Cleaning With Hydrogen Peroxide

[FishDFly]

In the discussion on worn our barrels, different cleaning formulas were suggested.

A friend who used to buy used barrels. He would plug the nipple with a tooth pick, stand the barrel upright and fill the barrel with hydrogen peroxide. Sometimes he would let it sit an hour or so and sometimes over night depending on how the first hour results looked.

The liquid that came out of the barrel was nasty looking. He clamined that it worked wonders on barrels. He used to have some small bore mirrors that he would drop down the barrel and check them with a flash light and he never mentioned any pitting in the barrels from the hydrogen peroxide.

Any one ever tried hydrogen peroixde for cleaning the crude out of a barrel?

RDE

 

[boar]

I use it with equal parts Murphy's oil soap and alcohol. Works great, but you must be sure to oil after, or it will rust as it cleans to the bare metal .It works good on guns that don't have the hooked breach. Dilly

 

[Ohio Rusty]

I came across an article a few years ago that recommended people not use any H-P for barrel cleaning. The gist of the article said that the action of H-P can force it's way into the threads of a breech plug. This inturn would cause the breech plug threads to internally rust and eventually cause failure in the breech area. There is no way to keep the threads oiled unless you de-breech the gun every time and clean the breech plug.
Ohio Rusty

 

[TANSTAAFL]

In the discussion on worn our barrels, different cleaning formulas were suggested.

A friend who used to buy used barrels. He would plug the nipple with a tooth pick, stand the barrel upright and fill the barrel with hydrogen peroxide. Sometimes he would let it sit an hour or so and sometimes over night depending on how the first hour results looked.

The liquid that came out of the barrel was nasty looking. He clamined that it worked wonders on barrels. He used to have some small bore mirrors that he would drop down the barrel and check them with a flash light and he never mentioned any pitting in the barrels from the hydrogen peroxide.

Any one ever tried hydrogen peroixde for cleaning the crude out of a barrel?

RDE

Keep in mind, that even low strength across the counter hydrogen peroxide is an oxidizer, like all oxidizers, it will greatly accelerate rusting process.

 

[Bob Riegl]

:hmm: Also please remember that after opening the seal on the new bottle---you have less than thirty days until what's left is pure water---over the counter is 3% (aq)---{water solution}. You don't want to put 97% on your blued or browned surfaces. Unless you make a fresh solution---your cleaners with the 3% peroxide are just water after a few days. :hatsoff:

 

[FishDFly]

Pasquenel,

I am now confused, I have a place in the country and I keep hydrogen peroxide for medicnal purposes. Some of the bottles are way more than 30 days old, more like seveal years old.

When I pour it on an open wound it fizzes, which is killintg germs. I carry a bottle or 2 and a couple of bottles alcohol in my truck for treating open wounds on cows. When hydrogen perxoide is spayed on open wounds on cows, it agains it fizzes.

If hydrogen peroixide turns to water in 30 days after opening the bottle, I am at a loss. How does water fizz? Sure seems to help me and the cows to kill infection.

What is does it guns most likely is not good.

RDE

 

[flintlock50]

I have been told as long as it is kept in a dark container it retains strength Thats why it is sold in dark bottles. Been using with alcohol and murphys for several years with no problems. Always oil after cleaning.

 

[JWP]

Agreed - keep it in a the dark bottle it comes in.

I use hp to clean my gun but never let it sit for over 10 - 15 minutes, then rinse with hot water and lube.

I've always been told if you let it sit for long periods, it will cause pitting - my bore light shows not pitting so far.

hope this helps, Wart

 

[Stumpkiller]

Try this. Take a very clean barrel and fill it with Hydrogen Peroxide and I bet you'll pour out nasty looking stuff in a few days. Hydrogen Peroxide is a strong oxidizer. Rust is ferric (iron) oxide. Barrels are mostly iron.

If you want to rust a barrel[url] H.Peroxide[/url] is a good place to start. Clorox in a bit of water is another good choice.

 

[Slamfire]

If you manage to dry the barrel quickly, and git the surface protected with oil or wax, I doubt there'll be much damage from drug store peroxide. Beware though of the kind we used to use at the drag strips in the 50's. That stuff would work its way through a steel gas tank in just a couple of weekends, ran around 45% or so. :shocked2:

 

[shmrck1]

RDE,
If you are saying pure Hydrogen Peroxide filled into a blocked barrel I personally think
that is a bad recipe.I would not do it. :nono:
snake-eyes :hmm:

 

[renovato]

My experience is the same as Richard's. I've kept peroxide around for years and it's still effective.

That said, it's the last thing I'd put into my barrels. Oxygen laden water is corrosion just waiting to happen. I can't see any possible cleaning benefits that would outweigh the risks. If it needs soaking for hours to be clean, well, warm soapy water would do that just as well. If I needed to clean it down to the bare metal, seasoning and all, I'd use Mpro7 and be done with it. That stuff strips carbon like you wouldn't believe.

 

[Snuffy]

Agree... you don't need hydrogen peroxide to clean your ML bores. :shake: I recommend keeping it away from guns in any cleaning percentage mixture. :v

 

[paulvallandigham]

My original moose milk recipe, taken from Muzzle Blasts called for a small amount of Hydrogen Peroxide in the mix. I found it was unstable, tends to boil off, and if you have a tight lid on the jar where you keep a reserve supply, the Hydrogen Peroxide can blow the bottle out. I tried just adding a drop or two to my working small bottle of cleaning/patch lube fluid at the range, but found that the HP is so corrosive that it is almost counterproductive to use it! I have left it out of the recipe now for years. I use water soluable Oil, a small amount of liquid dish soap, and water in a quart jar to make the stuff, and it works just fine without the HP. If I ever run out of the pint of Water soluable Oil I have on hand, I will switch to Ballistol, or Mineral oil and use that recipe.

 

[CoyoteJoe]

I can't see any earthly need for peroxide or any other of the weird concoctions people come up with to clean ML guns. All of the products of combustion of black powder are water soluble. A little soap or detergent helps to break down the grease and residue of patch lube but otherwise it is water that does the work. Sometimes there is just no need for improvement. Cleaning blackpowder residue with water is one of those times. Add whatever you want, it won't get your gun any cleaner than good ol' soap and water. :grin: