Is there a way to postpone cleaning a ml?

[IanH]

You don't need hot water or soap for the ride home. You can clean it enough to stave off corrosion using nothing but the spit from your pie hole, oil off your dipstick, and a bar napkin.

 

[French Colonial]

Yada yada yada,

You have to clean immediately after the last shot
You have to clean before leaving the range
You have to clean the same day
You have to clean ASAP
You can wait till tomorrow
You can wait for a day or so if your using non-petroleum based lube.

All true, all false.... it's what works for you. What, too hot to go shoot so we kill time with this thread....

 

[NorthFork]

You don't need hot water or soap for the ride home. You can clean it enough to stave off corrosion using nothing but the spit from your pie hole, oil off your dipstick, and a bar napkin.

There is some truth and ingenuity to that!

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

From time to time I have not cleaned a gun for as long as a week with no ill effects. Not a good idea, but if you keep the gun in a dry location after shooting you should have minimal rusting if any. Now, leaving a dirty gun in the basement, out on the porch or in the trunk of your car you can expect trouble.

 

[Paul Nelson]

Why are so many today concerned with changing what always have been?
Why would would someone buy a muzzleloader then complain that it has to be cared for the way it always has...why did they spend their money on it in the first place?

Myself; I don't even postpone cleaning my unmentionables.

I have even read once where someone wanted to know if it's possible to modify their long rifle to shoot "unmentionable" ammo!??!

Things that make me go; "Hu?"

That’s how the Springfield Trapdoor was invented.

 

[Nor Cal Mikie]

Is there a way to postpone cleaning a ml?
Yah. Don't shoot it!! Problem solved.

 

[BadDaditood]

I used to hunt with a great bunch of guys- until I got a muzzleloader.
They didn’t seem to mind helping carry the big propane bottle for the barbecue/stove for boiling my cleaning water because it was handy for coffee.
I did hear some grumbling on the 2 mile climb from the truck to base camp when we all pitched in a hand for the generator to run the air compressor to blow dry my rifle.
I was considering a bigger genny for the next season but no one wanted to come with?!?
Now that I hunt all by myself I gave up using hot water.

 

[stephenprops1]

Why are so many today concerned with changing what always have been?
Why would would someone buy a muzzleloader then complain that it has to be cared for the way it always has...why did they spend their money on it in the first place?

Myself; I don't even postpone cleaning my unmentionables.

I have even read once where someone wanted to know if it's possible to modify their long rifle to shoot "unmentionable" ammo!??!

Things that make me go; "Hu?"

That type of modification has been done in the past. After The American Civil War many Springfield muzzleloaders were converted to Trapdoor cartridge fed rifles. Still, they were black powder guns and had to be cared for accordingly.

 

[Mad L]

That type of modification has been done in the past. After The American Civil War many Springfield muzzleloaders were converted to Trapdoor cartridge fed rifles. Still, they were black powder guns and had to be cared for accordingly.

And @Paul Nelson ;

Investing a new firearm does not apply to the one that one is holding in their hand and shooting.

But on that note: a fellow brought one of those Springfields out at our last club shoot, an authentic 150 year old one - Nice piece indeed! Uses a lot of powder but really packs a punch! It was nice seeing someone still shooting it after so many years.

 

[Elkpurgatoire]

A friend purchased a stainless ROA thinking he could put off cleaning for a while. Well, a while turned into 6 months and in the moist Kodiak Island environment his procrastination resulted in a pitted pistol. Stainless steel is not a homogenous mixture and pitting was profound where the mixture was not complete. It was lesson for me to take seriously when I found myself a stainless ROA. Like Nike suggests in their ads: JUST DO IT.

 

[The Miner '49er]

Elkpurgatoire, I appreciate your taking the time to reply and citing your friend's experience. I think any gun neglected in that environment, for that period of time, is doomed. However my original question was the possibility of finding a way to postpone cleaning just for overnight.

 

[Coot]

A friend purchased a stainless ROA thinking he could put off cleaning for a while. Well, a while turned into 6 months and in the moist Kodiak Island environment his procrastination resulted in a pitted pistol. Stainless steel is not a homogenous mixture and pitting was profound where the mixture was not complete. It was lesson for me to take seriously when I found myself a stainless ROA. Like Nike suggests in their ads: JUST DO IT.

As a boat person, I can attest that stainless steel is neither stainless nor rust free. A more accurate description would be rust resistant. Requires less effort to maintain, yes, for sure, but not none.

 

[Brokennock]

A more accurate description would be rust resistant

Yup.
Or maybe,,,, stain-less like the name says.....
Definitely not rust proof thats for sure, lol.

 

[Rob M.]

Sho

Elkpurgatoire, I appreciate your taking the time to reply and citing your friend's experience. I think any gun neglected in that environment, for that period of time, is doomed. However my original question was the possibility of finding a way to postpone cleaning just for overnight.

Shot a smoothbore just couple hours ago . Its hanging on the wall now . I'll clean it tomorrow . Won't hurt anything.

 

[Ed C.]

From time to time I have not cleaned a gun for as long as a week with no ill effects. Not a good idea, but if you keep the gun in a dry location after shooting you should have minimal rusting if any. Now, leaving a dirty gun in the basement, out on the porch or in the trunk of your car you can expect trouble.

Glad to see you posting. Doing OK?

 

[Jimbob]

Thank you jimbob! What an interesting article, by a writer whom I respect, and SO different than any other that I have ever read on this subject. BTW, do you follow his cleaning method, and if so, what have been your results?

Yes! I had a 50 cal Renegade. I followed his recommendation 100%. It worked great!

 

[snakebit]

I like to do at least an 80% clean after firing the last shot at the range. I keep a small bottle of "moose milk" just for the purpose, it prevents flash-rusting yet has enough water in it to neutralize most of the corrosive salts. Run a couple quick sopping wet patches to get the big chunks out, couple clean patches to dry the worst of it, wipe everything else down with an oiled rag and head for the house. The other 20% is cleaning the grooves really well, scraping the breech face, flushing the TH/nipple, scrubbing the lock, and cleaning the outside of the breech area with the lock out.

Yep, what IanH said. Neutralizing the salts in the powder is the most important part.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

What ever you put in the barrel, has to come out. Water, oil, Magic powder.
May as well do the job right.

 

[ETipp]

You don't need hot water or soap for the ride home. You can clean it enough to stave off corrosion using nothing but the spit from your pie hole, oil off your dipstick, and a bar napkin.

Exactly.

I use TC 13 to do a quick cleaning at the range before the drive home. When I arrive I do a for real cleaning with hot soapy water. Most of the time the water comes out pretty darn clean. Dry, oil it good and put it to sleep.

Works for me.

 

[Mad L]

I used to just swab with water followed by a quick alcohol wipe, it always worked fine for me and never had rust when I go cleaning at home.
However; a few years ago I got some of that Shenandoah Lube & Cleaner I had heard about. It's an okay lube but Mink Oil and/or Bear Oil is better, but the bottle said:
'Before leaving the range, run one or two soaked swabs of Shenandoah down the barrel to make clean up at home easier'
So what the heck, I have it try - I like it! I use far less patches to get it clean at home and it works for me.
Yes it's one more thing to buy, one more bottle on the shelf, but for me it does the job.
(**I clean on the dining room table over a carpeted floor so i have to keep the wife happy)