Does anyone else use water and washing soda as a barrel swab when shooting on the range?
I've modified a brass range ramrod to take a winding of wool thread just before the tip. I dip the rod end in the solution, give it a good shake-off and then ram down on the bullet. The effect is that every time the rod is used it cleans or at least damps off the fouling in the barrel.We regularly shoot 70 shots per club day and I rarely have to clean in the usual way.
The washing soda dissolves powder fouling better than pure water and as it is alkaline it clearly neutralises the sulphur loaded carbon of the BP.
Odd thing also about the soda is that it doesn't seem to cause rust - good. Accuracy is uneffected.
I've modified a brass range ramrod to take a winding of wool thread just before the tip. I dip the rod end in the solution, give it a good shake-off and then ram down on the bullet. The effect is that every time the rod is used it cleans or at least damps off the fouling in the barrel.We regularly shoot 70 shots per club day and I rarely have to clean in the usual way.
The washing soda dissolves powder fouling better than pure water and as it is alkaline it clearly neutralises the sulphur loaded carbon of the BP.
Odd thing also about the soda is that it doesn't seem to cause rust - good. Accuracy is uneffected.