Chubber

What are the real differences between the specialty black powder solvents that are advertised and other general purpose gun cleaners like Hoppes, etc. Or about soap and water?

I can't imagine that soap and water would put a dent in lead in the barrel, but Hoppes does and other lead solvents claim to.

I am asking because I am about to order my first rifle (and stop borrowing friends) and the 'starter kits' often come with the special cleaning stuff but it adds to the bottom line.

Experiences?

Chubber

Fran49829

I have no idea what the real differences are. I clean my guns in a 5 gal bucket of hot water and dish soap. I have just begun to experiment with Simple Green in a spray bottle. I use Rem Oil to prevent rust.

XTP

Last year I ran out of "cleaning solution"and decided to try the hot soapy water....it worked great! I shoot sabots so leading really is not a problem for me.Be sure to clean it well after each use to prevent build-up and corrosion....I've seen a friend's brand new rifle almost ruined because he didn't clean and oil the barrel thoroughly enough.

Mark whiz

Chubber,

I've been using a 50/50 mix of Simple Green & water for over a year - the stuff works great! <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle> When shooting CleanShot powder, I can have the gun clean in 1/2 hour with this mix if I'm in a hurry. One word of warning though, when using water in any cleaning mix, make sure you remove all of it before oiling the gun and putting it up. I usually hit the bore with a patch of denatured alcohol to help evaporate any remaining water or soap residue, and then oil for storage.

I also sometimes use a product sold as MPro7 black powder/corrosive cleaner & it works great too. It is an organic, biodegradeable cleaner originally designed for the aerospace industry. It does make cleaning easier (less scrubbing required) than with soap & water mixes.....but it ain't too cheap (about $2 an oz in spray form).

There are many options on cleaners (depending on how much you want, or DON'T want to spend) - but I do advise staying away from any product with petroleum derivatives in it.......such tends to &quot;gunk&quot; up the bore & breech over time.


&quot;Every moving thing that liveth, I give unto you as meat&quot; (Gen 9:3)

Trust God..........but keep your powder dry!

mizzou2002

Soap and water work great! Don't use up a bunch of money on high-priced solvents. (At least not for blackpowder.)

eldeguello

I haven't tried the stuff mark Whiz mentioned, so can't comment...RE, for actual black powder, NOT substitutes - the &quot;other&quot; types of solvents: I have found that Hoppe's No. 9 Plus is about useless. The TC stuff (no. 13??) is better, but not much. Shooter's Choice Gel works OK. There are other &quot;exotics&quot; I haven't tried. PLAIN, OL' HOT WATER is hard to beat. For a complete, thorough cleaning, at the end ot the season before putting a gun away, I pour two quarts of BOILING WATER through the bore, DRY IT IMMEDIATELY WHILE HOT, then oil with Break-Free CLP right away!! Next day, I swab it out with two patches just dampened with Break-Free CLP. Using this method, I have NEVER HAD ANY RUST IN A BORE. Have been cleaning this way for the past 40 years (before Break-Free came on the market, I used genuine sperm oil given to me by an old muzzleloading rifle maker in Indianapolis IN in 1960.)

soarkrebel

While hunting i use t/c #13 solvent works very good . i ALWAYS break the gun down and clean in hot soapy water at the end of the season. i willl sometimes do it randomly during the season. now when i say season i mean the early season is one season and the late is another.
I don't think you can clean a muzzle loader enough.
The 13 works good and on a encore all the crud is in the bore anyway. but i think the soap an water works great for a good cleaning. i also use the T/C bore butter alot. also clean that breach plug and grease it.
leading not a problem with sabots but i have heard of people using cheap sabots with magnum guns and the plastic melting to the bore . i have been told it is very hard to remove.

1950KID

Hot soapy water and WD-40.

sshunter

Ditto 1950kid

Adui13

Greets,
DISCLAIMER:: I am far from an expert on this subject, these are just my observations and opinions::

I have 2 percussion firearms. One is a CVA Navy Colt revolver, in .36 caliber. And the other is a Traditions Hawken Rifle with double triggers, in .50 caliber. I bought the Pistol as a kit, assembled it ( with many mistakes, but I finally got it right. ) I used Hoppes solvent for years on it.. then I bought my Traditions. I got a water soluable black powder solvent for it. I now use that for both guns... It cleans up the black powder ( or pyrodex, only 2 I haveused ) quite nicely! Lead fouling is not really an issue, I assume because of the low velocities generated in my pistol ( I can see the ball going down range if I stand to the side while someone else shoots ) and the fact that I shoot only lubed conicals ( Rarealy ) and patched round ball ( no lead to bore contact ) out of my rifle.
I presume after reading the ingredients of the solution I buy, that soap and water would work nicely as well, however I havenever tried it. I will say this.. IF you shoot Black powder or black powder substitutes from a firearm, then use black powder solvents or recomended substitues only!!! ( IE Soapy water )
That freinds is the bad side of experience talking!!!

Just my uneducated opinion!
Terry