Soap, washing out at end of day

[nw_hunter]

guess i'll hafta throw my ol' hawkens an' renegades in the trash 'cause after readin' all this they're obviously ruined after 30yrs or so of hot soapy water and bore butter. oh woe is me .

I feel your pain Bubba, and to prove it.........don't throw them in the trash! Just send them to me , and I'll take care of the problem fer ya! No need in filling up the landfill with all that rusty stuff

[bubba.50]

aw, i guess i'll just keep'em. i like ya too much to do ya thataway. besides, a couple of'em's comin' onto to bein' "antiques" so mayhaps i can sell'em as "mantle ornaments" to some unsuspectin' yuppie . but thanks for lookin' out for me and have a good'en, bubba.

[darkgael]

Lotsa stuff works.
+1 about Ballistol. I also use Ballistol as an ingredient in Moose Milk.
Water is the most basic solvent for BP residues. They are hydroscopic; that's why a barrel will rust if the stuff isn't cleaned out, right? So they dissolve in water and can be removed.
Water - any temperature - and soap which will help to hold the residues in suspension  and get them onto the patch.
Lots of "pet" cleaners and solvents - Windex, Hydrogen peroxide, Witch Hazel, etc. - work because they are mostly water.
The problem with water is getting it out completely. Using very hot water - boiling - is a standard method but there is more than one report that that causes flash rust.
Probably the best way to get the moisture out (and it isn't isopropyl rubbing alcohol - which has water in it) is to use pure alcohol, the stuff available in the hardware store as stove fuel. Sunnyside is a common brand here in the East. IIRC, the stuff used as fuel line antifreeze (Heet) is also pure.

After swabbing to a clean patch, I take the extra step of cutting some patches from paper towels, wrapping them onto a jag and running a few down and up the bore. The first one, at least, comes out damp every time, no matter how many dry cotton patches I've run.
I oil with Ballistol. I have tried Olive oil and Mineral oil and found them too gummy.
Pete

BTW - if you are concerned about getting any type of solvent or cleaner on your fine wood stock, coat the stock with Miniwax Paste Finishing Wax (or some such) before you start to clean. When you are done, buff it off. It'll protect the finish while cleaning and shine it up when you are done.

[Swampman]

It won't stop the finish from being ruined.

[plastikosmd]

lakota

thank you, the bench is just a range bench, I shoot at 2 ranges, benches are simiar.  I made a board, as shown, that can clamp to the bench and hold the crapload of stuff I need to shoot that beast.  I have a couple types of this rifle and the lighest is maybe 35lbs, others are in the 50lb range.  you want everything close by when moving it around the bench

[darkgael]

paste wax

It won't stop the finish from being ruined.

Mebbe I shoulda said that it'll offer some protection in lieu of none.

Pete

[ratdog]

i am going to try windex to clean barrel but after swabbed dry i'll steal use break free clp for final swabing i have been useing it on all my guns great stuff.