Murphy's Soap???

Been using Stumpkillers moose juice and quit all others. The squirrels dont complain. LOL ..Peashooterjoe

i know several people at my club use the murphy"s oil soap mixture as some have described. I just use windex and wd40. all my barrels look great.

I've been using a mix of Murphy's and Windex for over 30 years. I guess there are other mixes that probably work good too, but this has worked good for me and I can't see any reason to change. I like the fact that the Windex dries quickly and the Murphy's helps make the mix into a slippery patch lube. I use the same mix to clean the guns as well as for a patch lube.

Once, I went to a gunshop that had been around for decades, yet I had never heard of it. Nice old guy ran it out of a back room in his house said he had been dealing and shooting BP for decades. He said not to buy any BP solvent. Just put 6-8oz Murphy's in a jug and pour in a jug of regular blue windshield washer solvent. Any old kind. I tried it and its the best thing I have used. I will not use hot water. I have gallons and gallons of this stuff. Just put some in a small plastic tub and wash the barrel out like you would with water and soap. Put some in small plastic bottles and take to the range for a quick clean. I make it and give it to frieinds, new and old alike. BTW, straight Windex works well too.

I hit the range again today and shot my Thompson Center .45 caliber Hawken using Murphy's Oil Soap rubbed into dry 1.125" diameter, 0.015" thick" pre-cut patches. I wanted to experiment with M.O.S., because if I use any other patch lube, I have to start the round ball and patch with a 1" wood dowel and a hammer. Using pure M.O.S., I still have to hit the ball starter pretty hard with the palm of my hand.

All shot groups at 25 yards were at or under 1" using charge weights of 30g to 70g of Pyrodex RS and Hornady round balls. I fired a total of 25 shots without cleaning between shots. It's good enough accuracy for plinking and most of the stages at an informal local muzzle loader match.

I use a cleaner I make from the 91% by volume isopropyl alcohol, and Murphy's oil soap. You can buy alcohol at the pharmacy with varying amounts of water content. Some are like 75% alcohol, on up to the 91%. I do not include peroxide as I was told long ago that the peroxide is a weak acid, and I'm not allowing acid of any strength into my firearms. I keep the mixture in an old nasal spray bottle and use it to wet patches while at the range for in between shot cleanings, and to give a cursory cleaning of the bore before I head home. Once home I use hot water with a little Murphy's in it for the final cleaning.

I have used M.A.P. since the late 80's. At that time I was competing regular in offhand. M.A.P. as a RB patch lube and after ten rounds. Fill the barrel at the end of the match and put up the rest of my gear. Pout out the M.A.P. and run patches through until clean. Usually less than 10. Barrels on my three guns are still good. May not work for all but sure as heck works for me. YMMV

The common denominator/active ingredient in a gun cleaner is........

they all are a liquid.

There are probably over 100 variations and all will work.
Your favorite slurry, I am certain, is best.

Great stuff as was the huge bars of another soap sold, darn the name went away. I tanned buckskin with it but it has gone away. Pure soap but the very best for BP is still water. Cold is best until clean and then hot to dry.

Y

45man said:

Great stuff as was the huge bars of another soap sold, darn the name went away. I tanned buckskin with it but it has gone away. Pure soap but the very best for BP is still water. Cold is best until clean and then hot to dry.

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This has been an interesting thread. I've been shooting muzzle loading rifles for about 55 years and have used just about everything anyone could think of. Some have great results and others were P Poor. The one lube I used with the best results was water soluble oil used in machining, a 50/50 blend with water. Worked great until I was unable to get it any longer. No doubt it was not good for me anyway.

45man said:

Great stuff as was the huge bars of another soap sold, darn the name went away. I tanned buckskin with it but it has gone away. Pure soap but the very best for BP is still water. Cold is best until clean and then hot to dry.

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Was it Fels Naptha lye soap. I haven't seen it for years.

John Shaw said:

Was it Fels Naptha lye soap. I haven't seen it for years.

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You can find it at walmart and other fine retailers, in the laundry section along with Zote.