How long without cleaning?

[Magungo1066]

Been hanging around my family's farm in South Carolina, and have been shooting off and on with my fowler throughout the day. Is this ok? If it goes several hours between shots/cleanings? I always clean the night after use of course. I am worried about rust and such. -Larry

 

[rdlowe]

Nothing to worry about if you’re using real BP. If you’re using pyrodex your gun starts rusting as soon as you open the can.

 

[Crow-Feather]

Now you know that is not true. Starts rusting only when you pour the junk down the barrel

 

[user 43911]

Bucket of popcorn at the ready

 

[mooman76]

You need to clean same day preferably that night or sooner. The fouling attracts moisture so you climate also dictates how soon. If you can't get too it right away, run a patch of bore butter down the bore. It helps slow the process. if you are continuing to shoot it every little while, that also is good. You could just do a quick cleaning. Runs a few swabs down the bore until you can do you good full cleaning.

Keeping a close eye on it will tell you when you have waited too long or it needs immediate attention.

 

[Carbon 6]

Time is always your enemy. Waiting not only increases the risk of rust, corrosion, and misfires, but it also makes cleaning more difficult.

 

[user 34300]

After the last shot of the day I do a rough cleaning. When I get home from shooting, the first thing I do is clean my guns. Why put it off?

 

[Magungo1066]

Ya no question on the cleaning the same day/night of. I was just wondering if it was ok to go through the day and intermittently shoot it off, then clean it that night?

 

[Archer 756]

When at range I clean with baby wipes and when home clean with proper cleaning material hot water and detergent

 

[Carbon 6]

Ya no question on the cleaning the same day/night of. I was just wondering if it was ok to go through the day and intermittently shoot it off, then clean it that night?

When squirrel hunting, I might shoot once in the morning and then not shoot again until the afternoon, or maybe the next day or next week. I swab or clean after every shot, depending on how quickly I think I might get another shot.

 

[Archer 756]

Carbon, try baby wipes for swabbing in-between shots they work great and are cheap

 

[Carbon 6]

Carbon, try baby wipes for swabbing in-between shots they work great and are cheap

Not as cheap As what I use.

 

[SDSmlf]

Been hanging around my family's farm in South Carolina, and have been shooting off and on with my fowler throughout the day. Is this ok? If it goes several hours between shots/cleanings? I always clean the night after use of course. I am worried about rust and such. -Larry

Don’t know where in SC your family’s farm is, but doubt the humidity is less than what I see in Western NC. If it’s going to be several hours between shots I’ll do a quick wipe with a couple moose milk dampened patches, and if I not sure when the next shot will be I may follow with a patch moistened with water and Ballistols (4:1) for a bit of protection. I also quickly wipe the nipple or pan area (depends what I am shooting). What I do maybe takes a minute and a half with a SXS. I use some small HC/PC (2020 era) plastic eye drop bottles my wife seems to provide endlessly. The bottles are almost clear so it’s easy to know what’s in them.

Some may think this may be overdoing it a bit, but that BP residue will turn to a black gooey soup in an hour or so on some days around here if not tended to. If you are shooting pretty much continually and using a wet patch or wad you can go on for hours without cleaning.

Experiment and see what s works, then stick with it.

 

[user 36911]

I never have to clean at home. I clean when i'm done shooting in the field. I don't go to ranges (ever) So, i'm practicing with woods walks in the mountains or hunting. Lots of creeks nearby. I sit next to one so I have a source of cold water. I use tow to clean. Everything I need to shoot or clean is in my bag.

Like this.

 

[Col. Batguano]

The warmer and more humid it is, the faster rust will work. If it is below freezing, rust is slowed down to a crawl. During the fall hunting season I generally leave my gun outside when I come in after the morning or evening hunt. Even though it is probably minimal in effect, I want to avoid the condensation on the gun if I can.

 

[Carbon 6]

Everything I need to shoot or clean is in my bag.

Me too.

 

[Leadball loader]

When southern humidity pushes up here to Maine I find rust will start quickly. it seems to be easy to wipe of with a rag though it sometimes leaves a stain on the metal. This is on guns with no finish and I tend to view it as part of the aging process.
In the 18th century cleaning between shots was probably limited to a quick wipe and next charge in the bore. Might get cleaned same day or when time allowed.
Mine clean up nice same day and look ok to me with a patina and no hard rust. I use sweet Canola oil on all exterior metal and in the barrel. The lock interior gets light 3 in 1 oil that won't gum up.
LBL

 

[user 36911]

I use bear oil. It may not be the best for rust protection but as a bear hunter it gives me a smile to use parts of a bear to kill a bear. I use bear tallow for patch lube too. Bear jerky tops the whole thing off during a hunt.

 

[tenngun]

Some guns found in western deserts that were in very good shape.
The evil P seems to rust easier then the real stuff. However it responds to cleaning as easy as the real.... just clean ASAP.
Now, our resident Brit expert Britsmoothie has done a lot of experimentation on not being as analretentive as colonials about cleaning.... with reported good results.
I’ve used a lot of his ideas with good results, but I’m too anal about cleaning. I do field cleaning before I come home and clean again at home, then clean the next day and check on it a few days later. And have a make and mend sunday at least once a month on my guns.
An I fired hunting gun I unprime and damp swab- dry swab- use a greased patch then double dry.
Yes I am a whack-a-do nerd.

 

[fleener]

If what you are doing currently is working, then no worries. Some days I dont clean a gun for quite a few hours.

Fleener