Cleaning without water?

Got an invite to hunt in S Texas, may involve 48 hours in the brush w/out access to water.

My normal cleaning method involves water and lots of it, not possible in this situation.

I hate leaving BP guns uncleaned after firing,any suggestions as to solvents, cleaning agents etc I could pack in are much appreciated.

Thanks,
Birdwatcher

keep a small bottle of 90% or better alcohol in your stuff and be sparing on how much you use

an ounce down the barrel with the vent or nipple pluged, slosh it around for a couple minutes and pour it out, run a swab down the barrel to absorb the left over crud, run anouther ounce of alcohol down the barrel and slosh it around some again, pour it out and swab/patch the barrel until it is dry then lube

Just 2 ounces of alcohol should do the trick. That isn't a very large bottle at all.

This should clean it well enough to not have any major worries until you get back to where you can properly clean it.

Are you not going to drink anything for 48 hours?

Swab the barrel clean with wet then dry patches. Finish up with a rust preventive patch.

A small vial of alcohol would be handy too.

Birdwatcher said:

.....any suggestions as to solvents, cleaning agents etc I could pack in ....

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Yes. WATER! :shake: Enjoy, J.D.

I carry a flip top bottle of water with me that holds 20 ounces of water. I add 5 or 6 drops of dish soap. I can clean three rifles at the range well enough to a day or two before doing them for storage. I live in Texas and I can not see you not having water around. Even in winter water is a have to have! Good luck. Geo. T.

I`ve cleaned my guns with store bought black powder solvents and lots of patches a few times when I`ve been on trips and didn`t have extra water and a pail handy for my usual flush with water method. A bottle of solvent, another of oil, some Q-tips and pipe cleaners for the breech, and the patches are all you should need. The way I do it is swab the bore with wet patches followed by dry ones till they come out clean. Then use pipe cleaners dipped in the solvent for the flash channel on my caplocks, Q-tips and patches for the lock etc. Oil when done. It`s more work this way than flushing with water, and I wouldn`t trust it for long term, but it`s worked for me on short trips till I can get home and do it right.

I take it you are on foot without a camp? Then you will need to carry an extra canteen with more water.

Your right. I`m sure water would work just as good as the store bought solvents. It`s just a way I`ve done it a few times. Besides Birdwatcher is asking about a way to clean his gun WITHOUT water.

How often do you plan on shooting on this hunting trip?

If you are only shooting a couple of shots it may not be an issue. If you are shooting 30 or 40 shots a day then it may be an issue.

Foster From Flint

Birdwatcher said:

48 hours in the brush w/out access to water.

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Field expediant cleaning;
Spit patches, urine,
Just keep changing patches,

Field expediant bore protection after cleaning;
Olive oil, Vegetable oil, Shortning, unsalted Lard, Animal fat.

Don't worry,
You can actualy get by cleaning for a few days with just a few 0z of water. It's not like the arrid conditions you'll be in has a high humidity ratio that'll lend for hygroscopic moisture accumulation.

Use your...umm...'tummy tap'

Just piss down the barrel, swoosh it around a bit then get after it with a few patches. Clean as a [strike]pizzle[/strike]....whistle in no time! :wink:

Incedentally, in most of South Tejas (I've hunted down there a LOT!) you can't walk a mile or two without tripping over a cattle tank.
Perfectly fine for cleaning your rifle, but DO NOT drink it, no matter how purely crystal clear, cool & inviting it looks & no matter how thirsty I am. It'll make you wee out of your bum. This I can guarantee.

I keep a small amount of Stumpy's Moose Juice (hit search to find the recipe) in a little squeeze bottle that was originally for contact lens solution (something like 3 oz's). I use it each night on my hunting weekends followed by a proper cleaning when I get home. A little of that on a patch followed by a greasy one should tide you over.

robtattoo said:

Incedentally, in most of South Tejas (I've hunted down there a LOT!) you can't walk a mile or two without tripping over a cattle tank.
Perfectly fine for cleaning your rifle, but DO NOT drink it, no matter how purely crystal clear, cool & inviting it looks & no matter how thirsty I am. It'll make you wee out of your bum. This I can guarantee.

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Truer words were never spoke! :rotf:

trying to envison the mechanics of me pissing down a barrel... :shake:
think I would rather just pass on the cleaning until I found some water
:haha:

Funnel :wink:

How do you plan on staying personally hydrated without water for 48 hours or brushing your teeth or washing dishes?

All animals require water, seek where they water to clean your gun.

Last effort, each night after hunting, drain the melted ice off the beer cooler and use it.

No one treks into their deer hunting area on foot and primitive camps, it's trucks, this is how you get there, put a jug of water in the truck.

r

Richard Eames said:

How do you plan on staying personally hydrated without water for 48 hours or brushing your teeth or washing dishes?

All animals require water, seek where they water to clean your gun.

Last effort, each night after hunting, drain the melted ice off the beer cooler and use it.

No one treks into their deer hunting area on foot and primitive camps, it's trucks, this is how you get there, put a jug of water in the truck.

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Right you are - on ALL counts. :hatsoff:

ROFLMAO :rotf:

Thanks for the comments all.

I've been in the brush a time or two, on occasion counting stuff for people, and slept out some, and carry the spines to prove it :haha:

Big as Texas is, it may come as a surprise to folks who aint been that ya generally cant walk very far without hitting a fence, and/or an access road of some kind, and yepper, pretty much ya can usually drive right close to where yer gonna shoot.

The fact that the automated feeder is usually pretty close to THAT just rounds out the whole experience :wink:

So ya, 'spect I could haul in water easily enough, and the kitchen sink to wash stuff in too. But call me and the missus hopeless romantics, even if its just 100 yards from the vehicle, we try to stick with only what we can carry with us, especially in this case. I mean, besides the flintlock period theme and all, we could be a whole 300 yards from the vehicle :haha:

I had never thought about using the stuff in a stock tank, actually there ARE some properties without 'em, or with dry ones. Never thought about using pee either, surely the salts therein would be a worry.

Only hope to shoot once on this trip, dunno what day that would be.

As far as the dry climate is concerned, sorta ironic, it can be fairly humid in South Texas even while you can die of thirst, and anyhow I have noted just how fast the fouling in the pan dampens up from the air between shots even in New Mexico, where it is less humid yet again.

I was wondering about the merits of the various commercial BP bore cleaners, which bottles seem quite compact.

Thanks again,

Birdwatcher