Might we conclude then that it is okay to not clean our black powder barrels for several days after firing? That can only mean you have discovered a truth that has lain dormant for many years. No one knew this until now.
think about it do you really believe that the soldiers at valley forge unloaded their guns every night and cleaned them? or the soldiers on either side at Gettysburg after fighting all day unloaded and cleaned? or any of the long hunters did? what I suggest is that they cleaned only when it was convenient and prudent to do so ie: lots of water to do so . I also put it out there that they didn't use a fancy lube the overwhelming majority of them used what was available some form of fat/tallow ( demonstrated by the amount of original rifles with lube holes in the butt stock ) and possibly a rendered version of the same and the richer more prosperous may have used sperm whale oil, but given the length that they were beyond civilization and what they could pack and carry . I never have said that you shouldn't clean after shooting, what I said is that it isn't a hunt breaker if you use a reasonable approach to it .
My rules for every body that I help/teach are as follows
1 never ever use a petroleum based product inside the barrel
2 if you are adamant about using any of the substitute powders then you absolutely need to get your barrel surgical clean before storage
3 a simple wipe of what ever you are using for patch lube is sufficient to store your gun. me personally I use wonder lube and nothing else inside and out from the day I acquire it. the first 2 guns I owned I built in the early 90's late 80's were being shot approximately 1,000 rounds a year. about 10- 12 years ago I started acquiring what I call pretty guns and only shooting them so the first 2 were relegated to the corner of the display case a year ago as a result of somebody bitchen about long term storage with wonder lube i pulled the flint lock out and ran a lubed patch down the barrel to see if any corrosion had formed the patch came out looking like I would have expected any lubricant to look like after sitting for a dozen years. because I had done this I took that gun to the monthly shoot and won 3 and tied a couple more matches which is the best I done in years ( maybe I should shoot it instead of my pretty guns ) I cleaned it as I always have during the next week following the instructions that wonder lube/bore butter/TC 1000 plus said when it came out nothing but hot water NO SOAP OF ANY KIND do this and it works .
4 in the winter never ever use windshield wash to wipe the bore if you are in the middle of a shoot and you have fouled the barrel to the point of your tearing the patches as you load OX Yoke makes a cleaner/lubricant made to be used with wonder lube and is available from RMC prod.
This is my humble opinion and a lot of my fellow shooters disagree with it but the proof is in the ones that use my method win more then their share of matches. Age is catching up with me and since retiring 8 years ago I don't shoot as much now as its 350 miles one way to the club we chartered but we still go 10 months a year. All of the shoots that are closer are dress up to shoot and they gripe about losing attendance .