How soon after a day of shooting to clean?

[longfowler]

I also use this trick to protect the gun if it has to sit for a while, but I don't trust it for long.the longest I've ever let one sit was a weekend. I clean it the first chance I get! I know some on this forum don't like wd-40, but any oil is better than none, especialy for temporary protection. I've fixed up alot of guns for idiots who don't think they need to clean that often. I figure my gun cost more than my last truck, so it's worth a little effort and a few cents worth of soap & oil.

 

[Landngroove]

I consider cleaning my muzzleloader, at the end of a shooting session/day, as part of shooting. Just as wiping the bore, and snapping a few caps before shooting, cleaning is what I always do at the end. Just the last part of the process.

 

[Legionair]

I guess if it works for you.....

I won't take the chance, had a '58 Rem left overnight once, and the next day spent 1-2 hours trying to free up the cylinder so I could clean it.

Take the advice and do with it what you will....

Legion

 

[Rebel]

My first BP gun was a copy of a Baby Dragoon .31 cal revolver. This was way back when i was a youngun in Tucson, Az. I new nothing about BP guns but bought that one and fired it for months and never once cleaned it and there was no rust on it. Now it is a lot dryer in Tucson that here in Oregon, but i haven't seen any signs of rust from going a whole season without cleaning. I use WD-40 after cleaning and never used any other kind of oil for lubing bores, and i the only time i have EVER found any rust on one of my guns was when i swabbed the bore out with an alcohol patch to remove any ED-40 because i planned on shooting the next day and then didn't get to go. A couple days later i checked it and there was some surface rust in the barrel. Other than that one time, i have never had a gun rust. I do check the bores frequently and run a patch with WD-40 down them once in a while, but that is it. I know some other guys that shoot a whole season before cleaning and they don't have any problems with rust either. Maybe we have all just been lucky, but i don't think that is it.

 

[TexiKan]

There were a few times I knew I couldn't clean the gun with my regular regime. I recall some of the instructions from the Lube 101 I was using, and it stated something to the effect that I could swab the barrel with it and clean later. So, on a few occasions, I did this. Now, I didn't wait over a day or so to clean it, but that lube basically kept the fouling soft and clean up wasn't a problem when I got to it. Don't know what would have happened if I had let it go longer than a day or two, but I am not about to wait THAT long!

TexiKan

 

[jimeckersley]

how long can I safely wait before doing a thorough cleaning?

Well, as you've now found out, when you ask a question on this forum, you will get answers. Some will be 180 degrees apart.

You've received some very good advice from Roundball, Huntin Dawg and others. Roundball even quoted from the Hodgdon's reloading manual.

To recap some of the better advice:
1. Before you leave the range, use some Ballistol, WD-40, Butch's Bore Shine, etc. on a few patches. This just keeps moisture from being drawn to the corrosive salts that WILL BE in your barrel.

2. You'll get a lot of answers about how to actually clean the bore, eg. hot soapy water, cold water, commercial preps, and others. Just do it, the sooner the better.

3. One other warning. I and a lot of others like to get the bore squeaky clean, maybe even use alcohol to get every last drop of water out. You will never get all of the salts out of your bore, never. Try leaving your bore untreated for even a few minutes at this point and you'll pull out a brown rust covered patch from your barrel. To avoid this "FLASH RUST" just use some Ballistol, WD-40, transmission fluid, heck even bear grease. Just protect the bore as soon as you've cleaned it. There's a lot of things that work, just do it right away and you'll enjoy using the same barrel for years to come.

 

[kentucky bucky]

If you don't want to clean a gun, you are in the wrong hobby! Go buy a .22 ,a brick of 500, shoot all day and lean it in a corner.

:blah:

 

[Strawstalker/NM]

:thumbsup: Nay! - You only need to really clean no more than 1 time per year. Lay down your hard earned cash & I will see you at the shooting line Lad. Best of luck - The Strawstalker.

 

[shifty-eyed_one]

In response to Rebel, I'm here in Oregon too, and I've never experienced any rust unless I left a cheap old shotgun behind the seat of my truck for several months through hot and cold. It is a pretty dry climate in my area, so maybe that contributes.

Now, pitting may be another story altogether. I realize that it all has to do with corrosion, but surface rust is very different in my experience.

 

[Rebel]

Where ya at in Oregon? It is a lot drier over on the east side where i lived before moving here.