I usually just use hot, soapy water to clean the bore but someone said a 50/50 mixture of windex/Rubbing alcohol works great and you can soak small parts in the stuff. Has anyone ever tried them? And... I was told brake cleaner in a spray can can also be used for small parts. Anyone use it- how does it work?
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Windex/Rubbing Alcohol?
- Thread starter crockett
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Muskeg Stomper
50 Cal.
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There are many such things that do a great job removing powder residue from muzzleloaders. You'll get many opinions on the forum about which is best. That said, many solvents that some folks use will also screw up the finish on stocks or potentially lead to corrosion problems unless extreme care is used. Me, I like to keep it simple. If soap and water work fine, and is less likely to stain a stock or cause corrosion problems, I see no reason to use anything else.
I sure wouldn't use brake cleaner!
That will totally dissolve any oils it comes in contact with. That's what it was made to do.
I also seriously doubt that it will dissolve the various salts that are found in black powder fouling. Those salts, which are the prime source of rust in a uncleaned muzzleloader barrel dissolve easily in water so fluids that contain a lot of water will work well to get rid of them.
That will totally dissolve any oils it comes in contact with. That's what it was made to do.
I also seriously doubt that it will dissolve the various salts that are found in black powder fouling. Those salts, which are the prime source of rust in a uncleaned muzzleloader barrel dissolve easily in water so fluids that contain a lot of water will work well to get rid of them.
nchawkeye
58 Cal.
I use the rubbing alcohol, don't bother with the Windex...
Blizzard of '93
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no brake or carb cleaner for sure.
try windsheild washer fluid get the winter mix has more alky in it (to keep from freezing). warmed-up is better but room temp is fine. I carry it in a spray bottle for fast clean-up at the range or out camping. use an old toothbrush for detail work around the lock and/or nipples.
does good as patch lube too.
try windsheild washer fluid get the winter mix has more alky in it (to keep from freezing). warmed-up is better but room temp is fine. I carry it in a spray bottle for fast clean-up at the range or out camping. use an old toothbrush for detail work around the lock and/or nipples.
does good as patch lube too.
Billnpatti
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I've used straight Windex and straight alcohol to clean my gun. Both work quite well. I have also used, and still do from time to time when I need the convenience, plain old winshield washer fluid. It works quite well, too. But when it comes down to it, you just can't beat plain old hot soapy water for cleaning a muzzleloader. It's cheap and it is effective.
As for the brake cleaner in a spray can....yep, it's good stuff. However, it is best for cleanng modern firearms. You just can't beat it for getting the "gunk" of burned powder and lead bits out of a .22 rimfire. They are famous for building this crap up in their actions and hidden spots. Break cleaner in a spray can is great stuff but be careful not to get it on your stock. It may dissolve the finish. Oh, use only the solvent based stuff not the water based one. The water based one does not do the job as well. Okay, that takes care of the spray brake cleaner question.
Someone may have told you that the brake solvent was good for cleaning your muzzleloader lock. Well, it appears to do a good job but when you disassemble your lock and wipe all of the hidden spots with a moist patch, you will find black stuff that the brake cleaner didn't get out.
To clean your lock, just dunk it into your bucket of hot soapy water and scrub it with a toohbrush. Then scald it with boiling water. Hold it with a pair of pliers when doing this. Immediately after scalding it, shake off any remaining water and spray with WD-40 to get rid of any residual water. Don't be stingy, WD-40 ain't all that expensive. Set it aside to drain and cool while you scrub and scald your barrel. Just as you did with the lock, immediately spray down the bore with WD-40 followed by dry patches to get out all of the WD-40. Then run a patch dampened with "Break Free CLP" through the bore and it is ready for reassembly and storage. Wipe your lock with a rag and treat it with some CLP, too.
These are the basic directions, there are details that I left out.
So, these are my thoughts on using Windex (works but too expensive), alcohol (works but too expensive) and spray brake cleaner (wonderful stuff for a quick clean of a lock but will never replace disassembly and washing with hot soapy water when it comes to a good cleaning).
Bottom line, nothing beats hot soapy water for cleaning a muzzleloader. It's cheap and it does the job.
As for the brake cleaner in a spray can....yep, it's good stuff. However, it is best for cleanng modern firearms. You just can't beat it for getting the "gunk" of burned powder and lead bits out of a .22 rimfire. They are famous for building this crap up in their actions and hidden spots. Break cleaner in a spray can is great stuff but be careful not to get it on your stock. It may dissolve the finish. Oh, use only the solvent based stuff not the water based one. The water based one does not do the job as well. Okay, that takes care of the spray brake cleaner question.
Someone may have told you that the brake solvent was good for cleaning your muzzleloader lock. Well, it appears to do a good job but when you disassemble your lock and wipe all of the hidden spots with a moist patch, you will find black stuff that the brake cleaner didn't get out.
To clean your lock, just dunk it into your bucket of hot soapy water and scrub it with a toohbrush. Then scald it with boiling water. Hold it with a pair of pliers when doing this. Immediately after scalding it, shake off any remaining water and spray with WD-40 to get rid of any residual water. Don't be stingy, WD-40 ain't all that expensive. Set it aside to drain and cool while you scrub and scald your barrel. Just as you did with the lock, immediately spray down the bore with WD-40 followed by dry patches to get out all of the WD-40. Then run a patch dampened with "Break Free CLP" through the bore and it is ready for reassembly and storage. Wipe your lock with a rag and treat it with some CLP, too.
These are the basic directions, there are details that I left out.
So, these are my thoughts on using Windex (works but too expensive), alcohol (works but too expensive) and spray brake cleaner (wonderful stuff for a quick clean of a lock but will never replace disassembly and washing with hot soapy water when it comes to a good cleaning).
Bottom line, nothing beats hot soapy water for cleaning a muzzleloader. It's cheap and it does the job.
ssettle
40 Cal.
Everybody has their way of cleaning that they think is best for their rifles which is fine, I myself tend to keep things simple...I use water and a little soap like Dawn or Murphy's oil soap. It doesn't mater if the water is cold or warm both work fine.
There is no need to use hot water unless you like flash rusting. As far as the lock is concerned a brush in a bucket works fine. There is no need to take the lock apart, plus it can cause damage sometimes. I use compressed air to blow the water out of the lock and a good gun oil.Good luck with ever you choose.
There is no need to use hot water unless you like flash rusting. As far as the lock is concerned a brush in a bucket works fine. There is no need to take the lock apart, plus it can cause damage sometimes. I use compressed air to blow the water out of the lock and a good gun oil.Good luck with ever you choose.
Brake cleaner works great in modern guns, but it has no water in it, so the water soluble salts won't be washed out very well. As for the Windex/alcohol mix, I don't know, but why bother? Soapy water does a great job by itself. I do use straight 92% rubbing alcohol after cleaning, to help chase out any moisture that I missed before oiling. A lot of folks use Windex for swabbing between shots and it seems like it'd be handy for that.
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Windex or 409 work great. Put it on the patch instead of squirting it down the barrel. No harm if squirted in the barrel, but you will use a lot more patches in getting it out. Follow with WD-40, drain, then wipe, then oil.
Windex works pretty good for a quick fix, but soap and water is the best. Call it overkill, but I finish by using 40psi steam on my pistols to make sure everything gets clean. Plus it warms up everything nicely so the oil of your choice really soaks in.
Blizzard of '93
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another + for w/w fluid is that it isn't near as bad for any 'flash rust', I've noticed this.
I have poured straight water down the bbl, placed thumb over muzzle and shook the bbl a bit. dumped out (this gets a good bit of black out) then used w/w fluid to finish clean with. it contains alky (the winter mix has more % of) so drys fairly quickly but as said by several some straight alky to follow up with is a good idea.
I have poured straight water down the bbl, placed thumb over muzzle and shook the bbl a bit. dumped out (this gets a good bit of black out) then used w/w fluid to finish clean with. it contains alky (the winter mix has more % of) so drys fairly quickly but as said by several some straight alky to follow up with is a good idea.
