Dawn Dishsoap

I've been shooting black powder 43 years and have used dish soap and hot water to clean my rifles since when I first started. It has worked well for me all these years. Also use it to wet my patches and have never had a problem with that either.I know there are probably other things that work as well maybe even better. But I know dish soap and hot water works.

AlanG said:

I don't doubt your results. but it's got nothing to do with adding "a few drops of Dawn". Dawn doesn't have some miracle properties to instantly dissolve fouling left in the barrel, nor does it have any anti- rust properties. . If it did it would be the defacto bore cleaner everyone would use, Hoppes would go out of business- solving the "Universal Theory"" is likely to happen before BP shooters agree on a cleaner. Three swipes of a mildly damp patches most likely wouldn't get all of the gunk out either.

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It should be pointed out that you can run dry cleaning patches down a barrel and they will eventually come up clean- but it sure doesn't mean the barrel is cleaned.

Dish soap is actually good for getting ticks of your dog (or yourself) too.

Carbon 6 said:

So, what does it "have to do with" ?

Sure, other soaps(detergents) will work but Dawn is a household name, it's also a concentrate.

Now we could argue about the amount used, I put a good healthy squirt in the water. which is close to a gallon. A few drops, that's for washing windows.

I am always fascinated by how people clean their guns.


I wouldn't be so quick to write that one off either.

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I was responding directly to Riflemans 1776 post.

Fairly certain "what it had to do with" was the water- the universal solvent, the few drops of Dawn was along for the ride.

Carbon 6- Do you agree with him that water with "a few drops of Dawn" slightly damp on a patch and only swiped three times followed by a single patch of Barricade is really going to clean and rustproof a rifle?

That's less time than it would take to clean a modern centerfire rifle.

Dawn's been around forever, and has been used by a lot of guys (me included). If it had those miracle properties I'm pretty sure they would have become the de facto standard BP cleaning method. And I would like to know more about the "rustproofing" qualities of Dawn.

I think most would agree that proper care/cleaning of a BP rifle barrel requires:

1. Something to get the bulk, loose gunk/residue out- lots of options here, but of course plain water works spectacularly for this.
2. Something to loosen up any dried/built up crusty crud- such as a Breech Plug sometimes gets, or the outside of a barrel on a much fired flintlock. Water works okay here as long as it gets to sit a bit. Plenty of other commercial or homemade products work as well or better than water.
3. Something that neutralizes the corrosive effect. You can clean a barrel of gunk but still leave the corrosives behind. Water is fine, but other products like Ballistol not only do it, but have rustproofing capabilities and continue to clean as long as they are in contact with the barrel.
4. With water, or water/dawn, Drying of the barrel is critical. If someone can refute that please let me know.
5. Some sort of rust proofing treatment. This can be a separate product, or one where the cleaner can do both.

I too am fascinated by the various "cleaning regimes".

Up to close to ten pages on Dawn and wonder why?

Seems the record on pages was somewhere around 50 pages from a fellow from Tyler, TX around 2007 or 2008 and the topic was Hawken Rifles.. Cannot remember his name, did get to visit personally with him.

Will Dawn make the record? Time will let us know.

AlanG said:

Carbon 6- Do you agree with him that water with "a few drops of Dawn" slightly damp on a patch and only swiped three times followed by a single patch of Barricade is really going to clean and rustproof a rifle?

That's less time than it would take to clean a modern centerfire rifle.

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I am incline to believe him. his method is very similar to my own, though I usually use about 6 patches. 2 to clean, 2 to dry, and 1 or 2 to protect. Takes me longer to write this post than it does to clean.

When Using Dawn, I use it differently than he does.

There is one important thing to remember, Cleaning is something you do, not something you use. Technique is very important.

The most difficult thing about cleaning is getting people to do it.

There are 3 types of people.
1. Those who don't want to clean their guns.
2. Those who clean dirty guns.
3. Those who's guns are always kept clean.
The latter has the easiest time of it.

Finally, if you are using a substitute powder, ease of cleaning rules do not apply. Every sub I have tried is harder to clean than real black powder.

Carbon 6 said:

I am incline to believe him. his method is very similar to my own, though I usually use about 6 patches. 2 to clean, 2 to dry, and 1 or 2 to protect. Takes me longer to write this post than it does to clean.

When Using Dawn, I use it differently than he does.

There is one important thing to remember, Cleaning is something you do, not something you use. Technique is very important.

The most difficult thing about cleaning is getting people to do it.

There are 3 types of people.
1. Those who don't want to clean their guns.
2. Those who clean dirty guns.
3. Those who's guns are always kept clean.
The latter has the easiest time of it.

Finally, if you are using a substitute powder, ease of cleaning rules do not apply. Every sub I have tried is harder to clean than real black powder.

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Well, I guess that's the beauty of the internet- everyone's rifles are superclean.

I'm open to any and all cleaning methods, but I have never owned, known anybody who owns one, seen, or been in the vicinity (maybe same hemisphere)of a BP gun that all fouling was removed with 2 wet patches.

I would be curious to hear from others of the 2 patch club.

AlanG said:

Well, I guess that's the beauty of the internet- everyone's rifles are superclean.

I'm open to any and all cleaning methods, but I have never owned, known anybody who owns one, seen, or been in the vicinity (maybe same hemisphere)of a BP gun that all fouling was removed with 2 wet patches.

I would be curious to hear from others of the 2 patch club.

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When I clean using the bucket method and dawn, I can get by using only 3 patches (one wet, one dry and one oiled).
It is also possible to clean without using any patches.

I am curious;
What method do you use ?

Carbon 6 said:

When I clean using the bucket method and dawn, I can get by using only 3 patches (one wet, one dry and one oiled).
It is also possible to clean without using any patches.

I am curious;
What method do you use ?

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I am curious, first how do YOU use the bucket method? And second - clean gun with one wet, one dry, one oil??? Sounds like a tall order.

My Cabelas CHROME LINED Hawkens will clean with 1-2 patches in a bucket of warm water with or w/o soap. Easiest clean up EVER. 1-2 clean 3 dry one for oil and 14 q-tips or pipe cleaners we be done!! Yep thats 5-6 patches and done, never rust.

Where would we be without Q-tips?

Juice Jaws said:

I am curious, first how do YOU use the bucket method? And second - clean gun with one wet, one dry, one oil??? Sounds like a tall order.

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Seriously! how do you clean?

The bucket method: (Works best with hooked breeches.)
Fill a bucket half full of warm water and add a squirt of dawn.
remove nipple and place breech of barrel in bucket.
wet a tight fitting patch and run it up and down the barrel pumping water in and out rise patch and repeat with a clean bucket of warm water. Remove and dry barrel . Run dry patch up and down the barrel after barrel has dried. then oil and run oiled patch down barrel.
3 patches, Done.

Carbon 6 said:

Seriously! how do you clean?

The bucket method: (Works best with hooked breeches.)
Fill a bucket half full of warm water and add a squirt of dawn.
remove nipple and place breech of barrel in bucket.
wet a tight fitting patch and run it up and down the barrel pumping water in and out rise patch and repeat with a clean bucket of warm water. Remove and dry barrel . Run dry patch up and down the barrel after barrel has dried. then oil and run oiled patch down barrel.
3 patches, Done.

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I use to clean my hook breeches just like you do, now I just run wet patches with a little soap. Most of the time 3 or 4 wet patches then dry and oil. Your answer was a little miss leading (at least to me) to me it sound like you only ran ONE wet patch down the barrel one time. Understand now what you were saying.

Something tells me Allen has been here before. Maybe a similar user name?

Jeez, the line keeps getting moved here. First it's Dawn is a magical ingredient, cures all ills and somehow has the ability to magically make fouling disappear. Then its 2 wet patches and its done, and now it's back to the old bucket method. It's a great method, has worked for years of course, but this threads about Dawn dish-soap and I'll submit, that the same results would be had with just plain water. Soap, any soap does make the patch slide up and down a little easier though, and Dawn definitely cuts grease/oils, but that's not really relevant to barrel cleaning.

Getting away from the dawn topic for a minute, I've never really understood when guys cling to one cleaning method. Water does always work, but it can be real inconvenient at times. There are lots of other products/methods that do just as well or better, and have advantages . Not always, but sometimes. It's hard to beat the Murphy's Oil cut with some alcohol for a casual day at the range. It's a good cleaner, good patch lube wet OR dry, with a pleasant smell, and when swabbing after a few shots leaves behind a slight slick coating that helps keep fouling soft and eases the ball down. And Ballistol is great when shooting multiple guns. Cut 8 or 10 to one it's fairly inexpensive, cleans and neutralizes fouling, but also prevents rust right from the get go. Also a good wet or dry patch lube, and when used straight is an excellent long term anti-rust solution, and a great lock oil- literally one stop shopping.

I almost hate to even mention it, but for decades plain old fashioned Hoppes #9 was considered an excellent product not just for BP, but for those nasty old corrosive centerfire primers. It still works well.

Anyway- didn't mean to hijack the Dawn discussion!

I also have heard that Dawn is really good to get rid of ringworms and makes a GREAT drink with a little JD

Juice Jaws said:

Your answer was a little miss leading (at least to me) to me it sound like you only ran ONE wet patch down the barrel one time. Understand now what you were saying.

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Even when I clean using map and it only takes me 6 patches I run them up and down more than once and flip them over. Still, I can clean in a few minutes.

Cleaning isn't difficult, people just make it difficult.

Barkiller said:

I also have heard that Dawn is really good to get rid of ringworms and makes a GREAT drink with a little JD

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Don't be saying stupid #%@* like that, there's already enough of a problem with kids eating &%#@*^ Tide pods.

Carbon 6 said:

Even when I clean using map and it only takes me 6 patches I run them up and down more than once and flip them over. Still, I can clean in a few minutes.

Cleaning isn't difficult, people just make it difficult.

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We agree on that a 100%. Rifles, smoothbore, revolvers, I am done in 10 min. or less. And I really enjoy cleaning my guns and getting my shooting bags ready for next outing. I find it relaxing.

Juice Jaws said:

We agree on that a 100%. Rifles, smoothbore, revolvers, I am done in 10 min. or less. And I really enjoy cleaning my guns and getting my shooting bags ready for next outing. I find it relaxing.

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I'm glad we understand each other, I guess we are both "in the know".