Why I only use cool water to clean.

[cheatherly]

Take a smooth piece of scrap steel, scrub it clean with scalding hot water, just like you would with your rifle. Alow it to dry, then heat it with a propane torch. Watch all that water come out. I think hot water does clean better, but I'm sticking with cold.

 

[Rebel]

Have you tried the same thing with cold water?

 

[Swampman]

I just find that barrels cleaned with hot water rust. Those cleaned with tepid water don't. Soap is the worst. It's caustic, and causes rust.

 

[RickD]

I`ve always cleaned with cold water and have never had a rust problem

 

[Walks with fire]

Yep, Cold water and no soap is the best way. For years I thought it was the lube I was using that would cause the gunk in the barrel after it was cleaned with hot water. The hot water opens the pores of the steel and causes flash rust. Now I use cold water and no soap. Dry with patches and then air dry for a couple hours and then oil.

 

[Chaplain Dan]

I use Hot water to clean with, I rinse the barrell with Hot water until it runs clear . then I use a dry patch to dry it, followed by an oil patch, and a grease patch while the metal is still hot...I have not so far had a rust problem.WWE

 

[renovato]

I've had good luck cleaning with warm water. Pleasantly warm to the touch, but not hot. It seems to clean about as well as hot water, but it makes the metal a lot more comfortable to handle. It also heats the metal enough to help evaporate moisture away without promoting flash rusting. I follow this up with a thorough drying and oil and I've never had any rusting issues as long as I got it clean enough to start with.

 

[roundball]

Backyard tests are always interesting but it's not always clear on what they're actually supposed to represent...for example...and I'm not flaming here...but I don't ever hold a blow torch to my barrels.

I clean them with steaming hot soapy water, followed by a hot water rinse...get them bone dry then plaster them with Natural Lube 1000...all bores still look factory new after 15+ years.

 

[Swampman]

I would avoid all commerical lubes unless you just like spending money.

 

[djnye]

i clean thoroughly with cold water. dry with patches until dry and clean. inever put oil or other rust protectant down--just store the rfle clean and dry. rust requires moisture and my rifle stored in a quiet part of my dry shop doesn't rust. the rest of the bare steel in my shop doen't rust either(drills, machine surfaces,tools, etc.)so why should the barrel which gets more use and regular cleaning than anything else in there. i watch people that have problems with gummed up works stuff a lot of junk down their barrels. when out practicing i spit patch and wipe with spit between shots and during very cold hunting i use mink oil and alcohol for wiping between shots. that and cold water is all that goes down the barrel. i have zero problems with fouling or rust.

take care, daniel

 

[Blizzard of '93]

I run dry patches in/out fouled barrel until nearly clean then plug nipple w/toothpick and fill barrel w/hot WW fluid, let soak then dump and repeat. Dry patch and dry barrel then lube patch bore. Later I check and lube/patch if needed.

 

[bucktales]

I clean them with steaming hot soapy water, followed by a hot water rinse...get them bone dry then plaster them with Natural Lube 1000...all bores still look factory new after 15+ years.

+1

 

[Stophel]

Take a smooth piece of scrap steel, scrub it clean with scalding hot water, just like you would with your rifle. Alow it to dry, then heat it with a propane torch. Watch all that water come out. I think hot water does clean better, but I'm sticking with cold.

That's the propane dude!

I don't know exactly why, but propane condenses moisture right out of the air. If you heat just about anything with a propane torch, you will see water form on it. People with gas appliances have to make sure there is plenty of ventilation everywhere, in order to keep moisture from building up and ruining walls.

That being said, all I ever use is cold water. It works well, and is free. I never cease to be amazed at the number of people who use other stuff! :grin:

 

Take a piece of metal, DO NOT WASH IT WITH ANY WATER AT ALL, heat it with a torch, and you will see moisture being dried on it. When marking steel with soap stone it is common to heat the meatal briefly with a torch so the soap stone will mark on it more clearly and easier.

 

[Tumblernotch]

I agree. I never hold a torch to my barrels either. I have used hot and cold water to clean with and they both work great, though I would give the nod to hot water. It naturally loosens crud from anything better than cold. For an example, if you hold a dinner plate crusted with dried sauce or something equally nasty and hold it under a stream of cold water, it may take some of it off, but do the same thing under very hot water, you'll see that it loosens up a lot quicker and is washed off more thoroughly. Now, just make sure your wife doesn't catch you experimenting. She may think you're seriously thinking of doing all the dishes!

As for hot water causing "flash" rusting, I think that's a new wive's tale. If by flash rusting they mean that bare steel will start rusting in a few hours after neing wet, cold rain water will do it in minutes. I've seen musket barrels get a bright coat of orange within minutes of getting rained on. Hot water or cold, the stuff is agoin' to rust if you don't dry and oil it. I'd never even heard of flash rusting till I got on here and I've worked with steel for over 30 years. Applying heat to steel will make it sweat too, so there goes that idea. I've made perfectly dry steel sweat simply by holding the flame of an acetylene torch to it. I can't explain all the scientific reasons but I do know that acetylene is made with water and carbide. So it's either the water or just plain condensate. And condensate is most likely the reason that feller's barrel was wet after he heated it.

I wasn't gettin' on you Roundball! I was just adding more stuff to my reply so I wouldn't have to post another one! I've only got one more day to haul those rugrats on my bus and I'm full of beans! Now maybe I'll have more time to shoot! :grin:

 

[Slamfire]

I now use the hottest water I can get. Boil a teapot full then pour it into a large crock that hold the bottom seciton of my barrels. A couple of drops of Murphy's Oil Soap, are mixed in. Then, wearing a pair of welding gloves I pump this hot water through the barrel. Now instead of rinsing in clean water I fill the barrel with 91% rubbing alcohol. That mixed with the hot barrel, gets all the water out before any rusting has a chance to occur. Now I run a patch with Sno Seal down the barrel to protect the metal. It seems to work for me.

 

[Halftail]

Another vote here for Boiling hot soapy water.Then a dry patch followed by one soaked with Ballistol.Works for me no rusting problems and very clean spotless guns.

 

[Trot]

I think the hot water and or soap removes the oil from the steel causing the rust. I have done both and a patch run down the barrel cleaned with hot water comes out red with rust, with cold it doesn't. I recently decided to give my repro 1860 army a thorough hot water cleaning, every spot with the bluing scratched or worn rusted immediately. I suppose a lot has to do with your climate and humidity as well. Maybe that little bit of rust does no harm, but I am sticking with cold.

 

[renovato]

That's exactly the problem I had with hot water too. The water here is quite alkaline. I don't know if that contributes to the flash rusting or not, but hot water sure did cause it. Also, I have extremely heat sensitive hands. Cooling the water down a little solved both problems.

 

[d.thomson]

Add heat to any chimical reaction and the reaction speeds up. Rusting is a chemical reation between water H2O and Fe, Ferite. Rust is FeO2. The oxygen in water reacts with the Iron or Ferite. So It makes scence that if you add heat to it , it will react faster. If you use hot water dry as fast as you can and put some protectant on or in the barrel.
After I clean my barrel I use Gas line antifreeze or Methal Hydrate down the barrel to get rid of any water remaining, Then I use Ballistol on one or two patches. My cents F.K.