bavarialand
40 Cal.
i was told, instead of using soapy water to use mineral spirits to clean BP firearms. anyone here ever try it?
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cleaning with mineral spirits, is it any good?
- Thread starter bavarialand
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SKS_madman
40 Cal.
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I have no clue as to it's use on BP residue, but it will dissolve oil and cosmoline.
Being petroleum based, you would want to make sure you didn't leave behind enough to start attracting dust or turning into sludge, say in the bottom of your barrel. Mineral spirits don't evaporate without leaving a thin film behind that will eventually harden. Stick with hot water. :m2c:
oldmaster,
I totally agree!
In a muzzle loaderI use:
HOT water with a small amount of machine dish washer detergent (white powder).
The hot water solves the BP residue and heats the gun for easier evaporation. The detergent helps cleaning and this particular detergent helps preventing from rust. Dont rinse with clean water afterwars, just use the hot solution until clean (I swab with barrel brush while having solution in barrel) Por out the solution. If You want to get rid of the last drops - pour in a small amount of concentrated alcohol (industrial isopropanol will do fine) and pour out the rest evaporates. When dry - rub with olive oil. Done!
Dont get solution on old stocks, as they also get clean :nono:
:m2c:
Cal .61
I totally agree!
In a muzzle loaderI use:
HOT water with a small amount of machine dish washer detergent (white powder).
The hot water solves the BP residue and heats the gun for easier evaporation. The detergent helps cleaning and this particular detergent helps preventing from rust. Dont rinse with clean water afterwars, just use the hot solution until clean (I swab with barrel brush while having solution in barrel) Por out the solution. If You want to get rid of the last drops - pour in a small amount of concentrated alcohol (industrial isopropanol will do fine) and pour out the rest evaporates. When dry - rub with olive oil. Done!
Dont get solution on old stocks, as they also get clean :nono:
:m2c:
Cal .61
Mineral spirits can be used to remove the factory issue heavy preservative oil from the bore of a new gun. In fact it works great on Mil-Surp rifles that spent 40+ years packed away in the heavy ordnance grease we call cosmoline.
For regular cleaning after shooting, the hot soapy water method works best. Not only does it dissolve the fouling and wash it away it also neutralizes the corrosive salts formed during firing. Mineral spirits or other solvent cleaners wont neutralize the corrosive salts, they will just wash em out provided you use enough clean solvent for the swab and flush process.
Most commercial BP solvents are water based solutions with a relatively high PH, this helps to chemically neutralize the corrosive salts in the bore. The cleaning effect comes from repeated swabbing with the solutions.
Regulis7
For regular cleaning after shooting, the hot soapy water method works best. Not only does it dissolve the fouling and wash it away it also neutralizes the corrosive salts formed during firing. Mineral spirits or other solvent cleaners wont neutralize the corrosive salts, they will just wash em out provided you use enough clean solvent for the swab and flush process.
Most commercial BP solvents are water based solutions with a relatively high PH, this helps to chemically neutralize the corrosive salts in the bore. The cleaning effect comes from repeated swabbing with the solutions.
Regulis7
Yeah, I would say it would do a good job of removing paint and varnish from inside the bore. :hmm: And gunstock finish if it was slopped around.
As far as powder fouling, I don't see where it would have an advantage over the plain old mechanical sloughing action that water has, and would be less effective than soapy water.
As far as powder fouling, I don't see where it would have an advantage over the plain old mechanical sloughing action that water has, and would be less effective than soapy water.
