Why I only use cool water to clean.

[Pigman]

I always liked to use warm coffee from the campfire.

Thanks,
Foster

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

Plain water, whatever temperature is available - in other words not too hot. Fill the barrel (plug the vent first) and let it sit. Drain and repeat. After that, fill the barrel half way with the water and slosh back and forth, drain and continue until the water comes out clean - usually takes two or three times. Then stand the gun on it's muzzle and let excess water drain out. Wipe dry using two or three dry patches - this will remove any gunk still in the barrel - and lightly oil using a good quality oil. The oil is not strictly necessary but as long as I remove it with a dry patch before shooting again there is no problem. Whole process takes about 15 minutes.

 

[CZMark]

I've always cleaned with tepid soapy water followed by a rinse with clean, boiling water until the barrel is too hot to touch. This is followed (after cooling) by a patch dampened with Break-Free CLP. The break free is removed before using the gun again.

I just checked my .54 Leman with a green mountain barrel. This gun has (unwisely) sat idle for about 10 years. There are no signs of rust, and several patches wet with CLP came out clean. By the way, I live in a HUMID area and keep my guns in the basement.

 

[longshot47]

I think Plink might be on to something.
Elements found in water vary from place to place. Alkalies [soluable salts -natural or added], minerals and such effect all types of metal pipes; why not gun barrels?
I've used hot & cold, soap and no soap, -drawn from various water sources and used with due diligence. Results sometimes vary, tho the process does not.
Distilled, neutralized, twice-boiled -some type of purefied water might be worth a try?
Enter the chemists.....

 

[cheatherly]

That's probably a factor also, when I had well water, rust was an issue. Now with cold,from the hose water it isn't.

 

[markinstettler]

Der Fett' Deutscher and Woodhick pretty much nailed the gotcha in Chapter's experiment.

C3H6 + 9O2 -> 3CO2 + 3H20
^^^^

So the moisture is being provided by combustion itself. If your fuel has hydrogen in it, you'll get water as a byproduct.

 

[Headhunter]

While I have not been Muzzleloading as long as some, I have been actively shooting them for 28 Years. And after 28 years of using Scalding Hot water, Dawn, and Natural Lube, according to some of you guys, I should have a rusted up rifle.

I don't care who you are....THats funny stuff right there.

Just clean it, It doesn't matter.

Headhunter

 

[Moloch]

I usally fill the barrel with warm water after I plugged the piston with a small piece of cotton and let it soak for about three minutes. After that I let the water out and run three or four patches with WD-40 down the barrel. I repeat that task 2 times and the barrel is clean.
Two patches with soaked with oil down the barrel until there is a THICK layer of oil inside the barrel. Some time ago I only used a little bit of oil and the barrel got a nasty case of rust! :shocked2: I also found out hat soap isnt that good, soap doesnt really help to get the dirt out, it just helps to get the barrel rusty even faster.

WD-40 is just a perfect rust terminator! If you have a rusty barrel, spray down WD-40 and the rust is gone after about 5 minutes, even rusty piston screws get free. It also very good at preventing rust, after I shot my muzzle loader I spray down a healthy load of WD-40 down the barrel and clean it at home. All of my guns are sittin' in my box with a layer of WD-40 at the barrel.

 

[rebel727]

I always used hot soapy water. Seems to me the hot water would expand the metal and help loosen up fouling. I always spray some kind of oil through the entire works, WD-40, Remoil, whatever I have on hand. never had a rust problem, cept for that busted 58 I left in my moms humid attic for over 20 years and truthfully it didn't look too much worse when I got it out than when it went in. :rotf:

 

[cheatherly]

I'm not saying the barrel is going to rust away, I'm saying there is a greater potential for rust. Check for your self. As you do so , ask yourelf, why does the hot washed steel release more moisture than the cold washed? Why does the steel stop releasing moisture after a point? Go ahead, try it. You think that hot water cleans the bore better, heck yeah it does. You think it dries faster, think again. This is a simple generic test showing where that water goes. Why leave my rifles in that condition if I don't have to? Do the test, see for yourself.You can clean your gun any way you want, if properly treated after cleaning, it's not going to rust. My cap & ball revolvers get cleaned with hot water, they get so filthy they about have to be. My rifles? No.

 

[Wehrmacht]

Ned Roberts said boil water in a teapot and clean with that. He's the authority on this IMO.

Roundball and halftail have it right! I also swab out good with Ballistol, and maybe follow up with a little RIG in a few days if I don't plan to shoot again soon.

 

[buckknife]

Chapter try one more experyment with out the torch.Get 2 clean steel plates.Put one in the bath tube and run cold water on it for 10 minutes.Remove and set aside.
Now take the other steel plate and run straight hot water on it for ten minutes and set aside.
The cold plate will be wet and very little rust if any.
The hot plate will have surface rust form as it drys if you got it hot enough.It should dry fairly quick.
Now if you left both plates alone for a couple of days the cold plate may rust up but we dont leave the bores of the guns soaken wet for a couple of days.
If you take the hot plate and reheat it with more hot water again so its good and hot it will contniue to form more rust over it each time it drys fast.I once browned a 36 barrel this way,took about 5 different heatings or more but it was completely rust covered when i was done.Didnt look to sweet though and wasnt too hard to remove.
This was with my alkaline well water.Your milage may vary with ph levels most likely.
All i use any more to clean is nappa cutting oil mixed 10 parts water to 1 part oil.Its what i use for patch lube also.Then some break free clp.I checked them all the other day,most had not been shot since november and one in[url] january.Nuthin[/url] but clp on the patch.Seems to work good for i just dont have the enthusyasima anymore for shooting as i once had.Lever guns is fun too

 

[Swampman]

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.

You are exactly right, and smart too.

 

[sharps54]

I have read accounts of putting revolvers (both C&B and those shot with black powder cartridges) in the oven at say 225 after cleaning with hot water to dry them out before oiling them. Other then "take the grips off first :yakyak: " any comments on this practice? I haven't ever tried it (She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed would probably kill me :shocked2: ) but am curious if there is anything to it.

 

[Greenmtnboy]

Ned Roberts said boil water in a teapot and clean with that. He's the authority on this IMO.

Roundball and halftail have it right! I also swab out good with Ballistol, and maybe follow up with a little RIG in a few days if I don't plan to shoot again soon.

yup, your barrel shouldn't rust if you patch dry immediately after rinsing than oiling.

 

[xxgrampa]

greetings,

hot or cold, your gun doesn't care.

after cleaning,, the gun will rust. what keeps it from rusting are the chemicals you put on it and how quick you do it.

there are two choices, oil or grease (1000 etc.)

oils like wd-40 and balistol will displace water and protect the metal.

grease will form a barrier and protect the metal from moisture getting to the metal. but remember, it will also keep water from evaporating off the metal. you ask, if the water is trapped on the metal with the greas, why doesen't it rust??? it's because the grease barrier also keeps out the oxygin. the metal can't oxidize with out it.

so take your pick, hot or cold.

me?? i just spray them with wd-40 to get the moisture out of the pores, wipe it down and it's done. :grin:

..ttfn..grampa..

 

[sjb1958]

I have read accounts of putting revolvers (both C&B and those shot with black powder cartridges) in the oven at say 225 after cleaning with hot water to dry them out before oiling them. Other then "take the grips off first :yakyak: " any comments on this practice? I haven't ever tried it (She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed would probably kill me :shocked2: ) but am curious if there is anything to it.

It works but you shouldn't need to if you used hot water to start with, & She who must be obeyed wont want to use it on you :rotf: :rotf:
Shel

 

[windwalker_au]

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.

dito.
bernie :thumbsup:

 

[Blizzard of '93]

I turn on 'em with a hot hair dryer after cleaning myself. 1st pull cylinder and spray with W/W fluid then spray rest of pistol with same after pulling grips off. Soak a few minutes then scrub and rinse w/more W/W fluid, scrub again then hot water rinse. Dry w/hair dryer and lube. If I'm trekking (rare anymore) I use w/w fluid in a plastic bottle, hot water from coffee pot and Go-Jo white hand cleaner in a squeeze tube to clean/wipe down, then dry with rag and reload for next day after greasing cylinder pin.

 

[Halftail]

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.

Plink,
I got one of them Heavy Orange Rubber gloves(Dayglows we call them) to wear on my hand that's holding the barrell when working with the hot water.Takes care of that problem.Like someone else posted....I don't wait to oil up the in side of barrell either.Oil goes in almost ASAP.Works for me. :v