I am new to black powder and I am loving it. Shooting the dreaded brass frame 1851 confederate navy unhistorical correct .44 cal. Loading 20 grains and its pretty fun. Question I have is about cleaning the firearm. Is it better to use black powder solvents or clean with hot soapy water? I would like to use the soapy water because it is cheap but curious about how effective it really is. Thanks for the replies.
Just started black powder
- Thread starter ldlfh7
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jgh4445
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Soapy water or even just water is THE way to clean black powder. No solvents needed. Be sure to keep any petroleum products/ lube/rust preventatives away from BP. The two don't mix well. Use warm to hot water if you have it, but cold creek water will do the trick too. Just be sure to dry well and use a good lube such as Ballistol.
Prairie Dawg
Member
Soapy water works fine.
Brushes, q-tips, cleaning patches.
Dry with paper towels & (if you have it) compressed air.
I hose the parts down with WD-40 (buy it by the gallon at Lowes)
Wipe with dry paper towels & reassemble.
I've been doing it this way for 30+ years & never a speck of rust.
--Dawg
Brushes, q-tips, cleaning patches.
Dry with paper towels & (if you have it) compressed air.
I hose the parts down with WD-40 (buy it by the gallon at Lowes)
Wipe with dry paper towels & reassemble.
I've been doing it this way for 30+ years & never a speck of rust.
--Dawg
Rom828
Member
Another one here for hot soapy water, rinse with clean cool water. I then "bake" the metal parts in the oven @180 for about twenty minutes to dry and melt "bore butter" all over while the parts are still hot.
DoubleDeuce 1
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Count my vote for hot soapy water too. I don't bake my parts. I wipe them off and give them a few shots of WD-40 followed by a light oil on the outside. I check the piece a couple of times a day for about three days looking for rust, before I put it away in the safe.
Mauser lover
Member
I don't do black powder, yet, but I clean mil-surplus guns that I use corrosive ammo in with hot soapy water.
I am sure I will get into black powder, eventually, just waiting for the right deal to come along...
I am sure I will get into black powder, eventually, just waiting for the right deal to come along...
Fingers McGee
Member
Balistol - straight from aerosol can to clean and lubricate
Balistol mixed with water - dissolves fouling
Q-Tips, Rags, Pipe cleaners (for the nipples)
Hot water in utility sink and bore brush to scrub out chambers
Canned air to chase any water away.
Balistol mixed with water - dissolves fouling
Q-Tips, Rags, Pipe cleaners (for the nipples)
Hot water in utility sink and bore brush to scrub out chambers
Canned air to chase any water away.
I use the dishwasher dry cycle to dry my pistol.
I had used WD-40, and it did well, though it never sat much longer than a month before use. But I have Ballistol, and used it for the first time recently. Many claim the smell isn't appreciated by their other half. I found it great! Almost used it for air freshener!
I had used WD-40, and it did well, though it never sat much longer than a month before use. But I have Ballistol, and used it for the first time recently. Many claim the smell isn't appreciated by their other half. I found it great! Almost used it for air freshener!
Reguler wire bore brushes dont get the bottom of the chambers very well but get you a baby bottle nipple brush.It has bristles on the end of it that will get the bottom clean. I find the hardest places to clean are around the nipples, the inside curve of the hammer always has hard fowling on it and the frame at the front around the forcing cone and some hard fowling on the recoil shield. You dont need to tear the whole gun apart every time to clean it. I do mine fairly often but its not nessesary.Just put a few drops of rem oil around the hammer and a drop to run in around the cylinder bolt and a littlewhere the hand comes up through the frame. Its not a big chore, its a lot like polishing and doing a quick manicure on your man parts in the shower before ya head out on a date with a hot girl. Wont take long and ther will be a little blue wore off on the edges of that octogon barrel, a light ring around your cylinder and the blue starts to fad and the grip frame. Just oil it up after cleaning it and make sure you rub a bit of rem oil on ya underarms to slick them dredlocks down, wont hurt to rub a smidge of bullet lube behind each ear and a dash of Hoppies no.9 on your jeans and that date will know yer a real man.Oh, dont for get to spit in yer hand and wipe that black powder smudge off around your nose from the wind blowing that smoke back atcha. When ya get her in the truck instead of askin her to hold the spit can , let her hold that Remington, that will make it a dreamy night for sure!
I realize that kituwa's post was at least partially in jest (I think), but...
The use of RemOil on a Black Powder gun anywhere is likely to cause more work than less. Don't waste your money on solvents, but do find non-aerosol Ballistol somewhere, I usually order it from MidwayUSA but that was back when MidwayUSA actually had the products that they want to sell, I haven't checked for it recently.
Once you've got the Ballistol you can pitch the RemOil in the trash as Ballistol works very well on both Black Powder and smokeless as a lubricant. Although using Ballistol on smokeless to clean is completely useless and it actually seems to harden smokeless fouling rather than dissolve it.
The biggest advantage in my mind to Ballistol is that it is "non-toxic". I've been around enough nasty chemicals in my life and I personally don't need any more exposure to things that can poison me. Yes Ballistol has a "unique" odor and used in an enclosed space can really get over powering, my wife informed me that using it inside of our RV was not conducive to a long and happy marriage several years ago. Now we've both agreed that I will clean Black Powder pistols outside and she will use nail polish remover in the same location.
Use what ever works for you but stay away from anything that is designed or formulated for smokeless powder.
The use of RemOil on a Black Powder gun anywhere is likely to cause more work than less. Don't waste your money on solvents, but do find non-aerosol Ballistol somewhere, I usually order it from MidwayUSA but that was back when MidwayUSA actually had the products that they want to sell, I haven't checked for it recently.
Once you've got the Ballistol you can pitch the RemOil in the trash as Ballistol works very well on both Black Powder and smokeless as a lubricant. Although using Ballistol on smokeless to clean is completely useless and it actually seems to harden smokeless fouling rather than dissolve it.
The biggest advantage in my mind to Ballistol is that it is "non-toxic". I've been around enough nasty chemicals in my life and I personally don't need any more exposure to things that can poison me. Yes Ballistol has a "unique" odor and used in an enclosed space can really get over powering, my wife informed me that using it inside of our RV was not conducive to a long and happy marriage several years ago. Now we've both agreed that I will clean Black Powder pistols outside and she will use nail polish remover in the same location.
Use what ever works for you but stay away from anything that is designed or formulated for smokeless powder.
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