Two BP Questions: Cleaning

DennisCA · September 10, 2014, 11:16 AM

I have a single shot (percussion) bp pistol. I just want to know what you recommend for cleaning them? I use just the normal stuff; hoppe's #9 and put some gun oil.
Also another question: How clean to you get your bp guns - spotless?

Thanks in advance!

Fingers McGee · September 10, 2014, 11:39 AM

Hoppe's #9 Plus BP solvent and patch lube or Balistol & Water with Balistol for final oiling.

Regular Hoppe's #9 is for smokeless powder cleanup.

While I use Balistol for all my revolvers and cartridge guns, The Hoppes#9 plus is what I've always used for my front stuffer single shots. That's what I learned on many moons ago and has served me well.

As to how clean, pretty close to spotless is the answer for the single shots. Revolvers & lever guns only get torn down and thoroughly cleaned 3 or 4 times a year.

Jimbo-Indy · September 10, 2014, 11:39 AM

Black powder is different chemically from smokeless powder. When BP burns, it leaves salts as a residue. That's why prompt cleaning is needed to prevent rust. Salt is dissolved by water, so most BP shooters clean the bore with hot water and usually add some mild soap. My favorite is Murphy s Oil Soap mixed with the hottest water possible. Submerge the barrel, soak for a short time and then clean with brush and patches till clean. I submerge the nipple/flash hole and pump the soapy water up and down the bore using a wet patch on the end of the rod. Don't forget to clean the flash hole/nipple. The hot water makes the water evaporate quickly. Finish with a light coat of oil. I like Ballistol as it makes a great cleaner when mixed with water, can be used as a patch lube and used straight as a final oil wipe down. I like mineral based oils rather than traditional gun oils. Mixes better with BP. Don't forget to run a dry patch down the bore to remove excess oil prior to charging the gun. There are some BP specific solvents on the market, Birchwood Casey, Hoppes and others, that work well but soap and water is cheaper. Never had a rust or fouling problem with the above method.

campingnights · September 10, 2014, 01:53 PM

Good suggestions posted so far. I have some BP firearms over 20 years old. Mostly used soapy water and WD40. They are still in perfect condition. HINT: If you can't clean immediately, then DRENCH the bore and dirty metalwork with WD40. It will hold for a few days till you can clean it. It will look bad, and may be an interesting shade of green, but will swab out easily and leave the bore bright and undamaged. Before I hear howls of anguish, I have done this many times with real black powder and the results have been excellent.

rodwhaincamo · September 10, 2014, 02:06 PM

Ballistol will also buy a little time.

Pahoo · September 10, 2014, 02:32 PM

BP Salts + Moisture + Oxygen + Steel + Delays = Rust !!! ....

Now, if you have had a great day of shooting and put off cleaning till tomorrow, It's usually too late and the process has already started. ...

What I have done on my long-guns, is make a soaking tube, out of PVC. One end is permanently capped and the other, has a removable cap. I mount the tube vertically, insert the barrel and fill the tube, with mineral spirits. I let it sit for about three days and then proceed to clean again, with mineral sprits. Last step, is to oil down. As a follow-up, I routinely monitor, just to make sure nothing is sneaking up on me ....

You can use the Hoppe's #9 but there are other products more suited to BP cleaning. If you use Ballistol, keep it rich. ...

Be Safe !!!

SIGSHR · September 10, 2014, 04:20 PM

BP cleaning is like the accurate load-everyone has their favorite. In reenacting hydrogen peroxide is a quick and easy method, for other who think peroxide is too hard on metal a mixture of 1/3 hydrogen peroxide, 1/3 denatured alcohol and 1/3 Murphy's Oil Soap is very popular.

kwhi43 · September 10, 2014, 05:45 PM

I only clean with cool tap water, dry then a light coating of WD-40. This was new
when I bought it and having been shot by me on several occasions about 50
times. I have guns over 30 years old that have been shot thousands of times
and look like this except for wear. Never any rust. I live in humid Kansas City.

straight-shooter · September 10, 2014, 06:16 PM

I also find that using cooler water gives better results. I've used HOT water and experienced flash surface rusting in the barrel. I'm guessing because the way the water evaporated ? Never a hint of rust using cold water and a followup of Ballistol for protection.

I usually go back to the gun a few days later and run one more Ballistol patch down the bore and all is good.

I experimented after cleaning a BP rifle and sent a camera down the bore a few days after cleaning it and could see what appeared to look like grains of salt in the bore. Thus the reason for a followup a few days later as a regimen.

**4V50 Gary** · September 10, 2014, 08:00 PM

What Fingers McGee says about Hoppes. There's two types. One is for modern firearms and Hoppe's Plus is for Black Powder.

Minimally, the user must clean out the residue & salts that will cause rust. Cold water is better than no water. Hot water (for me) is better than cold water. Follow up with a good oil (Ballistol is good).

B.L.E. · September 10, 2014, 10:11 PM

I spray WD40 down the bore BEFORE drying the bore. That way there's no flash rusting of the steel as the water dries.
WD40 actually wants to wet steel more than water does and so it crawls under the water next to the steel wetting the steel with WD40 and lifting the water off of the steel.
The "WD" in WD40 stands for, "water displacing".

For long term storage, I use RIG Universal rust inhibiting grease.

mehavey · September 10, 2014, 10:14 PM

A pint of water.
A drop of dishwashing liquid.

Wash/scrub it like you would your dinner dishes -- nothing fancy -- it's actually
easier/faster than smokeless cleaning.

Get some BreakFree into/onto the surfaces afterward though.
Clean steel will rust quickly -- especially when actually clean.

spacecoast · September 11, 2014, 07:12 AM

Water is crucial, per my lesson learned... http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=549363

**4V50 Gary** · September 11, 2014, 09:03 AM

WD-40 is good for displacing water; after all, as pointed out by B.D.E. that's what the W.D. stands for. However, it is not an oil and after wiping down, the firearm should be treated with a preservative.

kwhi43 · September 11, 2014, 12:34 PM

Preserved for over 40 years with nothing but WD-40. Shot thousands and
thousands of times, cleaned with nothing but water. Your mileage might vary.

B.L.E. · September 12, 2014, 08:43 PM

I just don't trust WD40 by itself for long term storage, (years or even seasons) and have had barrels where a patch came out stained brownish with rust when wiping it out before shooting.
A barrel treated with RIG can be stored for years and when I wipe it out for shooting, the patch comes out clean with just a little RIG residue on it, even though I had not shot that particular gun for years.

Another thing I have started doing, especially with my long guns, is to use a cheap aquarium air pump to blow air through the barrel for a couple of days to make sure every drop of water has a chance to evaporate. I just slip the air hose over the nipple and let the pump blow air through the barrel for a couple of days or more.

Jim Watson · September 12, 2014, 09:33 PM

I don't shoot muzzle loaders but clean my .38-55 and .40-65 with diluted M-Pro 7 and oil with Ballistol.

I have used Windex All Surface with vinegar and that works, too. As will anything with some water in it.

WadePatton · September 19, 2014, 09:13 PM

According to the chemists and other learned guys I know who are into BP, there is no reason for anything but water for cleaning BP residue from the bore.

So that's all i use, then water displacement, then oil/grease.

I also use tow with a tow worm, which can be washed and reused indefinitely.

What EVER you do, do it soon and thoroughly. BP isn't nearly as corrosive as some subs, but you do certainly want to get it out at your earliest convenience.

B.L.E. · September 20, 2014, 09:15 AM

Quote:

What EVER you do, do it soon and thoroughly.

Never let a dirty gun
see the setting sun

Sure Shot Mc Gee · September 22, 2014, 09:30 AM

I guess it isn't so much what you use. Just so long as what you use is used ASAP. As far as swabbing a barrel completely clean. That's easier said then done especially so when it concerns a rifles bore. (I think) As far as that hand cannons barrel. Aren't all dish washers also considered in a pinch as parts cleaners._

Pahoo · September 22, 2014, 01:38 PM

Quote:

According to the chemists and other learned guys I know who are into BP, there is no reason for anything but water for cleaning BP residue from the bore.

Well, up front that might be true but then you have to present, the rest of the story. You can't or should not stop with water. You address the problem of the "Salts", then you have to address the problem with the water/moisture. That is why I use solvents that are mainly water with water moisture displacement. I am aware of some B/P barrels makers that won't let plain water near their barrels. ...

Of the three options for cleaning any BP firearm, the combination of water and solvents, is the best. ....

Be Safe!!

mehavey · September 22, 2014, 02:33 PM

Wash/swab it out/over like you would a drinking glass.
Then swab it out/over with normal CLP-like gun oil.
Done.

Personally, I find BP weapons (incl Perc/Flint) no harder to clean than smokeless,
and BP cartridge rifles to be much easier still.

Now BP revolvers are a little more work, but that's just because they have more parts
that have to be pulled apart (like cylinder nipples) and then washed/oiled.**

** Which is why shooting the Ruger Old Army is so nice. Pull the cylinder/nipples,
and then throw everything in the dishwasher.

September 10, 2014, 11:16 AM	#1
DennisCA Senior Member Join Date: June 3, 2012 Location: Union City CA (a.k.a. Poople's Republik of CA) Posts: 451	Two BP Questions: Cleaning I have a single shot (percussion) bp pistol. I just want to know what you recommend for cleaning them? I use just the normal stuff; hoppe's #9 and put some gun oil. Also another question: How clean to you get your bp guns - spotless? Thanks in advance!

September 10, 2014, 11:39 AM	#2
Fingers McGee Senior Member Join Date: March 19, 2008 Location: High & Dry in Missouri Ozarks Posts: 2,113	Hoppe's #9 Plus BP solvent and patch lube or Balistol & Water with Balistol for final oiling. Regular Hoppe's #9 is for smokeless powder cleanup. While I use Balistol for all my revolvers and cartridge guns, The Hoppes#9 plus is what I've always used for my front stuffer single shots. That's what I learned on many moons ago and has served me well. As to how clean, pretty close to spotless is the answer for the single shots. Revolvers & lever guns only get torn down and thoroughly cleaned 3 or 4 times a year. __________________ Fingers (Show Me MO smoke) McGee - AKA Man of Many Colts - Alter ego of Diabolical Ken; SASS Regulator 28564-L-TG; Rangemaster and stage writer extraordinaire; Frontiersman, Pistoleer, NRA Endowment Life, NMLRA, SAF, CCRKBA, STORM 327, SV115; Charter member, Central Ozarks Western Shooters Cynic: A blackguard whose faulty vision see things as they are, not as they should be. Ambrose Bierce

September 10, 2014, 01:53 PM	#4
campingnights Senior Member Join Date: August 6, 2014 Location: Frozen North Posts: 272	Good suggestions posted so far. I have some BP firearms over 20 years old. Mostly used soapy water and WD40. They are still in perfect condition. HINT: If you can't clean immediately, then DRENCH the bore and dirty metalwork with WD40. It will hold for a few days till you can clean it. It will look bad, and may be an interesting shade of green, but will swab out easily and leave the bore bright and undamaged. Before I hear howls of anguish, I have done this many times with real black powder and the results have been excellent. __________________ Cry HAVOC! and let loose the chihuahuas of war. My wife told me that I can't have too many guns, I agreed and told her I can never have too many guns...and then the trouble began

September 10, 2014, 02:32 PM	#6
Pahoo Senior Member Join Date: February 16, 2006 Location: IOWA Posts: 8,783	Options BP Salts + Moisture + Oxygen + Steel + Delays = Rust !!! .... Now, if you have had a great day of shooting and put off cleaning till tomorrow, It's usually too late and the process has already started. ... What I have done on my long-guns, is make a soaking tube, out of PVC. One end is permanently capped and the other, has a removable cap. I mount the tube vertically, insert the barrel and fill the tube, with mineral spirits. I let it sit for about three days and then proceed to clean again, with mineral sprits. Last step, is to oil down. As a follow-up, I routinely monitor, just to make sure nothing is sneaking up on me .... You can use the Hoppe's #9 but there are other products more suited to BP cleaning. If you use Ballistol, keep it rich. ... Be Safe !!! __________________ 'Fundamental truths' are easy to recognize because they are verified daily through simple observation and thus, require no testing.

September 10, 2014, 08:00 PM	#10
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,840	What Fingers McGee says about Hoppes. There's two types. One is for modern firearms and Hoppe's Plus is for Black Powder. Minimally, the user must clean out the residue & salts that will cause rust. Cold water is better than no water. Hot water (for me) is better than cold water. Follow up with a good oil (Ballistol is good). __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

September 10, 2014, 11:39 AM	#3
Jimbo-Indy Senior Member Join Date: August 27, 2008 Location: Owasso, OK Posts: 334	Black powder is different chemically from smokeless powder. When BP burns, it leaves salts as a residue. That's why prompt cleaning is needed to prevent rust. Salt is dissolved by water, so most BP shooters clean the bore with hot water and usually add some mild soap. My favorite is Murphy s Oil Soap mixed with the hottest water possible. Submerge the barrel, soak for a short time and then clean with brush and patches till clean. I submerge the nipple/flash hole and pump the soapy water up and down the bore using a wet patch on the end of the rod. Don't forget to clean the flash hole/nipple. The hot water makes the water evaporate quickly. Finish with a light coat of oil. I like Ballistol as it makes a great cleaner when mixed with water, can be used as a patch lube and used straight as a final oil wipe down. I like mineral based oils rather than traditional gun oils. Mixes better with BP. Don't forget to run a dry patch down the bore to remove excess oil prior to charging the gun. There are some BP specific solvents on the market, Birchwood Casey, Hoppes and others, that work well but soap and water is cheaper. Never had a rust or fouling problem with the above method.

September 10, 2014, 02:06 PM	#5
rodwhaincamo Senior Member Join Date: July 7, 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 1,246	Ballistol will also buy a little time.

September 10, 2014, 04:20 PM	#7
SIGSHR Senior Member Join Date: September 13, 2005 Posts: 4,700	BP cleaning is like the accurate load-everyone has their favorite. In reenacting hydrogen peroxide is a quick and easy method, for other who think peroxide is too hard on metal a mixture of 1/3 hydrogen peroxide, 1/3 denatured alcohol and 1/3 Murphy's Oil Soap is very popular.

September 10, 2014, 05:45 PM	#8
kwhi43 Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2008 Location: Kansas City Posts: 1,393	I only clean with cool tap water, dry then a light coating of WD-40. This was new when I bought it and having been shot by me on several occasions about 50 times. I have guns over 30 years old that have been shot thousands of times and look like this except for wear. Never any rust. I live in humid Kansas City.

September 10, 2014, 06:16 PM	#9
straight-shooter Senior Member Join Date: June 12, 2007 Location: North Central Indiana Posts: 436	I also find that using cooler water gives better results. I've used HOT water and experienced flash surface rusting in the barrel. I'm guessing because the way the water evaporated ? Never a hint of rust using cold water and a followup of Ballistol for protection. I usually go back to the gun a few days later and run one more Ballistol patch down the bore and all is good. I experimented after cleaning a BP rifle and sent a camera down the bore a few days after cleaning it and could see what appeared to look like grains of salt in the bore. Thus the reason for a followup a few days later as a regimen.

September 10, 2014, 10:11 PM	#11
B.L.E. Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2008 Location: Somewhere on the Southern shore of Lake Travis, TX Posts: 2,603	I spray WD40 down the bore BEFORE drying the bore. That way there's no flash rusting of the steel as the water dries. WD40 actually wants to wet steel more than water does and so it crawls under the water next to the steel wetting the steel with WD40 and lifting the water off of the steel. The "WD" in WD40 stands for, "water displacing". For long term storage, I use RIG Universal rust inhibiting grease. __________________ Hanlon's Razor "Do not invoke conspiracy as explanation when ignorance and incompetence will suffice, as conspiracy implies intelligence and organization."

September 10, 2014, 10:14 PM	#12
mehavey Senior Member Join Date: June 17, 2010 Location: Virginia Posts: 6,896	A pint of water. A drop of dishwashing liquid. Wash/scrub it like you would your dinner dishes -- nothing fancy -- it's actually easier/faster than smokeless cleaning. Get some BreakFree into/onto the surfaces afterward though. Clean steel will rust quickly -- especially when actually clean.

September 11, 2014, 07:12 AM	#13
spacecoast Senior Member Join Date: October 14, 2009 Location: Sunshine and Keystone States Posts: 4,461	Water is crucial, per my lesson learned... http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=549363

September 11, 2014, 09:03 AM	#14
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,840	WD-40 is good for displacing water; after all, as pointed out by B.D.E. that's what the W.D. stands for. However, it is not an oil and after wiping down, the firearm should be treated with a preservative. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

September 11, 2014, 12:34 PM	#15
kwhi43 Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2008 Location: Kansas City Posts: 1,393	Preserved for over 40 years with nothing but WD-40. Shot thousands and thousands of times, cleaned with nothing but water. Your mileage might vary.

September 12, 2014, 08:43 PM	#16
B.L.E. Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2008 Location: Somewhere on the Southern shore of Lake Travis, TX Posts: 2,603	I just don't trust WD40 by itself for long term storage, (years or even seasons) and have had barrels where a patch came out stained brownish with rust when wiping it out before shooting. A barrel treated with RIG can be stored for years and when I wipe it out for shooting, the patch comes out clean with just a little RIG residue on it, even though I had not shot that particular gun for years. Another thing I have started doing, especially with my long guns, is to use a cheap aquarium air pump to blow air through the barrel for a couple of days to make sure every drop of water has a chance to evaporate. I just slip the air hose over the nipple and let the pump blow air through the barrel for a couple of days or more. __________________ Hanlon's Razor "Do not invoke conspiracy as explanation when ignorance and incompetence will suffice, as conspiracy implies intelligence and organization." Last edited by B.L.E.; September 12, 2014 at 08:53 PM.

September 12, 2014, 09:33 PM	#17
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,543	I don't shoot muzzle loaders but clean my .38-55 and .40-65 with diluted M-Pro 7 and oil with Ballistol. I have used Windex All Surface with vinegar and that works, too. As will anything with some water in it.

September 19, 2014, 09:13 PM	#18
WadePatton Member Join Date: October 28, 2008 Location: Mid TN Posts: 51	According to the chemists and other learned guys I know who are into BP, there is no reason for anything but water for cleaning BP residue from the bore. So that's all i use, then water displacement, then oil/grease. I also use tow with a tow worm, which can be washed and reused indefinitely. What EVER you do, do it soon and thoroughly. BP isn't nearly as corrosive as some subs, but you do certainly want to get it out at your earliest convenience. __________________ Flintlocks Rock

September 22, 2014, 09:30 AM	#20
Sure Shot Mc Gee Senior Member Join Date: January 2, 2012 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,876	I guess it isn't so much what you use. Just so long as what you use is used ASAP. As far as swabbing a barrel completely clean. That's easier said then done especially so when it concerns a rifles bore. (I think) As far as that hand cannons barrel. Aren't all dish washers also considered in a pinch as parts cleaners._

September 22, 2014, 02:33 PM	#22
mehavey Senior Member Join Date: June 17, 2010 Location: Virginia Posts: 6,896	Wash/swab it out/over like you would a drinking glass. Then swab it out/over with normal CLP-like gun oil. Done. Personally, I find BP weapons (incl Perc/Flint) no harder to clean than smokeless, and BP cartridge rifles to be much easier still. Now BP revolvers are a little more work, but that's just because they have more parts that have to be pulled apart (like cylinder nipples) and then washed/oiled. Which is why shooting the Ruger Old Army is so nice. Pull the cylinder/nipples, and then throw everything in the dishwasher. Last edited by mehavey; September 22, 2014 at 02:38 PM.