, the Hoppes get's a little slow in cool temps.
When winter rolls around and/or I know I won't be shooting a gun much, it's LPS2 for the longer storage.
I'm using common true oils to protect the metals of the guns I own and use them in a manner that reflects the care they need.
But I also understand the need to remove those oils form the bore and fire channels before shooting. Knowing I have to do that process is part of WHY I use true gun and storage oils.
So you see, I don't have a blanket care procedure for all the guns and/or the season.
I don't believe there's a one stop solution to care for my investments.
I kinda have an idea about how much I'm going to shoot them and when,
Active shooting during the summer vous season/or range with CF requires a medium gun oil, I use common Hoppes#9 gun oil on all the metals and keep focus on fresh oils for the locks and triggers. (that requires cleaning the old stuff out)
With Early spring/Late fall cooler temps I switch it up to Rem-oil, the Hoppes get's a little slow in cool temps.
When winter rolls around and/or I know I won't be shooting a gun much, it's LPS2 for the longer storage.
I'm using common true oils to protect the metals of the guns I own and use them in a manner that reflects the care they need.
But I also understand the need to remove those oils form the bore and fire channels before shooting. Knowing I have to do that process is part of WHY I use true gun and storage oils.
So you see, I don't have a blanket care procedure for all the guns and/or the season.
I don't believe there's a one stop solution to care for my investments.
SwanShot
36 Cal.
WD40. Works a treat.
I use alcohol on my caplocks but not flinters, just take the lock off and remove flash hole liner and give a wipe along with swabbing the bore with a dry patch. On the one that I can't take out the flash hole liner I skip that part.
WD40. WD stands for "water displacing". It is not a lubricant. It is not a protective coating. Great stuff to have if you have had your gun in a wet or humid environment. But it will neither lubricate your lock nor protect your metal.
Archer 756
40 Cal.
Baby Wipes 
Water & Dawn for cleaning, CLP for lube & storage.
Some_Mook
Insignificant Git
I am blocked by the salt mines internet firewall or I would just post the link, but if you go to the American Civil War Shooting Associations website and scroll down under the 'Member Info' tab to the 'Shooters notebook there is a link to a fascinating conglomeration of chemicals, solvents and lubricants to read about.
Not in my opinion. Cleans well, but won't protect for long periods of time the way oil will. I used to use it and ended up with some rust in the barrel after multi-month periods of storage.
Nah not long term. I've found rust after using ballistol, but I've got guns that are clean as a whistle after 12 months using barricade. Trying to find something similar.
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Yes it will and very well, main ingredient is mineral oil. It has been protecting European military arms for years.
Va.Manuf.06
58 Cal.
3-in-1 Oil or any good gun oil after cleaning with water - nothing else works as well.
I agree what was posted earlier. It first depends where and how they are stored. Next is how often are they used. With me all my firearms are in constant room temperature low
to no humidity. Every so often I’ll take one out for inspection and light cleaning read up on it, admire it. Then the next time I’ll take another out for the same. It’s all part of my enjoyment on having them and keeping them in great shape and ready to use. Very ultra rarely have any had build up of surface rust, light grime dirt etc.
I usually, when put away use just a lightly damp patch with a light gun oil down the muzzle. Stored in their soft cases barrel facing down
to no humidity. Every so often I’ll take one out for inspection and light cleaning read up on it, admire it. Then the next time I’ll take another out for the same. It’s all part of my enjoyment on having them and keeping them in great shape and ready to use. Very ultra rarely have any had build up of surface rust, light grime dirt etc.
I usually, when put away use just a lightly damp patch with a light gun oil down the muzzle. Stored in their soft cases barrel facing down
Uncle Miltie
50 Cal.
I've used Barricade (Sheath) for many years, have found nothing better.
I just gave up on Balistol, I don't us it to clean anything just as a lube. For cleaning I use Simple Green or dawn and water. I went to the range last Saturday, cleaned my rifle and put it away. Wednesday when I went to the range I ran a dry patch through the barrel before shooting, the patch came out pretty brown, disappointing for sure, I am all in when it comes to cleaning my muzzleloaders. During the summer while at a Rendezvous, I cleaned and treated my flint with Balistol inside and out after a day of shooting, it was quite humid that day, the next morning I got up for another day of shooting and my rifle had a light coat of rust forming on the barrel surface. I just went back to my tried and true Rem Oil. Yesteday, I pulled all of my muzzleloaders out of the safe and nooks and treated them all to a Rem Oil rub down.
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Murphy's Oil Soap and hot water for cleaning, T/C Bore Butter in the bore (applied with a patch, not a wool mop), any conventional gun oil for the exterior and a little cotton patch with gun oil on it over the nipple or in the flash pan. I use a WWII era shaving brush to coat the exterior... yeah I did get it from a WWII veteran. Use an anti-seize compound on your nipple threads. Don't remove the LIGHT coat of Bore Butter before shooting, no need for that as it makes a good ball and bullet lube.
The REAL secret though, is to shoot and clean your guns on a regular basis. I have about a dozen more or less, shoot just about every day and rotate the guns as needed. Also, keep them someplace relatively dry. Basements, the truck of the car and inside open-cell foam-lined cases are really bad places to store guns. They need to be in a rack or on a wall where air can circulate around them, unless you have a temperature and humidity controlled gun vault/gun cabinet.
If I wanted to store any gun for an extended period without handling it at all, I would look into RIG. A thick coat of that is messy, but you could just about store your gun in the hold of the Titanic and not have any rust issues.
I have not tried Ballistol yet, but have heard good things about it. I like that it is water soluble, but don't like that it is a petroleum product. That it was invented by the Nazis doesn't bother me all that much. Lots of good stuff was invented under the third reich. Germans know stuff. I would love to get a scheutzen rifle some day....
The REAL secret though, is to shoot and clean your guns on a regular basis. I have about a dozen more or less, shoot just about every day and rotate the guns as needed. Also, keep them someplace relatively dry. Basements, the truck of the car and inside open-cell foam-lined cases are really bad places to store guns. They need to be in a rack or on a wall where air can circulate around them, unless you have a temperature and humidity controlled gun vault/gun cabinet.
If I wanted to store any gun for an extended period without handling it at all, I would look into RIG. A thick coat of that is messy, but you could just about store your gun in the hold of the Titanic and not have any rust issues.
I have not tried Ballistol yet, but have heard good things about it. I like that it is water soluble, but don't like that it is a petroleum product. That it was invented by the Nazis doesn't bother me all that much. Lots of good stuff was invented under the third reich. Germans know stuff. I would love to get a scheutzen rifle some day....
WD40 for 48 years with zero rust issues. LOW humidity here though. Also have used hoppes oil (came in a shotgun cleaning kit), 3 in one oil, Rem oil (just got 16oz can for $9.00 at cal ranch) and per the RAVING about Barricade (lead by and/or joined in by our Late GREAT Zonnie) I have a can in the "big box"
MISS ZONNIE
Have tried the mass of snake oil solutions for cleaning. Now and for the last 10 years I use hot water and few drops of dawn. 50 yrs in now guys and for me NOTHING works a bit better or any faster than water. Onstead of a jar of TC #13 or what ever buy the pack of lil white cleaning patchs a few spots over. Carry a tack or similiar around and they make pretty dang good check yer zero targets after a miss or dropping yer gun (of course I personally have no experience with either).
MISS ZONNIE
Have tried the mass of snake oil solutions for cleaning. Now and for the last 10 years I use hot water and few drops of dawn. 50 yrs in now guys and for me NOTHING works a bit better or any faster than water. Onstead of a jar of TC #13 or what ever buy the pack of lil white cleaning patchs a few spots over. Carry a tack or similiar around and they make pretty dang good check yer zero targets after a miss or dropping yer gun (of course I personally have no experience with either).
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