Trying A New Black Powder Cleaner Idea

[Loyalist Dave]

I told a fellow the other day that  prefer Dihydrogen Monoxide, sometimes mixed with a little soap, but usually plain or heated. 

LD

[AxelP]

Please don't think poorly of me, but while cleaning my gun with dihydrogen monoxide I will sneek a swig of it when nobody is watching--- its tasty ice cold and an excellent thirst quencher.

[SharpStick]

You need to be very, very careful with dihydrogen monoxide.
Check out this website http://www.dhmo.org/facts.html

[Hawken]

If you're going to use alcohol use 'Denatured Alcohol'!

Regular alcohol contains 20% WATER!

I use machinists' oil at 1 part oil to 5 parts water!

Never have had a rust problem!

[Ohio Joe]

That's what I use, the Denatured Alcohol.

[Uncle Russ]

I have never used Denatured Alcohol in the past, but I do have some and I will try it.

If my health holds up I plan on spending a lot of time on the range this year...

Uncle Russ...

[Hanshi]

It probably should be mentioned at this point that each year there are many deaths directly traceable to dihydrogen monoxide.  Small children are at particular risk of death from being around it.  I advise caution around large quantities of the stuff.    

[RobD]

really, all that's needed is plain old water. 

i know, i'm a broken record in a never ending loop on this "new black powder cleaning idea" thread, but once you achieve a clean barrel, chamber and lock by using whatever concoctions are in the current vogue, from that point on using plain tepid water and nothing else is all that's required (along with yer diligence of use). 

[Rocklock]

I use straight dihydrogenoxide (aka H2O) for cleaning but highly recommend adding a generous amount of distilled alcohol (corn based) and prefer it be aged 8-12 years in carmelizex white oak  barrels. 👍👍

[Bigsmoke]

I use straight dihydrogenoxide (aka H2O) for cleaning but highly recommend adding a generous amount of distilled alcohol (corn based) and prefer it be aged 8-12 years in carmelizex white oak  barrels. 👍👍

And that H2O be in a frozen form, no doubt?

[Rocklock]

Yea.  Bad to drink them alcohol straight.  BUT remember ice melts so then you have bourbon AND water 😆😃😃

[sse]

Like many here, have tried a variety of mixtures.  My go-to ends up being Simple Green diluted in hot water.  Then I use one of the store-bought products for cleaning the drum & nipple, areas surrounding.  After that clean patch out moisture, then several patches of 91% rubbing alcohol, followed by a few more dry patches.  Then I let her sit there at least a day before introducing any preventative, which is usually bore butter.

I always have trouble at rondy's where I can't do a good cleaning right away.  Another thing I learned is that whatever substance is used should thereafter be cleaned and flushed out real well with fresh clean water.  Right or wrong, I attributed early rust to not getting all that cleaning substance out of there and it ends up collecting moisture, leading to rust.

One guy from Claude's old forum was highly respected and pursued accuracy at a level far exceeding most.  His go-to cleaner was Dixie Gun Works black powder cleaner and solvent, since he said it contained cleaner plus a rust inhibitor.  It was not overly expensive and comes in little bottles, he would buy by the case.  I did try it and thought it worked pretty well.

[rollingb]

Here is a link to an exhaustive test done on 46 different rust inhibitors,.......
http://www.dayattherange.com/?page_id=3667

After reviewing the results of this test, it looks as though I'll be gettin' rid of my Rem-Oil and trying either Frog Lube, or WD 40 Specialist. 

[sse]

That's sure a lot to choose from!

[RobD]

as expected, the "what's the best bp cleaner" saga will continue forever and ever, in an endless loop that starts with water-only people and ends with the space-age-gobble-dee-gook people, and then 'round back again.  i've been Extensively through the gamut of chemical concoctions and procedures and have pretty much come back to how it was done back in the 18th century, and even before then.

i will not use hot water as that only preps the steel to accept chemicals into it's nooks and crannies.  better to take time to allow tepid water to do its most natural thing - dissolve bp residue.

i will not use soap because it adds rather than takes away.  i've totally given up on LVL and others because of the residue they leave.  i've witnessed this with all my black powder powered guns, from muzzleloader to cartridge.  it made a mess of my revolvers, to the point of not being able to chamber cartridges.  anyone need 2/3rds gallon or original formula lehigh valley?  please be my guest!

the only addition to water that i now use is ballistol, which is a water soluble mineral oil.

the only thing i'll do to any barrel (inside and out), lock, action, gun metal, after the bp cleaning process is wipe down with any light oil, for metal preservation.

a few dayze ago i pulled out the .40, .54 and .62 for a check after all being dormant from late fall 'til now (gettin antsy for spring shootin).  they were all cared for last year via the methods previously described.  the bores and metal are all perfectly clean.