Storage

Being new to black powder I have ran into a question that thus far I haven't gotten a solid answer to.
The simplest way to ask this is if you were storing your favorite muzzleloader for a period of months what would you use to protect the bore?
I have been told that I don't want to mix petroleum products with natural lubes. Soooo, I could use gun oil and remove most of it with dry patches before loading again.
I have heard nasty things about Bore Butter and then again ran into folks who love it.
Is there a natural protectant for moth balling that you prefer over a petroleum product?
So you are putting her in the safe for awhile guys. How are you gonna protect that bore? Also, your thoughts on bore butter?
Thanks in advance,
Ed

Bore butter is a patch lube....nothing more....

A patch with light, but good oil, like Rem oil, swab barrel and your good to go.....some say to store barrel down, so the oil won't puddle against the breach, I personally have never had a problem with barrel up, when I'm ready to shoot it again I dry patch it a few times, and fire a fouling shot ( flintlock ) or pop a cap and load up....

Ranger

I like RIG but most oil combos from 3 in 1 to WD40 do well enough... The BIG secret is to make sure that the barrel is CLEAN prior to storage of ANY length of time.....

I like to use Kroil for storage and then swab with alcohol to remove before shooting again...................watch yer top knot...............

Petrolium based products are fine for rust protection and for lubricating all parts except for patches or bullets. The reason for not using petrolium based products inside the bore as a patch lube or bullet lube is that the heat of the burning powder cause tary residue that is hard to remove. Patch lube and bullet lube should be made of natural products to prevent these tary products from forming. I use a petrolium based product made by Birchwood-Casey called Barricade, to prevent rust on and in my muzzleloaders but I thoroughly remove it from my bore before firing my guns.

Might be wrong on this but, if I remember right, some of the Old Timers would use 30 weight Motor Oil. Gave the Bore a good coating and made sure it was given a good cleaning before shooting it again....

Use your favorite gun oil and clean the gun before you shoot it next time. WOW, what a concept! :shocked2:
Bore Butter will not work as a protectant. It is a good patch lube.
Storing the barrel down is silly as like I said clean the gun before you shoot it. :hmm:
I actually don't treat my muzzle loaders any differently than my CF. :wink:

"Old Timers" within your context, probably means folks who where shooting muzzleloaders in the 1940s and 1950s. The real old timers used such things as bear fat to grease their guns. In both cases, these folks were using the best thing they had handy...or even had at all. But today, we don't need to use these things because we now have much improved products. I would only use these old products if I were a die hard HC/PC person. Otherwise, I'd use the modern stuff and get the improved protection for my gun that they offer. Let me tell you a secret.....Shhhh...even if I were HC/PC, which I am not, I'd still sneek a bit of the modern stuff into and onto my rifle to protect it. :wink:

Billnpatti said:

"Old Timers" within your context, probably means folks who where shooting muzzleloaders in the 1940s and 1950s. The real old timers used such things as bear fat to grease their guns. In both cases, these folks were using the best thing they had handy...or even had at all. But today, we don't need to use these things because we now have much improved products. I would only use these old products if I were a die hard HC/PC person. Otherwise, I'd use the modern stuff and get the improved protection for my gun that they offer. Let me tell you a secret.....Shhhh...even if I were HC/PC, which I am not, I'd still sneek a bit of the modern stuff into and onto my rifle to protect it. :wink:

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Great point... I have over $1,000.00 into a Pecatonica kit, I dream of a custom made that would cost me $2500.00 or more and real antiques can get expensive... Why risk rust??

T.C. bore lube is all I use. Inside and out. If it didnt do what it said it would do I would think someone would have sued T.C. for false advertisement by now. :thumbsup:

Yes, even up to the 60`s and 70`s old Timers, Me included!! Nope, don`t need them now. Just have to figger` out, among the advertised latest and greatest which one is the greatest!!??

B.C. Barricade is all ya need inside an outside the barrel an on the lock. Not even a hint of rust for months.

While I started using a good swabbing of RemOil recently, I used TC Bore Butter exclusively the first 11 years. Never had a problem with rust even when a gun would sit for a year before shooting it again. Only reason I went to RemOil is that I was already using it when I wiped down the outside of the gun and I can just put a few squirts on a cleaning patch quickly versus spreading bore butter around with my fingers on a patch. So net, TC Borebutter works very well, but not quite as handy.

Lately I've borrowed a trick from friends who shoot those modern black rifles- I've been using Mobil 1 as a protectant/lubricant. It's a full synthetic oil and I always have almost a half quart left over at oil change time. It really coats the surface well and can be removed prior to loading & firing. So far, so good. No rust or residue.

Dan

Thanks much for the info guys! :bow:
Like I said I am new at this and want to get started right.Have always been very particular about my firearms. Found an older 54 cal. TC Hawken caplock in beautiful (to me ) condition. I'd like to keep it that way! Also came with an extra NIB 1:66 Round Ball barrel.
Help is appreciated!
Ed

I have used REM oil in a clean barrel and WD-40 as well. The BEST thing I have found so far is called "TAP Magik" it's cutting oil. I like it alot..I am going to try some ATF when I get around to it. I have a friend of mine who used to shoot BP ALOT(he's in his 70's and his eyesight is faltering, so he sold off his rifles), he used ATF in every one of his BP rifles...his bores are perfectly rust free. I purchased my double wedge Hawken from him, he said he put the rifle up at least 10 years ago and never messed with it..I was a little concerned about rust, so before I gave him the money for the rifle, I ran a clean, dry patch down the barrel, there was not even a hint of rust on the patch. Just some ideas for you to try...just make sure you run a sloppy wet alcohol patch down the barrel before you load it after using any or all of these methods of rust prevention that I described.

If it is going to be more than a month or if it is humid as usual I put a good quality grease. If you think about it anything that is intended for a automobile is as tough as it gets! Geo. T.

For short term I use either G.I. gun oil , or three in one oil. For long term I use spray on anti rust spray (709). G.I gun oil and three in one oil both wash out with an alcohol soaked patch. But the anti rust spray requires either acetone or , brake cleaner, or carb/fuel injecter cleaner. :hmm:

White Oak said:

I have heard nasty things about Bore Butter and then again ran into folks who love it.

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What kind of nasty things?

Rem Oil has always been used with my smokeless powder guns.

I started to use it with BP but for the past two or three months all I've used is bore butter to clean and lubricate them. Even replaced the anti-seize compound with it. No problems thus far. Smells better too!

ff Jeez why can't I find deals like this? How much did you pay? thats like two guns in one!.