rust coloured patches

[JackAubrey]

Greetings,salutations,ect.,ect.,ad infinitum.I am hoping to have some light shed on an irritating phenomenon that continually vexes me.I have been shooting blackpowder since 1993.I use the h2o method,hot soapy water,a good brushing, a boiling water rinse, dry patches then a liberal lubing w/ T/C 1000 or sweet oil or Crisco(I haven't decided which I prefer).I will run a dry patch downbore every so often ( about every two months) to remove the old lube and relube to prevent rust since these guns live in my gun safe.Invariably, the patch comes up w/ rust coloured lube.I know I am doing well at cleaning.When cleaning, I make sure my final dry patches are as clean as is possible.Why am I finding rust?What am I doing wrong?Should I forego the "natural" lubes and use modern RemOil or CLP?Is this rust eatng up the rifling.This is rather discouraging.Thanks to all in advance for your input! Best regards,J.A.

 

[Slowpoke]

You're keeping on top of the rust, so you're not doing any "real" damage to the barrel. I would forgo natural lubes and use Break Free, RIG, or your favorite motor oil and you won't have any more rust. Just make sure you run a couple dry patches up and down before load and you'll be fine. Never use anything petroleum based as a patch lube.

 

[roundball]

I use the h2o method,hot soapy water,a good brushing, a boiling water rinse, dry patches then a liberal lubing w/ T/C 1000 or sweet oil or Crisco(I haven't decided which I prefer

If I'm understanding this correctly, you're getting a rust film with all three types of lubes.

(And I'm assuming none of the other guns in your gun safe are developing rust problems, or you would know it would be something common to all like humidity)

Do you have any other muzzleloaders and do any of them have this problem?

 

[Roy]

The one thing I always do is after shooting and cleaning, is going back the next day and checking again that I did a proper job in the first place. When I'm done cleaning (the first time) I feel that I have gotten it totally clean, but going back over it the second day has proven me wrong sometimes. One other thing to do would be to place some Damp Rid in your safe, it'll keep the humidity down.

 

[renovato]

Jack if you're sure you are getting the corrosive residues out, and it sounds like you are, you might try using a dedicated rust preventative in the bore for storage. I use CorrosionX, but RIG works well also. Just wipe it out before shooting.

I'm thinking it could be flash rust from the hot water. I solved that by using a Ballistol in the water, and straight Ballistol for the final cleaning. It mixes with any remaining water and protects the steel until the water evaporates.

 

[Russianblood]

Maybe it's just the crisco or olive oil that has gone rancid. :hmm:

 

[JimG]

I would cease with the hot water. I find that hot water causes 'flash rust' much sooner than cold water. Here's what I do, right or wrong. I remove the barrel from the stock, pull the nipple, stick breech end on sponge (to protect the metals finish) in a small galvanized bucket of cold water. The water has nothing more than a little Dawn mixed in. Any sort of basic soap would likely do. I plunge the ramrod with bore mop attached up and down vigorously 50 or so times. Water is now black. Change water, this time water only, no soap. Repeat 50 or so strokes. Remove barrel from bucket and turn muzzle upside down for a few minutes. I then flush with WD-40 in a squeeze trigger spray bottle(the bulk variety NOT the aresol can kind) to flush water out until it's dripping (with WD-40) inside and out. I let drip 'dry' for about an hour. Wipe down with FP-10 inside and out. Clean nipple and rest of rifle. Put back togther and store in a gun sock. No rust, period. Had some 'red' on the patch when I used hot water. none since I switched. Now if you use NL1000 or the like cold water might not get it all out of the barrel. I use a different lube now myself. A mix of beeswax, olive oil, and a tiny amount of NL1000 (just to use it up as so not to waste). Cold water and soap seems to get it all out with no trouble. Just my two cents.

 

[roundball]

FYI...I clean with steaming hot water every weekend...just have to dry patch the barrel as soon as it comes out of the hot water and there won't be any flash rust...

 

[Snuffy]

Replace the T/C1000 and crisco with a good gun oil.

I still do the hot water bath with my bores. But I only use hot tap water and here's the best secret to avoiding flash rust...... before you turn on the water, make sure your ramrod, bore brush and patches are right there at your side.

Don't go searching for this stuff while the bore remains wet. Don't use a cleaning jag for drying. Bore brushes get into the rifling better and removes all traces of water.

Then use a good oil and say goodbye to that rust.

 

[shortjack]

I had the same problem so I quit using bore butter as a rust preventative and went back to using my synthetic motor oil and haven't had that problem since then. Just make sure you dry wipe the barrel before you shoot it.

 

[CrackStock]

I had similar trouble and went to Rig2 sportsman's oil. Other oils work well too.

CS

 

[dlpowell]

Just place some loose charcoal in the safe. It'll suck up any moisture. It can also be used in your tools boxes.

 

[robinghewitt]

Sounds like you have rust pitting :shocked2:

The rust is happening at the bottom of the pits and forcing up hard compacted rust like toothpaste being squeezed out of a tube.

Doesn't matter what you wipe over the top of the pit because it isn't going where it's needed.

If you feel like you have to fix it, the only real solution is soaking the bore in organic rust remover, drying it 100% and then filling the empty pits with a rust preventative.

Electrolysis might work, convert the rust back to iron, but if you don't get full pit penetration the rust will come back.

best regards

Squire Robin

 

[wolfers]

Just my two cents but I wonder what the iron content is in the water you are using? I use to have a very high iron content in my water and I have to tell you that mu stuff rusted up pretty quickly. Once I started to treat my tap water things got better.

 

[Wehrmacht]

I clean just about like you have outlined except I use boiling soapy water initially as well as boiling water for a good rinse. Then I dry well with several diaper flannel patches, though the boiling water tends to evaporate totally. Then I use BALLISTOL for a protective lube down the bore!

I'm in Florida where the average daily humidity is about 150%, and on a strong south wind you can lick the salt off your lips from the Gulf of Mexico! Rust is not a problem with BALLISTOL :thumbsup:.

 

[Bob J]

I'm thinking it could be flash rust from the hot water.

My thoughts exactly.

I solved that by using a Ballistol in the water, and straight Ballistol for the final cleaning. It mixes with any remaining water and protects the steel until the water evaporates.

This has worked very well for me. No after rust when I go back in a few days and run a dry patch followed by a couple of Ballistol patches just to be safe.