Went back to water - cleaning woes and foes

[Trigger]

I think it's just the bottle.. nice spray bottle.

I think I'll just refill it you know.

 

[Wncman]

For quite a while I've been avoiding straight water cleaning of my ML's including shotguns, rifles and handguns. I've used an electronic spray cleaner through the nipple hole and some concoction, usually windex w/o ammonia, alcohol, murphy's oil soap and some slight variations. I know there's some water in each of these ingredients which is what I mean by avoiding "straight water". Cleaning with this mix takes between 8 and 12 patches to get some semblance of clean - or still mostly white patches. That's not including an oiled patch afterwards. This worked fine for years. I think I got the idea from Dutch's method and just stuck to it.

Due to circumstances on some travel adventures, I did not have or could not get all ingredients for cleaning mixture. So, I went back to boiled water pumped up and down through the barrel with the nipples in the water and a patch on a jag in the muzzle. First, I just started doing the shotguns. Then I cleaned some of the rifles this way too. Today I did some shooting and cleaned some rifles and shotguns. One patch pumping the boiling water. One dry patch up and down. One with 91% alcohol as a drying agent and to evaporate remaining moisture. One patch with oil. Just 4 patches total, the 3rd in sequence coming out clean (mostly white).

I haven't seen any rust or issues since I switched back to boiling water. For my guns that have a fixed barrel, one that cannot be easily removed, I am inclined to continue cleaning with the "concoction" because I don't want water all in the stock, and I can control the cleaning mix on the patches better. But other than those few, I think I'm sticking to the water for ease and efficiency. If its clean, lubed and rust free I don't care how it got there.

I’ve been introduced to using windshield washer fluid. Followed by dry patches to dry the barrel out. Then a coat of oil, Ballistol etc for storage

 

[Banjoman]

Just wondering if moonshine was used for gun cleaning in the 19th century,,,,

 

[Wncman]

Just wondering if moonshine was used for gun cleaning in the 19th century,,,,

Well that seems like alcohol abuse

 

[Pete G]

Just wondering if moonshine was used for gun cleaning in the 19th century,,,,

Waste of good whiskey

 

[deerstalkert]

Just wondering if moonshine was used for gun cleaning in the 19th century,,,,

after it was filtered by the kidneys.
because i am a person of fatal inquisitive nature, I have tried most of the above methods.
because i am a person of fatal laziness i have settled on this method.
a coffee can full of windex. a hole in the lid. a tube through the hole in the lid.
a magnet with a slip male fitting on the back. tube from the coffee can attached to the magnet.
because 99.9% of the time i shoot flint locks, the lock removed from the stock and the magnet attached to the barrel centered over the vent.
on the business end of the barrel i use a 2.5x2.5 inch patch that goes on an jag that is attached to a stainless range rod.
after two strokes the pump action fills the barrel with windex. I then pump 3 times and after the third pump, i withdraw the rod and discard the black patch and apply another patch. three strokes and remove that gray patch and apply a new patch. three more strokes and withdraw the white patch.
detach the magnet from the vent and wipe the fouling from around the vent.
then i put the supply tube in a quart of 99% alcohol. apply a new patch and pump the bore full of alcohol. remove the magnet dohicky from the vent and use a new patch saturated with ballistol, and swab the bore with that.
i use a spray bottle of windex to clean the lock. the fouling in the pan and on the frizzen stem just dissolves and is washed a way. spray the lock with alcohol and wait until its dry. dribble a few drops of ballistol on the moving parts and reassemble. just my current method.
Boy! wish they would pay me by the word!!

 

[Trigger]

Just wondering if moonshine was used for gun cleaning in the 19th century,,,,

19th?

That generation.. they liked to clean with soda pop.

Alcohol.

I'd mix the two and call it good.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Just wondering if moonshine was used for gun cleaning in the 19th century,,,,

Sure, they would drink the moonshine while cleaning the rifle or fowling gun with creek water.

 

[Banjoman]

Sure, they would drink the moonshine while cleaning the rifle or fowling gun with creek water.

After a little while they wouldn’t care if the gun was clean or not

 

[Icemanxxxv]

Just wondering if moonshine was used for gun cleaning in the 19th century,,,,

Maybe while cleaning guns?

 

[cjgregory]

Good old water (sometimes with soap) has been used to clean muzzleloaders for 300 years.

Works for me.

Exactly what I use. Water. Works like a champ and faster. 3-4 patches and im done.
Black powder residue is 100% water soluble. Until I tried it….I also used my modern mind thinking that there would be a better way than just water. Anything you add to the water might be a detractor. Think osmosis.

 

[cjgregory]

As I've said before, how did our ancestors get by with just plain water and bear grease or tallow?

And we can still be mesmerized at just looking at those 200-300 year old rifles that still shoot.