Trying A New Black Powder Cleaner Idea

[Ohio Joe]

At least for 3+ decades I've used the old equal parts of, (Murphy's Oil Soap, 91% Alcohol, & Peroxide) as a cleaner and never had any trouble with it, but today (since I'm so low on it) I decided to try and create a new cleaner I've been thinking about for some time now. My wife and I went up to the new "Dollar Store" that opened here less then a week ago (neat place by the way and glad to have one handy and close), and I picked up a gallon of the cheapest Windshield Washer Fluid they had and a 32 ounce bottle of 91% Alcohol...

I mixed the 32 ounces of Alcohol with 64 ounces of cheap Windshield Washer Fluid, and now all I have to do is test it.  I see no reason it won't work, and I kind'a recall reading somewhere that some folks use the Windshield Washer Fluid as a cleaner and patch lube in their muzzle loading rifles.

Any of you have any experience with this? 

[Hanshi]

A few years ago I wandered into the kitchen and LO and BEHOLD!  BP cleaner was coming out out the faucet! 

[Hank in WV]

I've heard of using windshield washer fluid before but not mixed with alcohol. I'd bet it will work just fine, but I agree with Hanshi, plain cool water works just fine for me.

[Ohio Joe]

Oh, I don't disagree on the plain ol' cold water at all. Used it many times. 

[amm1851]

I tried using a water/rubbing alcohol mix, and the solution dried out the tips of my fingers so much they cracked and bled. Now I just use a mix of Murphy's oil soap and water, and I suspect plain water would work as well. But, we black powder shooters love to tinker with lubes, cleaners, and so on, so have at it!   

[Two Steps]

I often use WW if I'm swabbing the bbl at the range, and I use it to do a field cleaning when I finish firing for the day (a regular cleaning when I get back in). I sometimes add a little bit of alcohol just for its help in drying.  This all works fine for me.  I don't use this for a "real" cleaning.
Hank, you may not have known it, but IIRC you used some of the WW mix when we were in Indiana one year.
Al

[Ohio Joe]

I tried using a water/rubbing alcohol mix, and the solution dried out the tips of my fingers so much they cracked and bled. Now I just use a mix of Murphy's oil soap and water, and I suspect plain water would work as well. But, we black powder shooters love to tinker with lubes, cleaners, and so on, so have at it!   

I hadn't thought about this. If I notice my fingers starting to dry out, I'll cut the Alcohol with more washer fluid. Thanks for the heads up, amm1851!

[RobD]

ww fluid, soap and water, hot water, hydrogen peroxide + water, moose milk, etc etc etc ... all work just fine for cleaning out bp residue.  some might even work "faster" than others and that's their claim to "better".

however, any and all concoctions *MAY* have an effect on the metal parts.

plain ol' tepid tap water has never ever failed me in nearly 60 years of messing with these smokepoles.  i see no reason to gamble on concoctions.

i will add but one change i made many decades ago - when leaving the range or field after some shooting, i'll spritz the barrel and ignition system with some variance of water soluble oil + water (aka "moose milk"), using a small "airline friendly" spray bottle, and run a wet patch of that down the barrel.  this is to help insure the metal is reasonably protected during the sometimes long drive back to the ranch for a proper cleaning with ... yup, plain ol' H2O 

[Ohio Joe]

I often use WW if I'm swabbing the bbl at the range, and I use it to do a field cleaning when I finish firing for the day (a regular cleaning when I get back in). I sometimes add a little bit of alcohol just for its help in drying.  This all works fine for me.  I don't use this for a "real" cleaning.
Hank, you may not have known it, but IIRC you used some of the WW mix when we were in Indiana one year.
Al

I usually carry a small (don't tell anyone) plastic spray bottle in my shooting bag , as when I'm shooting in those hot months like July through September out here where I live, I sometimes can't come up with enough spit to swab my bore when loading gets tough.  Got'a save that spit for my shootin' patches.

Now I might be able to open a small eyeglass cleaning business on the shootin' line with this mixture???

 

[RobD]

i gave up on spit patches, along with all the fluid concoctions of LVL and moose milk, etc. 

been using patch strips heat saturated with gato feo bpcr grease lube - ah, mo' bettah in every way.   

[Ironhand]

Several BP trap shooters I knew used that combo, in various concentrations, to soak fiber wads during competition. Really seemed to keep the fouling down but the alcohol would evaporate if left out too long.

IronHand

[AxelP]

I can't help but see the irony in traditional bp shooters relentless pursuit of modern cleaning or lube solutions. It reminds me of all the city folk who move to the country to get away from the city, and then proceed to change the country they moved to into the city they left.

If you think about it, isn' that what old Daniel Boone and the rest of the frontiersmen did? Its a human thang I guess.

Hey I ain't judging-- I might use water to clean my bp guns, and feel really good about myself for it... but I have no pangs of guilt when I use WD40 after the bore is shiny clean... We all have a bit of hypocrisy in our lives. (Mines just better than yours is all) 

[James Kelly]

Just plain cold (or tepid) water is really so boring

water water water water water water water water water

[One Shot]

A few years ago I wandered into the kitchen and LO and BEHOLD!  BP cleaner was coming out out the faucet! 

[Uncle Russ]

Best BP Cleaner ever!

Water is great, fairly easy to come by, and really cheap.
Windshield Washer / Fluid should work very well.
And, what I'm going to tell you about is nowhere near being traditional or have any historic value. It is strictly what it is, a great lube and cleaner for both smokeless and BP. 

I have used Ed's Red for better'n 30 years, and it is simply the best stuff I have ever used....period.
One can clean good at the range, and forget it for weeks on end with out any bad effects whatsoever! We all should know This is definitely not recommended!

But should you have 3 grandkids in that 20 year old bracket, you can end up being very thankful you did use this stuff....How about season to season? Yep, you guessed it, been there done that too. AND, yes my grandson is still alive and well.

Easy to make, I recommend Gallon Glass "jugs", and a Gallon will last you forever! And your bratty grandkids if you've got 'em coming and going at your house too.

Be sure to keep it off the wood! I've always heard & read that but I know that as long as I've used this stuff I had to get it on the wood a time or two...if I did, I can't see it.

http://handloads.com/articles/default.asp?id=9

CONTENTS: Ed's Red Bore Cleaner

1 part Dexron II, IIe or III ATF, GM Spec. D-20265 or later.

1 part Kerosene - deodorized, K1

1 part Aliphatic Mineral Spirits, Fed. Spec. TT-T-2981F, CAS
#64741-49-9, or may substitute "Stoddard Solvent", CAS #8052-41-3, or
equivalent, (aka "Varsol")

1 part Acetone, CAS #67-64-1.

(Optional up to 1 lb. of Lanolin, Anhydrous, USP per gallon, OK to
substitute Lanolin, Modified, Topical Lubricant, from the drug store)

You can make it for somewhere around $30.00 +/- per gallon I think that's about what I had in the last batch.... (less, if you leave out the Anhydrous Lanolin...one of my daughters is Pharmacist and gets a good deal from the distributors, so I always use it,  and I use it in my Patch Lube too)

Or you can buy it for about $15 shipped, in little 4oz bottles.
 http://www.brownells.com/gun-cleaning-chemicals/solvents-degreasers/bore-solvents/ed-s-red-bore-cleaner-prod19936.aspx

Uncle Russ...