Homemade borecleaner

[hjjusa]

I found a recipe for a homemade blackpowder solvent, can't remember where but here it is.

Mix up a pint or more of the following: 2 parts hydrogen peroxide, 2 parts alcohol (methyl or isopropyl), and one part Murphy's Oil Soap. Use as a bore solvent and parts wash. Any cuts and abraisions on your hands will be quite antiseptic in the end as well! I find this to be as good or better than commercial solvents, and because it's cheap, one is encouraged to use plenty of it

 

[David W.]

I tend to stay away from hydrogen peroxide in my bore, AT ALL COSTS!

 

[outdoorman]

I asked about using peroxide as a solvent a couple of months ago. The general advice I got was peroxide caused rust. I don't use it.

But if your recipe works for you, do it. I don't know any better about it.

Outdoorman

 

[Zonie]

hjjusa

Although I know there are a lot of people who use Hydrogen Peroxide I've never been able to rationalize its purpose. After all, it is just water with some extra oxygen in it.

To my way of thinking, iron + oxygen = rust and rust is the last thing I want to see in my barrels.

Now, maybe by the time the hydrogen peroxide gets mixed with the other ingredients all of this extra oxygen is released but in that case all that is left of it is water.
If I wanted absolutely pure water I can buy some distilled water for a lot less than a bottle of hydrogen peroxide costs and I know it is absolutely pure water with absolutely nothing else in it.

Anyway, thanks for your post about your bore cleaner.

 

[ohio ramrod]

Actually it is just a variation of the old 1/1/1 mixture that has been used for approximately twenty years or more. Since water (peroxide is just 98% water plus extra oxygen ) , Alcohol, and Murphy's oil soap all will dissolve black powder fouling by themselves, mixing them works quite well. Myself I personally believe that a lot of warm water and a little soap of any kind will work just as well and is even cheaper! :idunno:

 

[Swampman]

Windshield Washer Fluid or Windex works great. Tepid water is good too.

 

[nkbj]

Hmmm, homemade Oxi-Clean.

 

[Celt5494]

Windex..... You sound like Tulla's Father from My big fat Greek wedding.

 

[Eterry]

I have always used plain ole warm soapy water. I even bought a couple large bottles of Hoppes Black Powder Solvent, but they still sit on the shelf in my shop where they been for 15 years...maybe someday I'll try them...

Eterry

 

[Black Hand]

Water (warm or cold) sometimes with a little dish soap if the bore is really dirty.

 

[123.DieselBenz]

I'm pretty new at this, but I also use a small amount of soap (dish soap) like one squirt to about 4 gallons of warm water, then rinse with just water.

However Dutch Schoultz mentions two cleaning solutions:

"Easy"
1 part water
2 parts Ivory Liquid
2 parts kitchen ammonia
1 part alcohol in the winter

"Sophisticated"
1 part water soluble oil (Ballistol)
1 part Lestoil or Pinesol
2 parts Hydrogen Peroxide
20 parts water

 

[MikeChapin]

I would not worry about the Peroxide in the mixture. After about 5 minutes it is all used up breaking down the oil soap. You can feel the heat of reaction when you mix the Murphy's and the peroxide. I don't know why people used the mixture. Maybe the break down of the oil soap makes it better for cleaning BP residue.

 

[Twice boom]

I been using that exact formula for a bout 7 years now. Old Doc Baker a well known shooter at Friendship gave it to me . He also introduced me to the tornado bore brush. Both work great in my guns.
Twice.

 

[zrifleman]

I have used this three part formula for at least 10 yrs in BPCR and muzzleloaders. I have never had any indication of rust or damage to blueing, rust blue, or browning. The percentage of Peroxide in the solution is very low---not enough to damage the metal surface. I have found that the peroxide does react with bp residue and creates a little heat. I have not been able to find a better BP solvent since I tried it over ten years ago. By the way it cleans the surface of my stainless pistols really well. This subject gets revisited regularly on other websites with the usual naysayers and loyal long time users.

 

[texcl]

I've used windex followed by water for years and it works great.

 

Iused the mixture for a while but didn't find it any better, maybe not as good, as warm water and some dish soap. Another friend used it also and also used it to wipe down the stock as well as the outside metal. Ended up refinishing the stock when the peroxide bleached it out.
Mark

 

[Pete Gaimari]

Is this the Murphy's Oil Soap you guys are talking about?
http://www.colgate.com/MurphyOilSoap/products/original-formula

 

[bchannell]

Are those numbers correct for the "easy" recipe? That's twice as much soap and ammonia as water?? Looks weird to me. I'm guessing you won't need the alcohol for freeze protection.

 

[David W.]

Is this the Murphy's Oil Soap you guys are talking about?
http://www.colgate.com/MurphyOilSoap/products/original-formula[/quote]

Yup!

 

[BillinOregon]

Hydrogen peroxide makes me a little nervous, too, although I have used the mixture cited by the OP without any harm that I am aware of. I hear great things about Windex with Vinegar.