Using alcohol for cleaning bore ???

[Little Wattsy]

Just bought some 91% yesterday at Walgreens for 1.99 and will try it this Saturday. Thanx forum :grin:

 

[rebel727]

Pouring water down a barrel if you shoot a lot is a very poor slow process.

Who pours? Stick the breech in a bucket of soapy water and a tight patch will pull water through the bore.

 

[redwing]

Thats true if you shoot one of the modern take down imports or TCs. If you shoot a traditional long rifle not so easy. They must be cleaned as they were 200 years ago from the muzzle. I agree the modern side locks take down like an M16 very easy to clean.

 

[Zonie]

I realize a large number of people never remove the barrel from their longrifle to clean it and, yes, if the barrel is left in the stock one cannot stick the breech into a pail of water.

I'm in the minority here because I always remove the barrel and lock from my longrifles to clean them, and yes, I stick the breech of the barrel into a pail of water.

I guess the reason that removing the barrel isn't a big thing to me is because I built all of them and as anyone who has built one can tell you that barrel will be in and out of the stock many times before the gun is finished so removing the barrel from one of my finished guns isn't a big deal.

For those who want to avoid removing their barrel there are several products on the market that have a rubber tube attached to them.
Placing this rubber tube into a pail of water to allow pumping water into and out of the barrel isn't a major problem if these adapters are used.

 

[brubincam]

-----get a rubber hose that fits loosely inside the barrel & long enough to screw onto a spigot--plug nipple or vent--insert hose into barrel with muzzle pointing down--turn on the water lightly--any temperature you want and in a few seconds the water is running clear from your barrel--remove hose and dry barrel in side normal way-----

 

[Jappo]

Speaking of alcohol. I read somewhere that re-enactors use cotton balls soaked in alcohol? I did a search but couldn’t find anything about it. Anyone heard of this?

 

[necchi]

Speaking of alcohol. I read somewhere that re-enactors use cotton balls soaked in alcohol? I did a search but couldn’t find anything about it. Anyone heard of this?

Nope.

 

[Jappo]

Nope.

I’ve done it in a potato launcher with an electric striker and it works good. Other than that, nothing else.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Speaking of alcohol. I read somewhere that re-enactors use cotton balls soaked in alcohol? I did a search but couldn’t find anything about it. Anyone heard of this?

I reenact. No one I know uses cotton balls soaked in alcohol.

 

[user 34300]

Heet or Iso-Heet, from the auto parts store, neither contain any water. They are sold to remove water from fuel systems. HEET is methanol, Iso-HEET is Isopropyl alcohol. The price is competitive with drug store alcohol.

I use it after cleaning with water solutions. The only thing is does is get the water out before oiling. I do not use it to clean the gun. I have no idea if it matters. I do not believe that water in the breech passaged can be a good thing. It can't hurt to remove it before storage.

 

[smoothshooter]

I have seen the use of alcohol for cleaning/drying a bore referenced here a lot. Can someone point out the benefits of using alcohol in the bore. Also, are we talking about "rubbing alcohol" or something else entirely? Thanks for the help! :hatsoff:

Been using it for over 20 years with complete satisfaction.
Use 70%, not 90%.
I like alcohol because it gets the patch grease out too.
A caveat is the dirty grease or oil you get out MUST be replaced with new lubricant.
Another advantage is that the alcohol evaporates on it’s own in about 30 to 45 seconds, eliminating the need to run extra patch down the bore to dry it.
I gave up the hot water thing over 45 years ago. Too much trouble if you shoot muzzleloaders as much as I have most of my life.
Cold water cleans just as good hot in my experience.

 

[TDM]

Not sure that many of the respondents of a 15 year old post will reply to the ones from today. But you never know. I did find it interesting that Zonie, God rest his Soul, said he always un-pinned and removed his barrels for cleaning.

 

[smoothshooter]

Been using it for over 20 years with complete satisfaction.
Use 70%, not 90%.
I like alcohol because it gets the patch grease out too.
A caveat is the dirty grease or oil you get out MUST be replaced with new lubricant.
Another advantage is that the alcohol evaporates on it’s own in about 30 to 45 seconds, eliminating the need to run extra patch down the bore to dry it.
I gave up the hot water thing over 45 years ago. Too much trouble if you shoot muzzleloaders as much as I have most of my life.
Cold water cleans just as good hot in my experience.

NOTE:
Any metal parts cleaned with the 70% Isopropyl needs to be oiled afterward.
Alcohol sucks any oil off the steel, which will rust quickly if the oil is not reapplied.

 

[Frontstuffer3491]

Skychief: Boy! I haven't seen that name for years but, that's another story.

Most of the people who use the word "alcohol" are refering to Isopropyl or ethanol (in its "denatured form) in their relatively pure forms.
Either of these will absorb water and they both dry very rapidly so either will help remove any water that may be in a guns bore.
Either one will also brake down any oils that have found their way into small places like the flame channel on a percussion gun. This helps prevent powder contamination which can cause problems.

Rubbing alcohol is very high in water content so it is not only weakened but its water content will do more harm than good.

Either Isopropyl or denatured alcohol can be purchased at most Hardware or paint stores.

Ethyl Alcohol