Dish Detergent for Removal of BP Residue.

[GregLaROCHE]

All the muzzle loaders at my club use dish detergent to wash out the bore after shooting. I recently read, that some people prefer a non detergent soap like Ivory or Murphy’s Oil soap. Is there anything wrong with using dish detergent?

[Outpost75]

Nothing wrong with it that I can see. I use whatever is on sale.

[Buzzard II]

I use Ivory dish detergent. Just a few drops in a bucket of tepid tap water. I also use Ivory dish detergent to tumble wash brass with stainless steel pins.
Bob

[Tom W.]

I use shaved Ivory bar soap and gauze for cleaning. And hot water.

Something I read in the NMLRA magazines that I had....

[LAGS]

The main thing is whatever you use , make sure you are not using so much that the soap leaves a residue
Especially things like hand soap with lotions.
If you can wash your eye glasses and they don't have a film on them , you should be good to go.

[country gent]

On my bpcr rifles I use hot tap water and dawn dish soap to clean at home a small amount of soap in hot tap water removes fouling's and salts the salt quickly. After this a light pass of ballistol and water 20-1 then dry and oil. I like the dish soap since its also a degreaser and removes the layer of bullet lube also. I also use soap water to soak cases after firing.
Like the old corrosive ammo BP needs water to neutralize the salts in the fouling. A soap and water mix does this and flushes out the crud quickly.
On my percussion muzzle loaders I put a piece of snug fitting plastic tubing on the nipple and into a small bucket of soap water and a tight fitting patch jag combo and pump it up and down working the water in and thru. This cleans the bore and channel very quickly.

[725]

As long as it's water based, it will work. I've used Windex, dish soap/water mix, hot water, Simple Green, auto windshield washer fluid, Black Solve, Murphy's w/ peroxide ~ it all works.

[country gent]

I use windex with vinegar at the range to clean between stages and preclean before heading home

[Walks]

Everything mentioned, I've done and it ALL works.

Even boiling hot, hot water.

[tomme boy]

Boiling HOT water is a good way to form flash rust. Never use water over the temp you can keep your hand in. I used to believe the same thing. I always noticed rust on my patches after the barrel was dry and I ran a patch through it.

Now it is just warm water and no soap. Not needed. Flush the barrel and wipe it down with a damp cloth and use a military gun brush that looks like a tooth brush. Wipe it down with oil afterwords and have never seen rust again.

[rfd]

there is only one really good agent for cleaning up a gun used with black powder that trumps all others and has been in yeoman use for centuries, dihydrogen oxide. anything else is a waste of time and money and may actually harm the barrel metal. ymmv, as i see it does with some of you good folks - y'all ain't seen the light, yet.

[indian joe]

there is only one really good agent for cleaning up a gun used with black powder that trumps all others and has been in yeoman use for centuries, dihydrogen oxide. anything else is a waste of time and money and may actually harm the barrel metal. ymmv, as i see it does with some of you good folks - y'all ain't seen the light, yet.

Amen to that !!!
All that the soap does is wash out protective oils from the pores of the metal - dont do zip for the actual backpowder fouling .

Now I wonder where we can get some of that there dihydrogen whatsit stuff?

[jonp]

I've tried a couple of things and now just use Ballistol mixed with water.

We did use Ivory in a lab I worked at to clean the glassware as it left no residue. The PhD in charge was very specific on the Ivory

[jonp]

dihydrogen oxide. anything else is a waste of time and money and may actually harm the barrel metal.

NOOOOOOOOOO! Don't touch that stuff, it will kill you.

[jdfoxinc]

SOAP NOT DETERGENT. detergent will remove your seasoning.

[MrWolf]

Hate to admit that I looked up dihydrogen oxide. Knew it sounded familiar. Water for those as dense as me.

[waksupi]

SOAP NOT DETERGENT. detergent will remove your seasoning.

You cannot season modern steel. A notion sold by BoreButter.

[Maven]

Here's more information on why we don't season ML barrels: https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/t...barrels.61745/

[fatelk]

Danger! Dihydrogen oxide is statistically the most dangerous chemical on the planet! More people have been killed throughout the whole of human history by it (and in it) than any other chemical, and it's a proven fact that everyone who comes into contact with it eventually dies!

Thank you all, by the way. I don't shoot black powder much, and have always wondered about the best way to clean them. I've read the stories about civil war soldiers who ran out of water and used whatever liquid they had at their disposal to clean them, but I don't really want to try that.

We did use Ivory in a lab I worked at to clean the glassware as it left no residue. The PhD in charge was very specific on the Ivory

I had a previous job where we had to get some glassware extremely clean, and the only thing that really works to the level required is a solution of hydrofluoric acid. I wouldn't recommend HF ever outside of a tightly controlled lab/industrial setting though. It really is a dangerous chemical, no joke.

[Conditor22]

+1 -- 1 part Ballistol mixed with 10 parts water.

Leaves a thin coating of Ballistol after the water evaporates