A good way to clean black powder guns.

[M. De Land]

In case you did not catch the thread in the smooth bore section on Breech plug fouling I have been running a several year test of a cleaning product given to me some five years ago on my birthday.
The name was so dumb I refused to try it but curiosity got the better of me after talking to a local gun shop owner and I finally pulled the bottle off the shelf and gave it a try.
You have heard me talk about this goofy named product called Gunzilla. I almost immediately saw that it cleaned lead out of a barrel like nothing else ever tried including brass screens pulls, JB compound , warm water and soap, Hoppes, Sweets, Shooters Choice, lead bore wipes and just about every other solvent known to man.
It also dissolved the black powder fouling just like water and had the added benefit of going after burned on carbon residue.
I still had and am having a hard time letting go of soap and water but after repeated bore scoping with a Hawkeye bore scope I'm about to become a water and petroleum free user for the thorough one step cleaning of all Black and smokeless powder fire arms.
I'm told it is made of plant extract having no water or petroleum in it at all.
You may want to give it a try and see what you think. If an old hard head like myself can be persuaded from actual use there may be something to be gained by all.
I have no affiliation with this product other than being an impressed user of it!

 

[Brokennock]

Been using it for quite a while myself as mentioned in other threads/subjects. A little goes a long way, but, it is very thin so tough to get just a little.
I've also found it very good for lock lube being as it's thin and does not seem to freeze (I put a puddle of it in the corner of a Ziploc bag and placed it in the freezer, stayed fluid but maybe a little more gelatinous.)

I was also very skeptical at first, but I'm sold.

 

[Spikebuck]

Been using it for a couple of years now after reading about it on this forum.

I still start with soapy water for a few patches, and when those come out clean, I switch to Gunzilla and the patches are dirty again, so it is cleaning out gunk that the soap and water leave behind.

Good stuff and not as messy to use as JB Bore paste (which I also like).

Mike

 

[Stumpkiller]

Leading is a different problem than blackpowder residue.

I may have to try your stuff. In the past I hit the bore with J-B Paste a couple times a year for a good scrubbing.

 

[M. De Land]

I buy the 32 oz bottles but apply it with the little 6 ounce bottle that has a dispenser cap that meters it out by the drop.
In practice when I get home from a match I let the gun warm to room temperature in the gun case so it doesn't immediately frost up when removed, cut a patch for the jag,put it on the jag speer and wet the end with the dispenser. A tight patch will squeal like a pig when going down bore and the patch will emerge from the muzzle covered with lead and powder fouling.
Two or three will maker her squeaky clean, literally. I like to use a bronze brush wet with Gunzilla to get the groove corners then I wipe out the excess with a clean patch and leave her be until the next match a month later.
It will protect the bore as well as clean it and leave a thin film that makes the barrel lead less the next time it's shot.
The stuff with the crazy name works equally well on smokeless as well as black powder.
There just doesn't appear to be any need to put water in the bore at all any more.
My usual practice is to clean the night I get back from a match then leave the bore wet with
Gunzilla and clean again the next morning. All I ever get the next AM is a few tiny specks of lead on a tight patch one can barely find.

 

[coloradoclyde]

So the million dollar question is.....WHAT'S IN IT?

I won't use a product unless I know what's in it.

Cleaning is pure science...(chemistry actually)
I'm not fond of being duped into buying water....

 

[coloradoclyde]

Do not clean a browned barrel (Pitna) finish with Gunzilla because this is a natural rust finish and Gunzilla removes rust.

 

[meanmike8665]

Where does all the lead come from? If you are shooting a patched round ball there should be no leading, right?

Michael

 

[M. De Land]

Time will tell,I use it internally and externally on several of my guns that have been LMF browned and Neidner rust blued personally.
It should start to show if what you post is true.

 

[M. De Land]

I'm shooting lead in black powder cartridge rifles using lead bullets.
Long range muzzle loaders using mini bullets ,grease bullets or paper patched bullets will also strip lead that needs to be cleaned out.
I also shoot lots of smokeless lead bullets,some over 1600fps and they lead up some over the course of a match.

 

[M. De Land]

None of my round ball guns lead up but they powder and carbon foul which Gunzilla dissolves.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Time will tell,I use it internally and externally on several of my guns that have been LMF browned and Neidner rust blued personally.
It should start to show if what you post is true.

Or maybe their claim about rust removal, isn't all it's cracked up to be.... :hmm:

 

[M. De Land]

I leave it in the bore after cleaning, if water were present so would rust be.
It says on the bottle it contains no water or petroleum.

 

[M. De Land]

But then natural patina is not the same as chemical browning or rust bluing as the later is applied,carded and built up in layers changing from loose to hard oxide.
Also it prevents rust, it is not designed to dissolve it like naval jelly. It's purpose is to dissolve fouling, lead and jacketed bullet adhesion and carbon.

 

[coloradoclyde]

:surrender: .....Happy cleaning.

 

[M. De Land]

:rotf: Amen to that!

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

I remember another company with a plant based gun solvent.

It was called Fire Clean or something similar. It was tested in a lab and they found out it was chemically identical to vegetable oil.

They were literally taking vegetable oil, putting it a fancy tiny bottle, and selling it for about a 10,000% markup.

After that I approach all miracle lubes and cleaners with a healthy dose of skepticism. I'd love to hear what's actually in this product.

 

[M. De Land]

Well, I've given it a several year test and so far it has done just as advertised.
I've only recently had guts enough to use it on black powder guns exclusively and am keeping a close eye on them all inside and out. It's really hard for me to keep water out of any gun shooting black powder.
I will sound the alarm if I can detect any untoward incidents from it's use.
And to your point, if it works as advertised who cares if it's vegetable oil or not, it's worth what it goes for in my opinion.

 

[meanmike8665]

Thanks for the answer.
Michael

 

[smo]

I’ve started using this stuff to wipe the bore between shots .

I’ve even used it as a patch lube with good results.