How clean is your bore?

[westrayer]

I bought a chamber scraper due to getting a new to me Deerstalker. I use Bore Tech Black Powder cleaner. It is the best that I have tried. The combo pulled a lot of junk pout of the bore and chamber.

 

[Mad L]

Make sure that barrel is unloaded before you look down it!!


...ha, I beat someone to it this time

 

[Irish lad]

I bought a chamber scraper due to getting a new to me Deerstalker. I use Bore Tech Black Powder cleaner. It is the best that I have tried. The combo pulled a lot of junk pout of the bore and chamber.

I heartily agree with the BoreTech product!
Irish

 

[Mike in FL]

.45 Caliber Cap Lock Rifle Bore Pictures

I borescoped this rifle which I shot and cleaned in about 2004. I looked at the bore in August of 2024 and saw these light amber stripes in the grooves. I thought it was rust but when I did a through scrubbing of the bore with 4/0 steel wool I found that the amber stripes in the grooves was dried WD-40. WD-40 should not be used as a metal protectant for long term storage but only as a moisture displacement as it was intended to be used.
View attachment 347782View attachment 347783

Not to say the amber coloring is not WD-40, but how do you know? I just never saw that before. Never used it on a gun but it is a great protectant for tools like pruning shears and hatchets, or loosening stuck nuts and bolts, etc.

 

[ChuckJonesWagon]

Bore Tech BP cleaner is $34 for 16oz. Does this also wash your car, cook you breakfast for two weeks or so?

 

[ZUG]

Not to say the amber coloring is not WD-40, but how do you know? I just never saw that before. Never used it on a gun but it is a great protectant for tools like pruning shears and hatchets, or loosening stuck nuts and bolts, etc.

I know because of my 45-year background in mechanical engineering and machining where I have used WD-40 over MANY years. What is YOUR background to ask this question out of armchair speculation?

WD-40 is a water displacement fluid - hence the name - not a protectant like most oils.

 

[ChuckJonesWagon]

I know because of my 45-year background in mechanical engineering and machining where I have used WD-40 over MANY years. What is YOUR background to ask this question out of armchair speculation?

WD-40 is a water displacement fluid - hence the name - not a protectant like most oils.

They say that WD-40 is a gunsmiths best friend. Gunsmiths get a lot of business from customers who use WD-40 on the metals and works of their firearms. After some time it will gunk up firing pin holes and any other moving part it was applied to.

 

[SDSmlf]

I know because of my 45-year background in mechanical engineering and machining where I have used WD-40 over MANY years. What is YOUR background to ask this question out of armchair speculation?

WD-40 is a water displacement fluid - hence the name - not a protectant like most oils.

Typically a mechanical engineer would explain why when asked a reasonable question, and not just say because of my background in mechanical engineering (and yes, I am a retired mechanical engineer). Before I retired if any of the engineers that worked for me offered an answer of ‘because I’m an engineer’ to a customer, a supplier, another employee or anyone else, they would likely have soon been looking for employment elsewhere.

Oh, and I particularly like your snappy ‘armchair speculation’ response to @Mike in FL , a guy who I believe is confined to a wheelchair at times. Says a lot. Quote from a different thread.

I'm in a wheel chair this week and can't get to my stuff

 

[Mad L]

They say that WD-40 is a gunsmiths best friend. Gunsmiths get a lot of business from customers who use WD-40 on the metals and works of their firearms. After some time it will gunk up firing pin holes and any other moving part it was applied to.

Everything I have ever been told, read, and watched pretty much say Anything will gunk up a 'firing pin hole'.
That is one area I keep All fluids, oils, grease away from...but I digress as my flintlocks and percussions don't have one of them there 'holes'.

As for WD-40, I use it on tools and horseless carriages but I have never had need on a firearm

 

[ChuckJonesWagon]

Everything I have ever been told, read, and watched pretty much say Anything will gunk up a 'firing pin hole'.
That is one area I keep All fluids, oils, grease away from...but I digress as my flintlocks and percussions don't have one of them there 'holes'.

As for WD-40, I use it on tools and horseless carriages but I have never had need on a firearm

"...and any other moving part it was applied to."

You forgot to mention this part of my statement.

 

[LME]

They say that WD-40 is a gunsmiths best friend. Gunsmiths get a lot of business from customers who use WD-40 on the metals and works of their firearms. After some time it will gunk up firing pin holes and any other moving part it was applied to.

I have seen the results of WD40 on weapons. I don't use it on things with parts that have to be removed to clean. I also see people use a gallon of machine oil on their rifles/pistols as well. Either isn't good for a firearm.Yes you are right that mess is to keep a gunsmith in business.

 

[Coinneach]

Bore Tech BP cleaner is $34 for 16oz. Does this also wash your car, cook you breakfast for two weeks or so?

Some years ago I had an American girl from Maryland believing that Aussie men used WD40 for After shave, is it a Maryland cultural thing ?

 

[ZUG]

Typically a mechanical engineer would explain why when asked a reasonable question, and not just say because of my background in mechanical engineering (and yes, I am a retired mechanical engineer). Before I retired if any of the engineers that worked for me offered an answer of ‘because I’m an engineer’ to a customer, a supplier, another employee or anyone else, they would likely have soon been looking for employment elsewhere.

Oh, and I particularly like your snappy ‘armchair speculation’ response to @Mike in FL , a guy who I believe is confined to a wheelchair at times. Says a lot. Quote from a different thread.

I'm happy for you and I stand by my reply. If you were at a meeting with your subordinates and someone asked you a question like that you would have chastised that person either at that meeting or after it was over. As for Mike being in a wheelchair that does not have any bearing on my armchair comment.
Comments without any sound facts to back those comments up are just pipe dreams and should be kept to themselves.

 

[hanshi]

I do use WD40 during my bore cleaning process but I always follow up with denatured alcohol. It's then I apply my preferred rust preventative.

 

[Oldcorps]

Wow. Short tempers here. Can't we all just get along?

 

[SDSmlf]

Comments without any sound facts to back those comments up are just pipe dreams and should be kept to themselves.

I know because of my 45-year background in mechanical engineering and machining where I have used WD-40 over MANY years. What is YOUR background to ask this question out of armchair speculation?

I do have a question for you. Why would a degreed mechanical engineer with a background in machining be using WD40 or even consider using it in a muzzleloader bore for long term (20 years) storage in the first place? Your ‘facts’ as the subject matter expert, not mine. Just trying to understand your reply and possibly learn something.

I borescoped this rifle which I shot and cleaned in about 2004. I looked at the bore in August of 2024 and saw these light amber stripes in the grooves……. I found that the amber stripes in the grooves was dried WD-40.

 

[Mike in FL]

I do have a question for you. Why would a degreed mechanical engineer with a background in machining be using WD40 or even consider using it in a muzzleloader bore for long term (20 years) storage in the first place? Your ‘facts’ as the subject matter expert, not mine. Just trying to understand your reply and possibly learn something.

Thank you, SDS. He sort of pushes the buttons who dare to question him. He's new and may learn to be respectful. If not, he will likely not be here long. I'm just going to back away and leave him be. Anyway, thanks for having my back.

 

[ZUG]

I do have a question for you. Why would a degreed mechanical engineer with a background in machining be using WD40 or even consider using it in a muzzleloader bore for long term (20 years) storage in the first place? Your ‘facts’ as the subject matter expert, not mine. Just trying to understand your reply and possibly learn something.

I will try to answer your questions and not be a wise butt so that you and butthead Mike will be satisfied.
WD-40 is used at times in machining aluminum as a cutting fluid so that the cutting tool does not clog up readily.
I used the WD-40 on this rifle years ago to displace the water that was used to clean the rifle and the rifle was put away with the intent to be used in the very near future. I found that shooting a flintlock was more enjoyable and never went back to this rifle.
I hope this will satisfy your desire to understand how others do things that may not be to your liking or understanding. It is just possible that you and Mike just want to continue this line of nonsense - one upmanship if you will.
I have nothing more to say on this subject - have a good day.

P.S. Let Mike fight his own battles in the future. As for me I should have rephrased my original reply to Mike and been a bit more sensitive to his delicate feelings (and yours) - but his comment got under my skin. I have a low boiling point when someone states something without facts to back it up or someone spouting "wisdom" from what they heard by the way of some third hand party who got the information from another third hand party.

 

[Chuck Tiller]

I attended a week long Law Enforcement Armorer’s School at Murray State Gunsmithing School. An instructor advised us to give all of our customers plenty of WD40 if we ever became gunsmiths.
The reasoning behind this was that the only thing that will DISSOLVE WD40 is more WD40 and they will have to bring their firearms back to you for cleaning next year….and the year after.

 

[Eric Krewson]

This clean;