What oil should I use?

Okay, I am going to clean the new barrel that came with the Lyman GPR. I have been working on pistols and rifles i.e., military and civilian well over 20 years. But, now has come a time that I am green as green can be on muzzleloading. On many of the guns I work on I use a variety of oils depending on what I am working on. On the Lyman GPR some folks have said to use WD-40. On some rifles I may use Tetra Gun, Clenzoil, Break Free and LSA (lubricant, small arms) for example. Its going to be its FIRST ceaning before I take it out this weekend. Suggestions and opinions please. Thanks. atriot:

Use any good lubricating gun oil for the moving parts in the lock and a good modern rust preventing gun oil in the bore.

I like Barricade or Sheath for the bore because it doesn't need to wiped out before shooting the gun like the more "oily" oils do.

It has proven to be an excellent rust preventative in my muzzleloaders.

For care and lubrication just treat it like one of your other guns.
Oil in the bore and black powder is a bad thing, by all means use a petro product in the bore for rust prevention/storage, just clean it out before fireing with alcohol or brake cleaner.

As far as "first time" cleanings, that factory packing grease is some nasty stuff, you want to be sure to get ALL that stuff out of the bore and off the lock internals/trigger,, It gums up fast if left on there.
I use GAS, and then finish with brake cleaner, Please, Clean the bore till a white patch comes out white.

To add what the fellers said my buddy said to run some stainless steel scrub pad on a jag and knock down the burrs from machining. I got mine smooth. Don't take much. I use militec on the bore, after a good cleaning/hydro cleaning. Got it down to 6 cleaning patches...

Brake-Clean first than Barricade.

I use hoppe's oil

The Barrel comes with a very strong oil or grease product, and you will need to use alcohol ( or Gasoline) to get it out. Acetone also works( Brake cleaner) but both the Acetone and gasoline should be used out of doors, with you staying UP Wind of the stuff. Don't breathe it in, and protect your hands and arms so that the acetone doesn't get on your skin, either. Most of us have suffered gasoline "burns", so I don't expect I need to warn you about that.


I recommend using a Vegetable Based oil in the bore for normal maintenance. If you are going to store the gun, then use something like Sheath to protect the bore during the long storage period. There are highly processed petroleum based oils, like Ballistoil( Mineral oil with additives) That work in BP gun barrels, but I still recommend that they be FLUSHED out of the barrel with alcohol, before the gun goes to the range.

There are also modern synthetic oils that will work in BP gun barrels.

The problem with using any petroleum based oil in a barrel that will shoot black powder is that the burning temperature and LENGTH OF BURN is seldom sufficient to Burn Petroleum oils or grease completely. That leaves a Tar-like mess that DOES require using an Alcohol solvent to remove. If you happen to use this in a Percussion gun, the "GUNK" may get back into the flash channel and nipple, and it WILL stop the gun from shooting. Then, you have the gunk, a loaded gun, and no way to fire the stuff out. Pulling a PRB or bullet from such a gun can be a dangerous process( have done it, but I first pulled the nipple, and ran alcohol, then water down to "KILL" the powder charge- and removed almost all of it----before I began pulling the ball.) Now, you can buy a CO2 device that will blow the PRB or bullet out the gun barrel, once you clear the gunk out to open up a path to the blockage.

Its much simpler to find a Non-petroleum based product to lube your bore, or protect it from rusting, and to flush all of these products out with alcohol before loading the gun. :thumbsup:

I can't add much to what's been said, but I too have a new Lyman GPR flint (.54) which I've had for a few months. I cleaned the packing grease out with Hoppe's 9 (old standard formula). After firing I was usingT/C #13 to clean followed by Bore Butter for storing, but was having some light rust appear. I have since switched to using Hoppe's 9 Black Powder Solvent and Patch Lube for both cleaning and patch lube (cut patches at muzzle) and am very pleased with this product. This has cut the clean-up time and effort quite a bit. After cleaning I have switched to using the Birchwood Casey Barricade product ( I use the non-arisol variety) and am also very pleased with it - works great at preventing rust. I tried both of these products after reading results from others on this forum. Hope you enjoy yor GPR I really like mine and have been glad for the input from forum members in helping me to get it tuned up properly.

Any new guns I've had I'll clean out the bore with RBC (Rifle Bore Cleaner) to remove the packing preservitive, then green scrub pad to knock off some of the rough spots in the rifling then clean it with HOT soapy (dish soap) water and rinse with HOT clear water and run dry patchs till they come out clean, then I run CLP in and out the barrels. When I head out to shoot I'll run several patchs to get the oil out and a pipe cleaner to ensure the channel is good and clear.
Thats how I learned and it works for me as others have thier own way and little trickes. You just have to find your way and stick with it.

Okay, I'm done cleaning out the factory bore. I drenched the cleaning patches with Brake Cleaner. It worked well. Then I gave the bore a bath with Butch's Bore Shine. Then dry patches. I did that cycle 3 times followed by dry patches. Then stroked it really good with Clensoil. Dry patches followed. Finally Tetra Gun followed by 1 dry pass. I believe its cleaned above and beyond perfection. Now take it to the range on Sunday the 2nd of October.

I think you are good to go! Let us know how she shoots.

As MorningMan mentioned TC#13 I'll have to climb back up on my soapbox.

A new bottle of this #13 came with a used muzzleloader I bought.

After a day at the range shooting some of my C&B pistols I decided to use it to clean them.

I found that it does clean black powder nicely.
I also found that it creates instant rust in bores and cylinder chambers.

I made several attempts to use it without letting it rust the bore but I was unsuccessful.

I would NEVER recommend this stuff for anything except perhaps as a cleaner to be used just before applying a barrel browning solution to the metal. I'm not sure it would even do that job right.

First time cleaning a barrel i like to use cigarette lighter fluid. As far as oil goes it is hard to beat LSA.
Mike

Clean the heck out of that new barrel before you shoot it. The anti-corrosion coating they use is good stuff. Bad stuff when you try to clean it.

I've used Rem-oil exclusively on all of my muzzleloaders from day one and never had a speck of rust.

HD

Zonie said:

As MorningMan mentioned TC#13 I'll have to climb back up on my soapbox.

A new bottle of this #13 came with a used muzzleloader I bought.

Click to expand...

Years back I did a test of various oils and cleaners and TC #13 was the only product that rusted BEFORE the untreated control-test steel plate or the tap water washed plate!

It has negative rust prevention qualities from my findings.