Proper cleaning methods

[Joe Boleo]

I have spent the last three nights cleaning a .50 caliber T/C Hawken flintlock barrel that some fool neglected to clean properly. Adam, please reinforce that hot soapy water patches, hot water patches, dry patches and oil patches work well. I am about ill from those folks that claim Murphy's Oil Soap, alcohol, windshield washer and whatever are the ultimate cleaning products. They might work, bit so does hot soapy water and it is almost free. Take care...
Joe

[Swift]

Originally posted by Joe Boleo
so does hot soapy water and it is almost free. Take care...
Joe

Been workin for myself and my kinfolks for many years.

[Mr. 16 gauge]

I prefer Ivory dish soap and hot water, but what do you use when hot water is not practically available, like at the range, for instance?

[Joe Boleo]

I use a bottle of drinking water and wet a patch to swab the bore followed by dry patches. When I get hope, I do a proper cleaning. Take care...
Joe

[Adam Helmer]

Joe,

Good subject. Last Saturday we had 35 women shooting muzzleloaders at the nearby Women on Target event. A lady in the last group surprised me when she asked to help clean the 5 guns we shot all day.

Like Mr. 16 gauge, I prefer Ivory dish soap for cleanup. The club house was only a few steps away and I used a cut down gallon plastic jug to hold about a half gallon of water. We changed the water twice before we had all guns clean.

Adam

[roundball]

1) Steaming hot soapy water
2) Steaming hot water rinse
3) Get them bone dry with patches.
4) Let the residual heat work for a few more minutes.
5) Use sloppy wet patch of WD40 or Hoppes #9 BP PLUS;
6) Dry patch that out;
7) Repeatedly patch the bore with patches plastered with Natural Lube 1000.

Some rifles are 15+ years old now and the bores still look like new...my personal belief is that you have to be almost fanatical about achieving the 100% mark on every single millimeter of metal surface:

100% clean
100% dry
100% lubed

IMO, if we even a little careless and any step is not completed to the absolute 100% degree, a problem will begin to develop.

[rattus58]

But I haven't cleaned my barrels with hot soapy water in years. There is NOTHING wrong with murphy's, alcohol, or anything else that rids the bore of fouling.

I think soapy water works great, as long you follow up, which many folks apparently don't .

Back to saying use hot water only... that is absolute hogwash. You use what is available, convenient, and what works.

Personally if I am cleaning a barrel I do two things consistently whether with water or alcohol... and that is I use a brush to clean, I use a tight a patch as I can. I also use gun oil or LPS 3 to spray my barrel and after three days, I check that particular gun again just to make sure. Many times, especially with water, rust will still form, so going in with a tight patch again to make sure is a good idea in MY OPINION.

[Adam Helmer]

rattus58,

The US military has owned more guns than any of us ever will and they always prescribed hot soapy water up to and including the Garand for bore cleaning followed by dry patches and oil patches for bore preservation.

Alcohol, peroxide, Windex, et al work because they are WATER BASED. I have used hot, soapy water for more years than I care to remember and I never had a bore rust. I suspect that is due to proper initial cleaning.

Adam

[Skinny Shooter]

Water has worked for me. Sometimes use it with Ivory too.
Anything else probably just lightens your wallet.

[rattus58]

I've used hot water a lot, but most of my hunting is away from home, and getting hot water is and a bucket and all has been harder to deal with, so I was always looking for a safe way to clean my guns. It was, in fact, old military guys told me about alcohol and the secret of using a brush.. so that's what I do when I'm not at home.

I still use hot water when I'm at home sometimes, but alcohol and murphys with a brush and lots of TIGHT PATCHES.

Aloha..