Is there a way to postpone cleaning a ml?

[PathfinderNC]

You make good points. I guess there is a balanced view. You don't need to panic and you can't leave them indefinitely.

Today I didn't use any lube during shooting and the rain soaked everything.
So I cleaned the gun when I got home after feeding my dog and eating supper with my wife.

Yup - first things first!

 

[BP Addict]

I’ve taken the family out shooting several Muzzies at a time. Most get cleaned right after. Depending on how tired I am, one might get left over until the next day. If they’re going to continue with the hobby, I teach them how to do it. However, I’m kind of particular about how my guns are cleaned. Occasionally I’ll sight in a rifle the day before the Shooting Match. I don’t see the point in thoroughly cleaning the barrel if it’s going to be shot again in the morning.

Years ago, I read about a formula that contained equal parts of Murphy’s Oil Soap, Isopropyl Alcohol, and Hydrogen Peroxide. This is my “Field Cleaning” solution. I have never had a problem with any of my bores using that or anything with Ammonia in it even though there are many here that have negative views on that and Peroxide.

I run patches until they come out light gray. Then dry the bore. When I get home, I’ll use one with WD-40. The most I’ve gone is two days. I do remove the barrel and clean all the outside grime, especially near the nipple area. I’ve heard that you can shoot Triple Seven and not clean your gun for a week. Modern caps are supposed to be non-corrosive but have seen them try to "pit" side and top flats near the breech.

Walt

 

[deerstalkert]

You missed the part about two or three spitting contests starting up about what kind of oats are best or whether the colonists had the kind of oats we have today amongst the the other comments.

Kind of like I just did here....

Back on topic, I have questions. What causes the rust? Moisture reacting with powder residue? Will powder residue react at all with bare steel if no water is present? Is oxygen the real culprit since it enables reactions of just about everything? I get that sulfur dioxide forms in the presence of moisture in the barrel and that and salts of potassium and possibly calcium and other minerals from the charcoal ash are corrosive when oxygen is present, but am I missing anything? Is it safe to conclude that both water AND oxygen are doing the damage? I guess the question is, theoretically, what is more effective, an inert gas purge or total dehumidification?

of course they had oats like we have. Ben Franklin even had his face on the cardboard container!!!!

now what was this thread about?

 

[PathfinderNC]

Hah- that’s not Ben Franklin!

 

[The Miner '49er]

of course they had oats like we have. Ben Franklin even had his face on the cardboard container!!!!View attachment 236919
now what was this thread about?

Thank goodness the oats question is being addressed with facts! I wasn't aware that they had photography, especially color photography, back in Ben's day. This leads to another nut to crack - was that pic of Ben done with a film or a digital camera? Phew, one tiny question takes us from gun cleaning, to powders, to cereal, then oats, horses, more oats, Ben Franklin or maybe an imposter, and finally to film and digital photography. If I had known I could learn so much here I wouldn't have gone to college! Thanks guys, this topic and the replies have really been entertaining and educational!!!

 

[SDSmlf]

of course they had oats like we have. Ben Franklin even had his face on the cardboard container!!!!View attachment 236919
now what was this thread about?

Hah- that’s not Ben Franklin!

Remember being told as a kid and later reading that at one point Quaker claimed that was William Penn on their oats container.

 

[The Miner '49er]

Remember being told as a kid and later reading that at one point Quaker claimed that was William Penn on their oats container.

Could be. One thing's for sure, it isn't Sean Penn.

 

[maillemaker]

I've been shooting competitively in the N-SSA for over 10 years now. I typically shoot 4 guns in a weekend - revolver, smoothbore, musket, and carbine. When I finish shooting the gun at the skirmish, I will do a quick clean with a few patches and my field cleaning juice of 1/3 alcohol, 1/3 Murphy's Oil Soap, and 1/3 hydrogen peroxide. Sometimes, I forget (or I think I'm going to shoot it more and don't).

When I get home Sunday afternoon, I'm beat. I generally do not clean on Sunday. I will clean the guns over the course of the week. Some don't get cleaned until the following weekend.

I have discovered that when kept in an air-conditioned environment, there doesn't seem to be any ill effects to leaving the fouling in the barrel. Even in a completely dirty barrel, the fouling tends to dry out and flake. I've never seen any hints of corrosion.

Now, once, when I was early into black powder shooting, I shot pyrodex in a revolver and did not take it out of its case for a couple of days after I shot it. The cylinder face was bright orange. I suspect Pyrodex fouling is more corrosive, but it could also have been from being left in the gun case with trapped humidity. I now never leave guns in their carry cases. As soon as I get home I take them out and stand them up in my shop.

All of my bores are bright and shiny. My oldest competition gun I have just recently discovered will now take .577 bullets instead of .566 as when it was new 10 years ago. But the bore is still bright. I probably put 1000 rounds a year through it so it has had 10,000 rounds or so through it. It's also a muzzle loader (P53 Enfield with Whitacre barrel) and a brass ramrod is used to load it.

So, yes, ideally, clean them right away.

But, my experience with working competition guns over 10 years of competition shooting is that if you bring them home and set them out in an air conditioned environment, you'll be OK if you don't get to them for several days.

 

[deerstalkert]

i have caused enough trouble. have a great day!

 

[ADK Bigfoot]

Maillemaker is very fortunate.

I ALWAYS clean after shooting. Except once....

I left the N-SSA Nationals in Virginia one very muggy Sunday afternoon with a 14 hour ride home. It was hot, I was tired, and I had three guns to clean; musket, carbine, and pistol. I cleaned the pistol, and decided the clean the two long guns when I got home. I put them in their cases and drove home to Vermont. Arriving near-dead just before dawn, I decided to clean them after work on Monday. Eight hours after arriving home, I opened the cases to find two formerly pristine Parker Hales (one two-bander and one musketoon) with more freckles than a red-haired stepchild. The bores were white with a combo of lube and fouling, and cleaned up, but the outsides had gone from collectible to deplorable. I continue to shoot both guns in competition, but cried every time I took them out.

Load. Shoot. Clean. Repeat.

ADK Bigfoot

 

[Brokennock]

Hah- that’s not Ben Franklin!

It's a young Wilfred Brimley.
No die-a-beet-us if you eat your Quaker Oats,,,, he says.


Not to be interchanged with Mennonite or Amish oats....

 

[deerstalkert]

Hah- that’s not Ben Franklin!

Not Ben Franklin????? !!!!!
i am devastated! my childhood was all a lie! next i will learn Fes Parker wasn't really Dan'l Boone, and Mingo was really Italian!
and aunt Jemima was really a fat white guy stealing black heritage!!!!!!!!

 

[IanH]

Not Ben Franklin????? !!!!!
i am devastated! my childhood was all a lie! next i will learn Fes Parker wasn't really Dan'l Boone, and Mingo was really Italian!
and aunt Jemima was really a fat white guy stealing black heritage!!!!!!!!

Ohhh. Then I better not tell you who Mr. Clean, Uncle Ben, and the Scott towel lumberjack are....

 

[maillemaker]

Maillemaker is very fortunate.

I ALWAYS clean after shooting. Except once....

I left the N-SSA Nationals in Virginia one very muggy Sunday afternoon with a 14 hour ride home. It was hot, I was tired, and I had three guns to clean; musket, carbine, and pistol. I cleaned the pistol, and decided the clean the two long guns when I got home. I put them in their cases and drove home to Vermont. Arriving near-dead just before dawn, I decided to clean them after work on Monday. Eight hours after arriving home, I opened the cases to find two formerly pristine Parker Hales (one two-bander and one musketoon) with more freckles than a red-haired stepchild. The bores were white with a combo of lube and fouling, and cleaned up, but the outsides had gone from collectible to deplorable. I continue to shoot both guns in competition, but cried every time I took them out.

Load. Shoot. Clean. Repeat.

ADK Bigfoot

Yes, the Nationals is death to firearms. The last time I went, it rained most of the time (surprise). I had an 1860 Army Pietta that I thought was "dry enough" when I put it in its rug, and when I pulled it out, its finished was ruined also. It's the only gun I have "aged" since the finish was already ruined.

I think more than being dirty, never put up guns wet or damp in their cases. And when you get home, get them out of their cases into air conditioning.

 

[ibud38]

I’ve went to a shoot before that was an hour from my house, after I was done shooting and heading for home I swabbed the bore out as well as I could using a mixture of Murphys oil soap, ammonia and rubbing alcohol.Then when I got home, I was beat and simply swabbed the bore with wd40. The next day or so I cleaned the rifle with no ill effects. This worked for me.. it may not work for you..Normally I clean right after I shoot, but in this instance I was just beat, it was a hot day shooting, long drive home and the AC in my car was feeling so good… I was getting pretty sleepy by the time I hit my driveway.

I use the same sort of system in cleaning my M/L's ect. instead of the ammonia I use Hydrogen Peroxide all equal parts. Swab it out, dry patches and oil. Done till next weekend and we do it all over again. FYI beware of the Murphys oil substitutes, they make a goo out of the mixture.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Sure, easy. Just don't do it and don't worry about the corrosive effects.

 

[Rob M.]

One would think that a country that put man on the moon would be able to formulate some product that would allow a ml shooter to postpone cleaning his gun until the next day. Perhaps you fired once, or a couple of times, and want to shoot again tomorrow. Surely there should be a way to swab the barrel once, give the lock and hammer a quick wipe, and then the next day either shoot some more or do a normal cleaning. Any thoughts? Anyone ever try this w/o harming the gun? If so, how did you do it? Please don't reply with "it only takes 15 min to clean", "never use petroleum products", "great grandpa used water and that's good enough for me", etc. I'm seriously trying to see if there could be a way to use something to achieve this. I'm thinking a vapor impregnated reusable bag, a magic corrosion nullifying powder or liquid, etc. Surely some smart chemist out there has experimented and has found a way. Come on you scientist/shooters, sound off.

Skipping a clean till the next day is not a problem and doesnt hurt anything .

 

[Kevin]

Next day don't hurt if it ain't too humid.
If I'm using one pretty regular, ever other day or a couple of times a week, I don't don't sterilize um, just a couple of moose milk patches and a little oil. A person would put off shooting um to avoid the drudgery of it all if you get hung up on cleaning um. Putting them away for a few weeks, then they need a little more attention.

 

[Sun City]

Yes! Don't shoot it!

 

[#blackpowderbill]

CRC power lube, a good squirt and a few patches in and out will buy you a day or two.