Pedersoli Brown Bess light rusting

[Leadball loader]

The prevention of rust on my FDC is provided by the wool lanolin wax in Fluid Film Penetrant and Lubricant. It makes a wax seal on the metal surface and is not an oil or grease that soaks into stock wood. It also does not dry off the metal surface over time. Wipes from the bore with a cleaning patch easily before each shooting session.
My bare metal is taking on a patina from contact with powder fouling but has no rust pitting which would damage the gun. Use patina is natural on well used guns and gives character to the piece in my eye. No gun stays like new forever if used as intended!
LBL

 

[tenngun]

I take a make and mend day about once a month. An hour or two and clean and oil my guns.
animal or veggie oils do everything gun oil does
Contrary to popular belief blue/ brown won’t stop rust, only makes it harder to see

 

[TreeMan]

I take a make and mend day about once a month. An hour or two and clean and oil my guns.
animal or veggie oils do everything gun oil does
Contrary to popular belief blue/ brown won’t stop rust, only makes it harder to see

I’m a fair weather worker. When it’s raining or snowing I don’t work. I use those days every month or so to run an oily patch down the bores, and a wipe down of all my blackpowder firearms. Sometimes we don’t clean as well as we thought. That oiled patch a few weeks after shooting and cleaning will provide a little rust on the patch sometimes. Better to catch it sooner than later.

 

[Flinter 2]

If you want to prevent rust from building up on black powder guns don't use any kind of petroleum based cleaning or lubricating oils or grease on them, use only natural food grade lubes.
A look back in the times of the fur trade when the trappers and explorers spent months in the wilds with their guns and cutting tools that survived in the harshest weather, they had no solvents or oil, they used animal tallow for lube and often used urine to clean their bores and remove BP fouling and didn't experience rusting issues.
There are quite a few natural food grade cleaning and lubing products on the market today that will clean, lube, and protect muzzle loading firearms from rusting and the environment.
My Muzzle loaders haven't seen petroleum based agents in 30 years and haven't had a spec of rust.

 

[Enfield1]

I own a Short Land Pattern Brown Bess made by Pedersoli and I have owned it since March of this year. I have fired it and cleaned it many times but havent used it since May 5th so roughly 2 months since last use. I noticed it is starting to get rust forming on the lock screw, lock jaw and the lock plate, as well as some surface rust splotches along the length of the barrel. I tried Hoppes No.9 and that didn't fix the issue and WD-40 is useless. Has anyone else who owns a Pedersoli Brown Bess experienced this issue and has anyone used Birchwood Barricade Rust preventative to good affect to curb this issue ? I want to solve this problem before hunting season as I dont want to rust my musket the first time I hunt with it. Anyone who answers this thread is thanked for their input.

The only thing that has ever touched the lock and barrel of my Pedersoli Bess is water (usually from my canteen) and cotton cloth, followed by a light coat of Bore Butter, rubbed in well, including on the screws. It looks as good as when it was delivered from Dixie Gun Works 13 years ago. I would advise staying away from petroleum products. After a shooting session, you have keep checking for flash rust, which will lead to the “bad rust”. If I shoot on Sunday, then I make sure I check on Monday and Tuesday and then I am usually good to go. Keep makin’ smoke and enjoy the heck out of your Bess.

 

[FlinterNick]

For surface rust I polish down the outside of the barrel with 800-1000 grit paper with cutting oil as a lubricant, this restores the polish and removes the rust and also closes up any open pores in the steel that moisture can enter. For the bore I do the same, but I use drill to lap out the bore with #4 steel wool or 800-1000 grit paper.

To prevent rust, I use marine grease, its blue. I leave a coating on the steel parts and a thicker coating in the barrel. I remove it with denatured alcohol Before I go shooting.

 

[OldSmoky1967]

I just use a light coating of lard = no rust!

 

[sportster73hp]

I have been using olive oil to good effect. Lately a little tung oil overflow from oiling the wood. Didn’t rust , Didn’t hurt it

 

[Stantheman86]

I just finish cleaning with a coat of Eezox.

Some of my Bright guns still rust a little at spots where some unseen powder residue got to, from handling, etc I just wipe it off . I bought a used Pedersoli 1777 that was rusty and it cleaned to a nice patina.

 

[Many Klatch]

I have had my short Pedersoli Bess for 30 years (or more), It has turned a fine shade of steel gray. I clean the barrel and lock with soap and water. A couple passes down the barrel with 0000 steel wool makes cleaning easier. After everything is clean I coat it with a mix of 50% 2 stroke motor oil and 50% Kerosene. I swab the barrel with the mix, coat the outside of the barrel and lube the lock. It is a big beast of a gun that is easy to care for.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I just use a light coating of lard = no rust!

Yeah, lard, tallow, bear grease, olive oil, shortening all natural oils/grease and all will do the job. Just Be Sure it's plain, with no salt added. You can often find lard in the same case as the butter, at the market. Read the label but it normally has no salt added. (Bacon grease and/or sausage fat, has too much salt. Save that for cooking )

LD

 

[sportster73hp]

Yeah, lard, tallow, bear grease, olive oil, shortening all natural oils/grease and all will do the job. Just Be Sure it's plain, with no salt added. You can often find lard in the same case as the butter, at the market. Read the label but it normally has no salt added. (Bacon grease and/or sausage fat, has too much salt. Save that for cooking )

LD

Can real butter be used for patch lube or rust prevention as long as it’s unsalted? Just curious, i use olive oil now.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Can real butter be used for patch lube or rust prevention as long as it’s unsalted? Just curious, i use olive oil now.

Yes you could, BUT it contains "milk solids" which will go rancid. Plus..., (my Scottish genes are tingling) ..., that's darn expensive to boot! You could I guess use ghee which is an Asian product that is butter with the milk solids removed...that's even more expensive.

In fact you should be using the cheapest olive oil if that's what you're using now.., if it's EVOO then you should be eating it, not using it as a rust preventative.

LD

 

[Historian]

I do clean with Ballistol and water. Works great for me. Though after I clean I use RIG now to Lightly coat the bore. Run a few patches down the bore before I shoot the next time. Each to their own and what ever works for you. Taking care of muzzleloaders is not that difficult. My shotgun lube is beeswax and olive oil and if I am camping out that is what I coat the bore in while in the field. Never had any issues.