stork

What is in solvent that makes it work?

I am one of those guys that never seems to have enough time to do what needs to be done. As you could probly guess, cleaning gets overlooked sometimes for a few days. So I got an idea that if I were to take a piece of PVD and cap one end and put a threaded cover on the other side then fill it with cleaning solvent it would be real easy to just remove the barrel and put it in the solvent as soon as I get home. Then in a day or 5 I could finish the job and put the gun away. I am concerned about posible rusting of the barrel and the cost of solvent to fill the PVC. Is there something else I could use(alcohol, gas, WD40, exc.) that would help to clean and prevent carosion while it sat for a few days without rusting?

What do you think for this? Is this even fesable?

cayugad

Personally, I do not like the idea of letting a barrel sit for days in some strong chemical bath. I'm not sure what would happen if you placed it in simple soap and water. Perhaps the fact that the barrel is submerged, it would not get enough oxygen to rust. I just clean them.

Perhaps you could make up a chamber as you describe, take a chunk of steel, degrease it, and clean it off with alcohol, then put some powder piles on it, ignite it, then test your bath to see if the steel will rust.

Sounds like you are really pressed for time and your rifle, these rifles can not be ignored. You ignore them and they will rust on you. Good luck with your experiment.

nchawkeye

What cayugad said....You have to take time to clean...After I shoot a deer and before I get out of my stand I have cleaned my barrel...Assuming you mean an inline...I carry a zip lock bag with a small eyedrop bottle with rubbing alcohol and a smalll bottle of oil...I run 2-3 damp patches down the barrel (both sides of patch)...then dry with a clean patch, another oiled patch and then another clean patch...then I reload...If I hunt the next morning I leave this load in...but the gun is unloaded and cleaned completely the next day.

stork

So I take it that nobody knows what is in the cleaning solvent then.

nchawkeye

No inline for me. You describe using alcohol as a cleaner on stand. I assume that this is a good cleaner for the barrel from the level of care you give your gun(s). In your opinion, would soking the barrel in alcohol(as I discribed) be as good a cleaner as the purchased black powder slovent?

cayugad

I like your idea of the test and will try this.

The hole idea behind this is to prevent the rust and carrosion. Not to avoid cleaning the gun. I am looking for a fast easy way of suspending the rust and carrosion untill I can clean the gun properly. Sometimes that takes a couple of days for me. My next option is to quit hunting with the MZ and that is not an option.

cayugad

Solvent ingredients vary from brand to brand of cleaner. Some use ammonia, others alcohol, some use strong soaps, peroxides are sometimes used, some are real basic such aswater and soap. There are many combinations. It would be near impossible to list the make up of a cleaner since many vary according to brand. That's why I suggested simple water and soap in the tube. That way the barrel is not sitting in a harsh chemical solution that although may keep it from rusting could also damage the metal, bluing, or fiber optic sights (plastic in most cases)of the rifle.

Since rust is the process of theoxidation of metal, I was thinking, as you mentioned,in terms of submersion of the metal barrel in a liquid might impede the oxidation process, thus prolonging the necessity for you to get at the barrel immediately for cleaning. This soaking possibly would also in effect soften any fowling contained in or on the barrel and make cleaning at a later time much easier.

One thing I would do if this was going to occur would be to remove the breech plug prior to submersion in the tank if possible. This would allow the threads of the breech plug area to soak clean also. It sounds like a workable idea. Murphy's Oil Soap is a gentle natural ingredient soap. I would try that and some water as my first test solution. Another one to consider is Simple Green Cleaner. Keep us posted as to the results of your tests. You might be on to something for those that travel great distances from a range to home for example. They could remove the barrel at the range, place it in the tube and solution, drive home many hours later, and have no troubles with removing fowling which had time to set up or cure...

Good luck.

MLKeith

Another possibility for your solution might be a mix of Ballistol and water. It is one of the only oils that I know which mix well with water and should work as a cleaner and rust delay (note I did not say preventative). I just got a gallon of Ballistol and am somewhat impressed with my first uses of the product. I am considering it as a long term storage oil and since the traditional guys use it as a patch lube it should not cause any mess as described using petroleum based oils (although I am not so sure that really happens). I think the petroleum based oils used with black powder might just not be as bad as the old wives tales say. Any strong rust preventative might just attack bluing since it is just controled rust.

mauser06

my rusty duck solvent..think thats the name..is ether and alcohol...i can get you the direct ingredients if you wish.....they printed them on the label i think i remember.......seems like good stuff....i was almost tempted to not use the traditional water when i used it the first time......maybe try that bore foam stuff? seen it in cabelas or walmart.....guess you fill the bore with the foam solvent.....let it sit a half an hour and run a few dry patches through it and your done......dont know how it works but thats the directions from what i got..........i dont know if a chamber type thing like your talking would be a good idea..im with cayugad....i dont like the idea of my barrels sitting in chemicals.....or even plain water.....only takes 10-20 mins to clean a gun.....ill spare the time and get it done as soon as i get home...i hate doing it once in a while......but i like to know my bore isnt going to rust......seen to many guns rusted to pieces from guys not believing BP is corrosive.....my buddy shot his flintlock......told him to make sure it got cleaned.....offered to do it for him since he never did it....and id show him how..."nah my grandfather will show me"..it will be fine in the dehumidifier in the gun safe.....no it wont clean it now! ill show you!.....i will i will.....few days later.....Whys my gun all rusted!?!?! i cleaned it like a normal gun today...and the rust wont come out!?!

rjhans53

Sort of being funny here cause it would be a bear to remove but if you are going to dunk it for a few days, new or used motor oil should do the trick

cayugad

That's very true but wouldn't that make it more of a bear to clean when you did finally get around to it.

I understand what stork wants to do and can understand that it would be nice sometimes to be able to put off cleaning a rifle, I for one like to hunt different rifles during a season. This way I could save them up and clean three or so at one time.

Time I guess,to go to the work shop and get busy. Some PVC with screw ends on at least one end about 34" long should do the trick...

Triple Se7en

Poor excuse my friend!

Whatever purpose you used that rifle for (hunting/range)should be curtailed by one hour in order to clean it properly before storing it.

Submerging barrels in solvent could tarnish/damage bluing... even seep underneath scope mounts, open sights... etc... causing rust at a later date.

You have two bad ideas! Find the time to clean your guns properly or face the grimreaper when it comes a-knockin' on your guns......