Any other heretics out there that oil their barrels?

[Dark Angel]

Manbat3261 says:
"The only products I added to my cleaning arsenal for BP are hot water and dish soap."

And that's the key for BP cleaning. Water neutralizes the acids formed after the powder burns. Oils alone won't do that, whether it's Ballistol or Remoil or whatever. While I prefer to use Ballistol since it's water soluble, once the residue is neutralized and cleaned with soapy water ( hot preferably ) your personal choice of any good oil as a rust protectant won't hurt a thing.

Have never use water, hot or otherwise on my BP revolvers. Powder solvent. oil and elbow grease and have never, NEVER, had even a hint of rust. I'm sure some will disagree but HEY! What I do has worked for me for over 40 years of shooting BP. I'm waaay too old to change now. Was also told. once by a BP 'expert' that keeping my revolver loaded too long would cause the chambers to rust, too. That NEVER happened either and I've gone months without shooting my revolver. GUESS WHAT?! No rust in them when I finally got around to shooting. GASP!

 

[B P Maniac Shooter]

Water mixed with dish soap, dry patches ( or hair dryer ) & then fresh 10W-30 motor oil.
No issues with any of my guns.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

or hair dryer

Have not needed one for many moons

 

[Valkyriemc]

Here's a very long read on corrosion resistance of steel re the lubes we use. Three come out on top. 46 are tested.

https://dayattherange.com/?page_id=3667

 

[Big Bear Joe]

On my flintlock rifle and pistol, percussion shotgun, and my 44 caliber cap-and-ball revolvers I have been using hot water with a couple drops of dish soap to clean out the bores, flash pans, chambers, hammers and everything else that gets blackpowder residue, including wood on some of the guns. Nothing I've found removes blackpowder fouling as well as hot water. Water simply dissolves the powder and residue right off with almost no scrubbing required. After a completely drying the parts, I use oil on all the pivots and trigger parts and a thin coat of oil on the exterior of all the blued parts. I put a dab of nipple grease on the threads of flashholes, nipples, and all the screws during reassembly. Really, come on now how could you use bore butter to lube your triggers and locks? I don't put anything on frizzens or flash pans but do iol the cock screw threads.

If the gun will be shot within a month or two I'll run a patch of bore butter through the bore but when the season ends and winter sets in I use oil in the bore. I've never experienced any problems using gun oil on any of my blackpowder guns and have no idea what else anyone could possibly use to lube all the moving parts. By the way, I only use true blackpowder and no substitutes.

 

[pmccoywss]

I've used TetraGun Lube since it came out (mid-80s?), and wouldn't change to anything else. The liquid is just a carrier for the dry lube so doesn't react with the powder. One patch after cleaning, and one dry patch before shooting the next time.

 

[Eutycus]

What's the difference in WD 40 and WD 40 specialist?

 

[B P Maniac Shooter]

Have not needed one for many moons

I'm just about with you there my friend....LOL

 

[fillwa]

I use cheap dollar store baby oil.

 

[Okie Hog]

How many old ML guns have rotten bores? Most.

Until the Civil War Centennial original muzzleloaders weren't worth much. In the late 1950s-early 1960s i traded for numerous original muzzleloaders. The bores of 75 percent of those rifles were ruined.

While stationed in southern MD i worked as part time mechanic for a trash hauling company. One day a truck came in and the driver had three muzzzleloaders he found sticking out of a dumpster around Alexandria, VA. One was a PA style flinter another was a Hacker Martin rifle. Someone had put the rifles in storage. The bores of two rifles were filled with tallow, the bore of the third was filled with butter. The bores of all three were pristine. The driver owed me for rebuilding a 283 Chevy engine and i gladly took the rifles in lieu of money.

 

[sekiar39]

Yup. I even use (shudder) WD-40...

For over 50 years I have used WD40 to clean and then wipe with REM oil and never had a rust problem. Also soak my patches in WD 40 with round ball. Just lucky I guess.

 

[manbat]

Here's a very long read on corrosion resistance of steel re the lubes we use. Three come out on top. 46 are tested.

Excellent article. Surprising to see Ballistol in the lowest category given how much it is touted. Obviously, all would protect to a larger and longer extent in an indoor controlled environment, but 24 hours before corrosion starts to show? Very surprising to see that list of products in the 24-hour category.

 

[Valkyriemc]

What's the difference in WD 40 and WD 40 specialist?

Mo money, I'm using it now, but do run a fresh lube patch down monthly(?) on all rifles. Being retired I have the time. Fyi, It did well on the corrosion tests. And prior to range time I clean with high percentage alcohol.

 

[APG]

After using Break Free CLP in the US Army back in the 1980s I've used that on all my firearms, black powder and the other powder as well.

 

[11Bravo]

Ed's Red for me, I mix it up by the gallon. One Christmas gave out spray bottles of Ed's to all my fellow skeet shooters. The secrete ingredient is the Lanolin. I also use a shaving brush to apply the Ed's like my Dad taught me in the 60s. After I clean BP firearms in the normal way I protect inside and out with Ed's Red.

 

[Scota@4570]

I use cheap dollar store baby oil.

That is as good a choice as most. Baby oil is the same active ingredient as Ballistol. Ballistol is petroleum based, really....

 

[Billy Boy]

I've been cleaning guns for more years than I care to count and when I got into BP quite a few years ago I decided to lubricate with the same products and methods I've used successfully on many cartridge guns. I take care of my firearms and never had a spot of rust due to improper cleaning or storage. I read about Bore Butter and the kinds of concoctions used to protect the barrel but never understood why no one recommended a light coat of oil same as you put on the cartridge gun barrel after cleaning. I do remember reading that it was the worst thing to do because it fouls the powder and it won't ignite.

In the beginning, I use to run a clean patch through before shooing in case there was too much oil but have since even stopped doing that before shooting. In all this time, not one load has been oil-fouled and not one spot of rust in my BP longarms or handguns. I buy and use the same products for all my guns regardless of the type of powder that goes in them. The only products I added to my cleaning arsenal for BP are hot water and dish soap.

Are there any other BP cleaning heretics and barrel oilers in the forum?

It feels so good to finally come out…

 

[JohnnieT]

Another vote for 3-in-1 oil. I use it on my sewing machine and my shop tools, so there seems to be a bottle handy whenever I need it.

 

[beardedhorse]

Used 103 Lube in 1974. Think they quit making it. Don't care for Ballistol. Tried Barricade. I use some Dawn in hot water and boil out barrel each time i shoot. Follow up with light coating of a natural, non petroleum grease. "Seasoning" barrels with grease or lube just leads to fouled barrels. Modern steel barrels aren't cast iron skillets nor are wrought iron if you have access to any. Tried dozens of patch lubes and now testing sperm whale oil and homemade bear grease and beeswax. Hunting is my main emphasis so on the range I load and shoot what I will use in hunting season.

 

[John Spartan]

Sperm whale oil still a thing or am I missing subtle humor here?