Oiling?

[JohannesKepler]

New to the whole muzzleloading thing. Can't find a definite answer anywhere.

After cleaning the gun and letting the barrel fully dry, should it be oiled? I plan on oiling the lock after cleaning, but it's the bore I'm confused with. I see some people say absolutely yes, use bore butter etc, others say to leave it dry. Anyone able to point me in the right direction?

 

[sawyer04]

Non petroleum product such as bore butter , olive oil, or crisco are in my barrels. Here we go, come on fellars, need some experts.

 

[JohannesKepler]

Non petroleum product such as bore butter , olive oil, or crisco are in my barrels. Here we go, come on fellars, need some experts.

Oh, awesome. So a swab or two with an olive oil-soaked patch should do the trick? Do you have to swab it out dry before shooting the next time?

 

[sawyer04]

Oh, awesome. So a swab or two with an olive oil-soaked patch should do the trick? Do you have to swab it out dry before shooting the next time?

I always run a slightly wet with lubricant down the barrel. Not sopping wet, just damp. Sometimes I just run a patch dry to clear any build up of lube. Like I say, many experts on the subject, I am sure they will arrive. On my revolvers' I liberally lubricate the barrel. after cleaning and before shooting. I only started using bore butter after watching Blackie Thomas you tube videos, I like the stuff, but many years I used olive oil and just kept swabbing until the barrel presented a clean patch. I use regular chassis grease on the works, rifle, shotgun and revolver usually once a year.

 

[Zonie]

Whenever a steel part is washed it loses some or all of the oil on its surface. Oil is the only thing that is keeping the oxygen and moisture in the air from contacting the steel and causing rust.

Because of this, all steel surfaces should be oiled after the gun is cleaned.

There is a widespread belief that petroleum oils will create hard fouling if black powder is fired in a gun that has a oiled surface.
My testing shows that this is only true if there is a "wet" nearly dripping coating of oil. A surface that only has a very light "wiped" coating of petroleum oil on it won't cause the hard fouling to develop.

That said, if I was going to recommend any rust protection it would be Birchwood Casey Barricade.
Barricade dries after it is applied to the surface leaving a dry, rust protection that lasts for months. There is literally nothing to wipe off before shooting the gun so you don't even need to wipe the bore before you resume shooting. This is really good stuff and it is worth the trouble looking for it.

 

[Archer 756]

Been using G96 for the past 30 years and have guns that have sat for up to two to four years also I always store ALL of my rifles with muzzle of barrel pointing down. This stops any oil from pooling in breach.

 

[Sidney Smith]

I always oil the barrel after cleaning. Leaving the barrel dry just invites rust. I've never experienced any hard fouling as a result of using oil in the bore.

 

[Grenadier1758]

There are those who swear on Bore Butter and many who swear at Bore Butter. I am of the opinion that Bore Butter makes a fair patch lubricant in modest amounts. It is not a great rust inhibitor. Use Birchwood Casey's Barricade for storage. And as @Archer 756 suggests, when storing your muzzleloader, the muzzle should be down to allow the oil to drain from the breech. With Bore Butter when used for storage, you must wipe the bore with an alcohol soaked patch or you are asking for a hard crusty fouling build up.

 

[bang]

Light oil then swab before next shoot.
Heavy oil for storage.
Wax barrel trough and light grease on bottom of barrel and Tang. Great on full stocks. Don't have to remove barrel all the time to make sure there is no corrosion. Maybe once a year or if you get caught in wet weather.

 

[ppg1949]

Ditto what Zonie said about using Barricade but I don't worry about being HC or PC. I think it last longer than any other commercial product. I used to use Ballistol but IMO Barricade is way better.

 

[mooman76]

The harsher or more humid the climate, the better the protection you need. When I was in Nevada with the low humidity, just a light oil or even WD-40 worked but not where it is humid. It's also a good idea to check your gun a few days after cleaning to inspect for rust starting to form. After oiling store your gun muzzle down for at least a few days so oil doesn't pool up in the breech.

 

[NorthFork]

Cold water with a drop or two of Dawn for cleanup. Warm water rinse. Wd-40 to displace the water. Set aside to dry and for excess Wd-40 to drip off. Brownells #2 Rust Preventative for oiling of bore and exterior steel parts. I typically just use some SAE30 in a small oiler bottle for lock lubrication. When it's time to shoot, I swab to bore with 90% rubbing alcohol to remove any excess oil.

 

[hanshi]

Many years before I discovered Barricade about any decent gun oil worked perfectly for me in the Georgia heat & humidity. One does need to at least dry swab the bore with a patch once before firing. Zonie's post is right on target.

 

[sawyer04]

The experts have shown up, a lot of good advice here, take your pick. And then you might develop an expertise of your own. This is one of the benefits of this forum.

 

[Walkingeagle]

Clean and dry bore fully, apply G96 and follow with dry patch to remove excess.
Olive oil works but requires more frequent follow-up.
Walk

 

[BullRunBear]

After cleaning I make sure the bore is dry. Then a patch with ballistol or Remoil followed by a dry patch to get any excess. I always run a dry patch down before shooting. This has worked for me even in humid Virginia. Twice a year all the BP guns get wiped down and the bores inspected, especially if they haven't been fired. Same with revolvers: wipe down the exterior, check the bore and chambers, replace the grease on the arbors and nipple threads. It's a good activity for a cold rainy day.

Jeff

 

[sawyer04]

Olive oil works but requires more frequent follow-up.

You are absolutely correct about the olive oil. I forget that a lot of these weapons are not handled at least every other day or so. I keep mine busy with a timber walk two three times a week, specially during squirrel and rabbit season, .the old 45 rides on my hip daily. I keep the shot gun lubed up with Crisco because of seasonal use. Not to say I don't keep my eye on an idle firearms.

 

[SDSmlf]

Pretty much agree with Zonie in post 5 on this thread. Personally have found that in a dry climate controlled environment a clean bore will not rust. Short term, I have found good old WD40 will ‘protect’ a gun for a month or so without issue. Problem, many times that few months turns into a year or more and there are environmental changes going on. I, like Zonie prefer a rust inhibitor that leaves a dry protective film. Barricade works. I have also had success with something called Eezox, that like Barricade also leaves a dry film. A number of products to choose from, but you have use them. One downside I have seen with some the modern ‘oils’ is they can damage some the traditional wood finishes. Keep that in mind as you apply them.

 

[AZbpBurner]

Started using "Sheath" a few decades ago. Today, Birchwood Casey calls it 'Barricade'. Trouble with olive oil and nut oils is that they varnish and gum up over time.

 

[cositrike]

I just leave mine wet. I find it just browns the inside of the barrel, the same as the outside