soap for cleaning black powder

What kind of soap do you use to clean black powder with hot water?

 

[54mountain]

I just use a few drops of Dawn or any other dish soap I happen to have on hand. But plain water works just as well if you don't have any with you. :wink:

 

[jtmattison]

Any old dish soap with do the job. Just a couple drops to a gallon of warm (not hot) water.

HD

 

[thewho66]

I use Dawn the first couple of times then just use plain water after. The reason for this is to get all of the oil out of the bore. As long as you dont put oil back in there is no reason to use a detergent again.

 

[Smk50]

I normally dont use any soap, just hot water and patches.

 

[Many Klatch]

Hot water and **** and Span works well, so does Murphy's oil soap. Almost any soap will work especially with hot water.

Many Klatch

 

[smokehouseman]

I've had too much of a problem with flash rust when I use warm or hot water, now I only use cold water and Dawn then finish my cleaning routine by swabbing the barrel with a patch coated with Seath............ works for me. :thumbsup:

 

[Muskeg Stomper]

I like to use flush tubes when cleaning both flintlock and percussion lock guns. While I occasionally use whatever dish soap the wife has stored under the kitchen sink, I prefer to use a little Simple Green added to water. I think that the Simple Green is easier to rinse than dish soap and doesn't get so "foamy" when it's drawn through the flush tubes.

 

[roundball]

What kind of soap do you use to clean black powder with hot water?

Steaming hot soapy water using whatever dishwashing detergent that happens to be in the house, then a clean hot water rinse in another pail.

I intentionally use dishwashing detergent each and every time because I want to avoid even a hint of anything building up in the bore...and dishwashing detergent is designed for cutting / dissolving virtually everything off of a surface.

I then patch dry it right away so there's no flash rust...let it sit for 2-3 minutes for the residual heat to aid in the drying process...then I run a large sloppy, dripping wet patch of WD40 down & up the bore several times.

 

[10 gauge]

I do the same as Roundball, with the aid of an air compresser that I use on the lock. Hot tap water, dishsoap and brush/clean patches then plain hot tap water. Dry it out with some clean dry patches and maybe some compressed air, then drench all metal parts with WD-40, your done.

 

[jbg]

I used Head and Shoulders once with my T-C Hawken, oh so many years ago. I took it in the shower with me. Boy was my mom mad!

 

[renovato]

just about any kind of dishsoap will work, as will most household detergents and cleaners. Black powder residue isn't hard to clean out. A dash of 90% rubbing alcohol after cleaning will dry out any residual water.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

I've had too much of a problem with flash rust when I use warm or hot water, now I only use cold water and Dawn then finish my cleaning routine by swabbing the barrel with a patch coated with Sheath ... :thumbsup:

Me too, way too much flash rusting for zero benefit gained. Now I use luke warm water with a few drops of Joy dishwashing liquid or a few sprays of Windex with vinegar down the tube.

That and Ballistol is all I'll use, less any for 'long' term storage, then it's either Birchwood Casey's Barricade (new name for their 'Sheath' product) or Rig, for my cap guns which haven't been shot since I found the light and went to rock locks.

 

[catman]

Luke warm water & a little Murphy's oil soap, no flash rust..

 

[Blizzard of '93]

myself I use winter mix windsheild washer fluid. heat it up in an old small coffee pot. plug the nipple, pour into barrell and clode over the muzzle with my thumb and slosh around pour out and repeat. then bore mop until clean and wipe down exterior. dry and lube. the w/w fluid has ammonia and alcohol in it. really cuts the crud. I take it in a spray bottle camping to wipe down with when I won't be able to take down for some days or so. it's real handy to clean C&B revolvers with.

 

[MikeChapin]

I don't use hot water. I tried it early on but got flash rusting. I use TOW bore cleaner cut 50/50 with water at room temprature. It is nothing more than a super soap with some chelating agents. It works well by itself but does a lot better when it is mixed with water.

 

[BenCoogle]

I just use the windshield washer stuff too. The same you buy at the automotive store. I use it cold on a patch. Period correct would be just cold water. Ben

 

[ohio ramrod]

Any soap handy, Murphys oil soap prefered, but all soaps work. Just keep the water hot and let the water and soap do the work.

 

[musketman]

What kind of soap do you use to clean black powder with hot water?

I took my knife and shaved a few slivers of Ivory bar soap and mixed it into the water.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I use Ivory Soap flaked off the bar (or swished around in my hands in the water) or Murphy's Oil Soap. Doesn't take much soap or water.