• Friends, our 2nd Amendment rights are always under attack and the NRA has been a constant for decades in helping fight that fight.

    We have partnered with the NRA to offer you a discount on membership and Muzzleloading Forum gets a small percentage too of each membership, so you are supporting both the NRA and us.

    Use this link to sign up please; https://membership.nra.org/recruiters/join/XR045103

Cleaning solvents for Pyrodex.

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
I use very hot water. So hot you have to use oven mitts to hold on to the barrel. It dries really fast.
Yeah, but that also leads to major temp swings as the hot barrel cools and possible complications with ambient temperature and available moisture,
,aka: dew point. Leading to the ever present "flash rust".
Your doing fine, water with a little common detergent (dawn) works the best, just switch it out for tepid water (think baby bath) and rinsing with the same.
I keep denatured alcohol available to use as a follow up rinse or patch wipe to help remove any water from the barrel and flash channel,
,then apply the lubrication as needed.
And my lubrication needs change with the use of my rifle, will I shoot it the next day? The next week? Or next year?
I know how I use my guns, I use the proper lubrication for my needs with each gun,,

p.s. i've never used "rig" on anything
 
Warm water and a few drops of dawn soap in a coffee can. My TC muzzleloaders I stick the breech end of the barrel in the can, scrub with a wet patch pull water on and out. Take the lock off and put it in the soapy water and scrub it down with a cleaning brush.
 
I haven’t shot BP in several years so I’m probably wrong here but I think we are possibly over thinking this cleaning thing, making something more complicated than it actually is. I always just used some windshield cleaner fluid out of the truck’s reservoir, or if I remembered to bring it a spray bottle of household window cleaner with vinegar from Wally World. Followed by Ballistol.
Please No Booing thank you.
 
I know I will open a can of worms but after I shoot I use bore butter patches until they come out clean. Pyrodex or Black. Most of my guns are over thirty years old and the bores still looking good.
If they ever stop making bore butter I will have to try something else
 
I often use my own concoction: Automobile Window Washing Fluid, Alcohol, Murphy's Oil Soap and Ballistol. I don't use exact measurements. --- Mostly Washing Fluid, Some Alcohol, a squirt of Murphy's and a generous squirt of Ballistol.
 
I usually clean the bore on my 50 cal J B mountain rifle, with the breech end in very hot water. Ouse cleaning patches on the jag, to pull hot water up into the bore using pumping action with the ramrod. This works pretty well, but rifling on the JB, is so deep, it’s difficult to ensure lubrication all through the rifling and lands. Anyone have an easier method for the Browning mountain rifle?
A little dawn dish soap/water mix. Brush on a long wooden rod with the cordless drill. Followed by lard patch.
 
I've cleaned several muzzleloaders with soap and water, and every other homemade mixture that was recommended. I always go back over them with CLP and get a lot more color on the patch. It seems soap and water has never got the barrel completely clean for me.
 
Dont use pyrodex but do use 777 and holy black.

I use a few wet patches on T/C No.13 cleaner.
Dry patches until they show no moisture or gray color.
Put it in the safe.
 
Dont use pyrodex but do use 777 and holy black.

I use a few wet patches on T/C No.13 cleaner.
Dry patches until they show no moisture or gray color.
Put it in the safe.
Why not Pyrodex? I’ve used BP & Pyro and though I like the smoke and nostalgia of BP the Pyro is much cleaner in that the fouling doesn’t just continue to build up like BP. Especially noticeable in small cal., .36 and below.
 
On my .36 revolvers I completely disassemble and clean when I get home. I usually shoot paper cartridges loaded with round ball and Pyrodex, with the ball end dipped in a mixture of tallow & bees wax during production. If I'm not shooting pre-made paper cartridges, its ball over powder sealed up with TC Bore Butter. To clean, I use the hottest water I can stand, plus a small spray bottle with 1 part Ballistol and 5 parts water. I've also heard of people using 1:10 ratio mix, but I like having the extra Ballistol in there. I scrub and rub as is tradition until it comes out clean. To dry, the whole revolver goes in the oven at 170° then it gets wiped down with a straight Ballistol patch while still hot. It takes a while, but it comes out clean as a whistle and I've never had issues with rust.

Dont use pyrodex but do use 777 and holy black.

Why not Pyrodex? I’ve used BP & Pyro and though I like the smoke and nostalgia of BP the Pyro is much cleaner in that the fouling doesn’t just continue to build up like BP. Especially noticeable in small cal., .36 and below.

I'll +1 that question.

I have absolutely no access to black powder where I live so I've been shooting Pyrodex exclusively. One of the local shops I visit on occasion has 777 but it tends to be a bit more expensive than Pyrodex so I've always skipped it. Very interested to hear more!
 
Last edited:
Back
Top