Perhaps an odd cleaning question.

[tenngun]

I do take a day every so often an swab my barrels out with oiled patch and dry patch. I used just animal fats, and though oh manure I got rust... no it was just too much fat Browning in the air. Wipe clean, oil then wipe. Don’t leave too much oil, just a fine film protects the bore.

 

[Tanglefoot]

Darryl,
I reckon you've already thought of this, but it might be you're just getting dust collecting in that smooth bore and sticking in the oil residue. If it was me, I'd try storing the piece muzzle down and see if the same thing happens or
not. My ol' Trade Gun will pick up enough random dust over a period of several weeks to show up on a clean patch. My rifle will do the same thing but it takes longer to show and I always thought it was because of the (relatively) smaller bore.

 

[jbwilliams3]

Plain tap water cleans my guns just fine, even without a drop of Dawn. Barricade is the workhorse for rust prevention with BreakFree CLP doing a fine job as well.

That’s what I do as well and don’t have any problem with any of those items. Some suggest hot (or even boiling) water but when I did that I would consistently get flash rust. I don’t doubt that works for some. It may have to do with relative humidity or maybe the hardness of the water – I have no idea. I just know I’m not the only one who gets flash rust from hot water so I stick with tepid or even cold water and it works just fine.

I use mostly Breakfree CLP since I have a bunch of it and it works very well. I tried about 15 years or so ago to use exclusively natural/non-petroleum mixtures and they work okay mostly for short term storage. It’s easy to clean out the oils that are designed for long-term rust preventative with an alcohol patch so that’s what I do now. For the outside of the gun, I’ve found nothing better than Johnson Paste Wax. It can go on the stock too, so that’s a plus.

 

[Eric Krewson]

I saw a post some where the guy contacted the makers of Ballistol about dirty patches down the road. They said ballistol continued to clean even if it was just sitting in the barrel.

I trusted Rem oil in my first build and got rust and pitting over time which was quite a shock. I use barricade or mobile 1 or Rigg gun grease now.

I did a lot of scrubbing and got my rust and pitting to a minor level, the gun is very accurate still.

Here is what rem oil did for me.

 

[Daryl Crawford]

Darryl,
I reckon you've already thought of this, but it might be you're just getting dust collecting in that smooth bore and sticking in the oil residue. If it was me, I'd try storing the piece muzzle down and see if the same thing happens or
not. My ol' Trade Gun will pick up enough random dust over a period of several weeks to show up on a clean patch. My rifle will do the same thing but it takes longer to show and I always thought it was because of the (relatively) smaller bore.

In my case it is definitely more than dust. It isn't rust so perhaps I shouldn't worry too much. Weather permitting I'll hit the pattern board and 50 range after church. Want to try some 70gr 2F with 1 1/8 in a shot cup. Want to try 80gr 2F with a patched round ball of the bench as well. That will give me a chance to clean it up and try another rust inhibitor in the barrel to see if anything is different.

 

[Historian]

Hello Eric,
Which end of the muzzle are we looking it? It appears to be the breech end? If so was that possibly the crud ring area?
I live in Huntsville and often worry about all the humidity we have to deal with. I also used to use Rem oil but found it unsatisfactory. For the inside of the barrel and chamber area I use straight Ballistol for 3 month or less storage time. For long term barrel and chamber storage I have been using WD 40 Longterm Corrosion Inhibitor. How has the Mobil 1 synthetic been working and the Rigg gun grease.
Thanks,
George

 

[Britsmoothy]

Any product based on oil out of the ground can not will not absorb salts.
Only animal fats or vegetable fats can absorb salts. Including salts produced from the combustion of MUZZLELOADING fuels.
I find it amazing that folk can not disengage their thinking from current convention when it comes to cleaning and caring for traditional muzzleloaders.
In fact it amazes me how many have all the garb such as dress and tradition tools but some how can not reboot their minds that they are not cleaning a modern breech loading firearm using nitro based fuels, I mean come on guys, what is the mental block here?

 

[Daryl Crawford]

Well, yesterday's range day was interesting (perhaps another thread) but I cleaned the gun last night and a light and lined the bore with a light coat of olive oil. I'll look at it in a few days and see if any filth lifts off.

 

[Historian]

Any product based on oil out of the ground can not will not absorb salts.
Only animal fats or vegetable fats can absorb salts. Including salts produced from the combustion of MUZZLELOADING fuels.
I find it amazing that folk can not disengage their thinking from current convention when it comes to cleaning and caring for traditional muzzleloaders.
In fact it amazes me how many have all the garb such as dress and tradition tools but some how can not reboot their minds that they are not cleaning a modern breech loading firearm using nitro based fuels, I mean come on guys, what is the mental block here?

Hi Britsmoothy,
I understand where you are coming from and I was not asking about cleaning out the salts from BP residue. I do that with moose milk, 25% Ballistol and water when in the field. At home warm water/little soap. I was mainly interested in Long Term storage over three months as I live in Hot Humid Alabama. What do you use in the UK?

Thanks for the reply.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Hi Britsmoothy,
I understand where you are coming from and I was not asking about cleaning out the salts from BP residue. I do that with moose milk, 25% Ballistol and water when in the field. At home warm water/little soap. I was mainly interested in Long Term storage over three months as I live in Hot Humid Alabama. What do you use in the UK?

Thanks for the reply.

Bees wax X olive oil grease/paste applied to hot barrel inside and out.

It's added during shooting also.
Some days I come home from shooting and don't do nothing! The next day I may just swabb out the heavy crud with a greased patch. The next weekend I may just shoot the dirty gun again. Then I may clean it with boiling water.
I don't get all the moosemilk thing, ballistol thing.
If it was as difficult as folk make out here I wouldn't bother! In fact I know folk that are put off owning a traditional muzzleloader due to misconceptions about corrosion and cleaning!

 

[spudnut]

Any product based on oil out of the ground can not will not absorb salts.
Only animal fats or vegetable fats can absorb salts. Including salts produced from the combustion of MUZZLELOADING fuels.
I find it amazing that folk can not disengage their thinking from current convention when it comes to cleaning and caring for traditional muzzleloaders.
In fact it amazes me how many have all the garb such as dress and tradition tools but some how can not reboot their minds that they are not cleaning a modern breech loading firearm using nitro based fuels, I mean come on guys, what is the mental block here?

I agree, thats why I only use the wood rammer, water, tow, cotton rags, water and either neatsfoot or olive oil,I like it traditional as best I can.

 

[Carbon 6]

. I was mainly interested in Long Term storage over three months as I live in Hot Humid Alabama

Try G96 or fluid film.
G96 you can just spray down the barrel. I don't recommend doing that with Fluid film though, unless it's going to be a really long time.

 

[Daryl Crawford]

What ratio do you generally use with your bees wax and olive oil?

 

[Carbon 6]

What ratio do you generally use with your bees wax and olive oil?

Others will have different opinions but I don't mix for a ratio, I mix for consistency.
somewhere between that of lard and peanut butter. For shooting patches I mix it stiffer cause it goes in a grease hole.

 

[Britsmoothy]

What ratio do you generally use with your bees wax and olive oil?

No idea....until I am happy!
So when it sets if it is to hard a.i melt it again and add more oil.
It's simple enough to fix.
If I have no bees wax I get animal fat from a butcher and gently warm it to get the fat from that to add olive oil.

 

[Brokennock]

Exactly what C6 and Britsmoothy said.

I go with the stiffer end of the spectrum, with a dash of Murphy's Oil Soap for patch lube. When I get it to the set consistancy I want, I rewarm it (not fully melted as it will seperate) and spread it on my patch material, let it cool, then cut strips for cutting at the muzzle. Same stuff for felt wad lube, reheat to just short of melting and put a bunch of felt wads in a ziploc, add a mess of the concoction, zip closed and mush around, let set.
I skip the Murphy's and go with a more spreadable set consistancy for use as a bore protectant for storage, barrel and lock protectant while in the field, and to keep in a tiny tin in my shot pouch for sealing the pan in wet weather.

 

[Historian]

No idea....until I am happy!
So when it sets if it is to hard a.i melt it again and add more oil.
It's simple enough to fix.
If I have no bees wax I get animal fat from a butcher and gently warm it to get the fat from that to add olive oil.

When using the olive oil what type do you use, Virgin or pure olive oil? I am thinking that would be a very good wool felt lube? I have bees wax and tried mixing that with peanut oil but it seems to leave scorch marks in the choke areas.

Thanks for the replies.

 

[Brokennock]

I use alleged extra virgin, I say alleged because there is a lot of controversy about whether or not most of what is sold as such actually is. It is greener in color, and stronger in flavor than the non extra virgin I buy for other purposes. Given its use, I don't really worry about it and buy it from discount places like Job Lot or Big Lots.

 

[Britsmoothy]

When using the olive oil what type do you use, Virgin or pure olive oil? I am thinking that would be a very good wool felt lube? I have bees wax and tried mixing that with peanut oil but it seems to leave scorch marks in the choke areas.

Thanks for the replies.

Same as Brokennock ( nothing worse than a broken nock huh). I don't worry to much just as long as it says olive on the bottle.

B.

 

[Brokennock]

Same as Brokennock ( nothing worse than a broken nock huh). I don't worry to much just as long as it says olive on the bottle.

B.

While there isn't much worse than Brokennock, a broken nock isn't so bad when they are broken because you are shooting so well that you are hitting your last arrow with the next one, lol. Unfortunately that isn't how I came up with the moniker.