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[jiminy criquet]

I've always used Hoppes #9 and WD40.  Never could bring myself to put any gun in hot water unless it was to  clean the metal prior to degreasing and refinishing, but that's just me.  Never have used Ballistol or Windex either.

The more important question would be, what did they use back in the 1800's prior to the advent of solvents?

[Lars]

Water, hot water with perhaps some kinda "soap". There are stories about folks running outa water and using what their bodies could supply. Dunking an entire C&B revolver, minus grips, was SOP.

Not putting water down your gun's bores is one of those modern fads. Lead to all sorts of foul stuff, especially Hoppes #9, even Ballistol. YUCK!!!!

Lars

[Dick Dastardly]

Mornin Lars, you ol scudder you. . .

I hope to shoot with you one day just so I kin show you my clean guns, and how I keep 'em that way.  Ballistol mixed with plain ol water's the thing.  All that's needed for all  my SASS main match guns.

Hot water & soap is good, followed by a very hot rinse.  Problem is, it leaves the bore too dry and easy to rust.  When I clean my ML that way, I follow up with a Ballistol dampened patch.  Ballistol stops rust pronto.  Before shooting the ML I like to run a dry patch thru & snap a cap.  Nary a misfire and never any rust.  Hate rusty guns.

One thing for sure, we all share a common goal.  That being clean guns with no rust.  Many paths get there.  I just think mine is easiest and I'm pleased with the results.

DD-DLoS

[Lars]

Used the ancient hot water with some kinda soap in it method for decades, then tried Windex -- much better, at least for the rinse, because of the chemical "dryer" in it. Absolutely no more rust problems, especially not the "fast rust" that can happen after the hot water flush. Actually, for a long, long time now I use only Windex in the field. If staying in motel I use it as rinse, for reason stated above.

Actually, if one does not use gobbs of grease in their guns, the soap is not needed either.

I do not and will not allow use of Ballistol on anything I own. Nor will I recommend that anyone else use it. It is grossly overrated. All one needs is water, a method of getting the guns dried quickly, and good protective gun oil.

Lars

[Arcey]

Strange.......

Three of us shot Goex today.  The same lot, we split an order from Powder, Inc.  One used a Big Lube thingy in .45.  Another commmercial hard cast with Wonder Wads.  I used the same load I described in an earlier post.

All three were in the parking lot after the shoot.  All three sprayed the firearms with Ballistol.  Bores and external surfaces.  One will patch his out this evening, always does.  The other will when he gets around to it.  I'll do mine when the 'Skins play, or lose another, at 1600 tomorrow.  I have dead leaves to harvest in the morning and early afternoon.

We had another pard who passed away late October past.  He used the same cleaning methods.  He'd been shooting Goex and Pyrodex probably longer than the other three of us put together.  I believe he started using what he referred to as 'Smoke' when he saw my limited use of it in the spring and summer of 2000.

Neither of us has had a problem with rust.  We've suffered none of the problems many associate with the use of Black Powder.

My usual schedule of two or three shoots per month has been interrupted for various reasons since early September.  For me, my guns were cleaned and put away after the first Saturday of November.  They have been in the safe until yesterday evening.  One cleaning, wet with Ballistol and put away.  No follow up a couple days later.  From the safe last month to the loading table this morning.

Gentlemen, I do not intend to change what I'm doing.  Equally, I mean no disrespect to anyone with a different opinion.  But, I do find it curious how people, people who are apparently very knowledgeable on the subject, arrive at different conclusions.

What was used over a hundred years ago is of no consequence today.  Maybe it would if we put our long guns in scabbards, mounted our horses and rode home, having a sip of warm water from a canteen along the way.  From where I was today, I may have been back here Tuesday.  Stopping at taverns or camping.

Today, we put our custom gun carts in our vehicles.  Drink ice cold water from coolers loaded with ice or hot coffee in insulated mugs.  Drive home in air conditioned or heated comfort.  On cruise control.  Listening to MP3's downloaded to Ipods thru the stereo system all the while using a cell phone to call home with an estimated time of arrival.

Wonderful world today, huh?

[Lars]

You are quite correct, of course, Arcey.

Some of us started with BPs when the only cleaning fluids readily available and widely used were hot water and some kind of soap. The only problem anyone ever had was not getting the gun hot enough to prevent the thin film of "fast rust" from forming in the bore. That was the method used by the grandfathers and greatgrandfathers of some of us. That is still one of the very best methods of cleaning a gun fired with BP -- perhaps the very best.

Only modification some of us have found to be valuable is the use of Windex or other drying fluid to ease the process of getting a totally dry gun. So simple and effective is the method.

If someone wants to use something else on their BP guns, fine, just not on mine, thank you.

Modern use of BPs has been hallmarked by all sorts of mythology, funny mixtures, missinformations, sheer BS, etc. Fortunately, most of those funny cleaning mixtures have enough water in them to get the job done. Ditto for Ballistol.

Fortunately, with modern steels, even the cheap ones used in many Itallian-made replicas, so long as the gun was adequately dried after cleaning, little bad happened to it. Even rather poor cleaning has gotten by.

My guns used extensively for years with BPs are quite free of rust internally, just as those that were only used with nitro powders and non-corrosive primers (or were cleaned throughly with hot water if corrosive primers were used). FYI, my SOP lube for gun innards is dry, powdered graphite.

Lars

[Arcey]

For what it's worth, Gentlemen, I enjoyed this exchange.  I'm still learning.

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