Oiling Barrel after cleaning

[Archer 756]

:thumbsup: G96, WD40 :td:

 

[M. De Land]

I've given up on oiled bores in all guns black powder or smokeless.
I now clean them thoroughly,dry them with WD-40 if water is used in cleaning and anoint them with Gunzilla.
This stuff preserves them well and leaves a coating that reduces leading like nothing I have ever seen before.

 

[Gene L]

I'm bad to not clean my CF rifles. And in general, they don't rust, or haven't yet.

And I never clean a .22 RF. I've got at least one .22 I haven't cleaned for 30 years and the wax coating on the bullets protect the rifling.

Unfortunately, BP gathers moisture, and that enhances rust. Not to mention salt peter, which contains the word "salt".

I doubt our ancestors heated water and poured it down the bore after each shooting session, but I might be wrong. I'm not sure they had the opportunity to do so. And I'm definitely sure they didn't use Ballistol or WD 40 or CLP.

Unlike my smokeless rifles, I feel guilty until I clean my BP guns. And that's a good guilt. I'm just not sure my obsession with hot water and soap is justified.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Barricade liquid.

If you don't mind can you give reason as to why you specify liquid as opposed to the aerosol spray? Just curious, but, I did get the aerosol.

Sure. I am STILL using a can of Sheath that predates Barricade in my basement. I only use a tiny bit when cleaning and preserving and it goes a long way. Liquid application goes MUCH further because there is less waste or overspray, can be applied only as needed with a rag or toothpick and does not have to be applied to the wood. And you don't have to worry about the propellant running out before the oil contents of the can do. I'm just not a fan of aerosol. Born in the 50's and a flower child of the 60's and all. ;-)

Too much lube is too much. It attracts grit and gums up contact points. I have more control with the tins of liquid. And - I can put some in a little Ted Cash oiler as noted above to carry in my shooting bag.

 

[Jim C]

Thank you kindly for the explanation. All good points for sure, you just talked me into getting the liquid the next time around for all the same reasons..... sometimes I wish "foresight" could be 20/20 :haha:

 

[Rat Trapper]

I've been using Knight oil for over a doz years now. Do not know who makes it for them, but it was free to me from a sales rep and it works. It is a very light oil and a little goes a long way.

 

[PeteA]

Quick question from a newbie. I see a lot of guys using WD40. Isn't that a petroleum product? So are guys somehow cleaning or stabbing to get the oils out of their barrels prior to shooting?

 

[Obi-Wan Cannoli]

Try G96...you'll fall in love with it and never look back..... :grin:

thank you for the advice, I will give it a try after I go through all my ballistol :hatsoff:

 

[Obi-Wan Cannoli]

Quick question from a newbie. I see a lot of guys using WD40. Isn't that a petroleum product? So are guys somehow cleaning or stabbing to get the oils out of their barrels prior to shooting?

After shooting, when you are home, and you have everything perfectly clean, apply some wd40, or ballistol, or remoil etc (or whatever brand you use) on a patch and run it through your bore, then run a dry patch to collect all of the extra oil.

the oil protects your bore from rusting, the dry pass with the patch after collects the extra oil which would also cause problems

swabbing between shots is something different, and done with a different product

 

[Many Klatch]

Long post but here it goes.

I recently started protecting the bore of all my blackpowder guns with Bear Oil. That is oil rendered from Bear Fat. Works a treat and it isn't petroleum based. It's difficult to find but worth it. My buddy that makes it has a deal with taxidermists in Maine, he hauls off the bear fat and renders it down in a big vat outside and downwind of home.

Now as to cleaning every day back in the day. I have a buddy that tested that theory. His idea was that back in the Long Hunter day, you didn't want to have an unloaded gun ever. So they only really cleaned their guns when back in civilization. He had a gun we called Rust-Away. Never cleaned it. If it got hard to load he would run a wet patch down it until he could load it. He shot a lot, had a big range in his backyard and he didn't have a 9 to 5 job. One year he went through 50 pounds of powder. He also kept track of the number of shots through the barrel by keeping track of the number of packets of precut patches. After 40,000 shots the rifling was worn enough that it threw off 1 out of 3 shots. Then he cut the barrel up for washers for a Harley he was building.

So I don't really worry too much about cleaning my guns at the range, it can wait until I get home. I clean them well with soap and water, dry them and coat the inside of the barrel with bear oil and the inside of the lock and the outside with any thing that will prevent rust. My favorite oil is a mix of 50% 2-stroke motor oil and 50% kerosene. That really makes for a good penetrating oil.

 

[Okie Hog]

Marvel Mystery Oil is about the only thing i have not used.

Years ago i tried Ballistol: It stunk at rust prevention and literally.

If the gun will be used within a couple months the bore gets swabbed with a light oil like 3 in 1. If the gun will be stored long term the bore gets swabbed with Militec 1.

It's important to remove all traces of oil prior to firing the gun. i use wet alcohol patches followed by dry patches for that.

 

[azmntman]

Quick question from a newbie. I see a lot of guys using WD40. Isn't that a petroleum product? So are guys somehow cleaning or stabbing to get the oils out of their barrels prior to shooting?

I quick swabbing before shooting with 91% alcohol or brake cleaner removes the oil before shooting. Same as any other oil, you wanna get it out before that first shot.

 

[Billnpatti]

Yep, WD-40 is a petroleum product. I only use if for its intended purpose. The WD in WD-40 stands for Water Displacer. After carefully washing my bore with soapy water and rinsing it with clean water, I dry it with several dry patches and then spray a generous amount of WD-40 down the bore to remove the last traces of moisture. Then, I wipe out the WD-40 with some more dry patches followed by a patch or two with some good gun oil on it such as Barricade. But, before shooting my gun again, I wipe the bore with a couple of alcohol patches. I then blow out the touch hole or nipple with compressed air and wipe the bore again with a dry patch to pick up anything that the compressed air blew out. Now, my gun is free of petroleum based products in the bore and ready for some range time or some good time in the woods. 'Tain't the only way but it's my way....and it works. :hatsoff:

 

[Juice Jaws]

You said you were born in the 50's and flower child of the 60's, so what's in the pipe??

 

[Rick Boylan]

That's exactly what I use. Never failed me yet. :thumbsup:

 

[M. De Land]

I believe you and it would be logical as a loaded rifle was necessary to keep body and soul together in that time period.
It also explains why barrel refreshing was so common back then.

 

[PeteA]

Perfect, Thanks for the explanation.

 

[PeteA]

Never new that. Would just fire off a few caps at the range before getting to it. Thanks for the info.

 

[larry wv]

Good post Many Klatch. :thumbsup: I use 3 in 1 oil or whatever light oil ( not Rem oil) for bore protection. I clean it of oil before I fire the first shot so what difference does it make. :idunno:


arry

 

[Jim C]

I believe you and it would be logical as a loaded rifle was necessary to keep body and soul together in that time period.
It also explains why barrel refreshing was so common back then.

Absolutely. You know the fouling sure played heck on that porous iron. A lot quicker than on modern steels one would tend to think.