Nasty Guns

[bedbugbilly]

I think "dirty" is going to vary by definition depending on who is defining it.

I have shot black powder for well over 50 years now - rifle, pistol, smoothbore/shotgun and yes, even full size Civil War artillery. A lot of folks define BP as "dirty" - I don't. The fouling produced by it is a fact of life and even though my guns get "dirty" . . . as well as my hands . . . . that's part of the hobby and the enjoyment of it.

I also reload and shoot a lot of different revolvers - I use Bulls Eye, Red Dot, Unique, Green Dot and a few others. I often hear some complain about how "dirty" their reloads shoot. Personally, I don't consider any of them dirty. Yes, when I'm done I clean my firearms - that process too is all part of the hobby. All I shoot is my cast out of them as well.

You state that after 500 rounds your guns are dirty as well as your hands, etc. Well . . . common sense would sort of dictate that after that many rounds you could easily expect some fouling/dirt/etc. wouldn't it? Yea, I know . . . they call it "smokeless powder" . . . but I don't think I have ever shot any reloads with the above powders that I use that doesn't produce smoke. Out of a revolver, you can still have unburnt residue left as well depending on the barrel length. If you shoot cast, you can get lead residue at the front of you cylinder too. But . . . it's all part of the hobby and shooting.

Over the years, I have often heard some brag on how they "never clean their gun" . . . it's their gun so I guess that that is their prerogative to not clean it. But I'd wager that they are the same people who never service their vehicle, never change the oil in their lawnmower and never add a little lubricant to a lock or a door hinge either. And those types are the same who go "yuck" when they happen to get some dirt under their fingernails as well.

So yea . . . the definition of "dirty" is dependent upon the individual. Personally, I'm more than happy to put up with a "dirty" gun and having to clean it because I enjoy shooting and thank God, we still have that right in this country. Lord only knows there are more Leftist individuals out there that want to take that right away and most of them don't know how to do an honest day's work or are afraid to get their hand's dirty. So for me, I'll put up with "dirty" six shooters and when I'm done, I'll clean them. And since I'm about your age as well, I'll freely admit that the hair loss I suffer from is due to my genes and probably my g-grandfather whose head looked like a billiard ball!

And if you really want to have fun and aren't afraid to get you six gun dirty, load up some BP cartridges and give 'em a try. The smile you'll have on your face is worth the effort you take to clean up afterwards.

[LAH]

Well said bedbugbilly. While 500 rounds of cast/carnauba red/Promo will dirty your sixgun it doesn't concern me. I wipe the Ruger down & put it in the safe. I know it will be shot again before the week is out. The OP was a poke of sorts at those who complain of dirty sixguns.

[telebasher]

Dirty guns mean somebody had a good day.

[LAH]

The beginnings of a dirty gun.

[daniel lawecki]

Funny people are talking about dirty air and dirty guns. Most of you will breath bad air at work. But of that's for money and that's ok so many things in this world could kill us. Lead smoke primer dust you name it poison to kill weeds we spread on our lawns. Really is this what's on your mind as you reach your golden years.

[dragon813gt]

You did get a smile.

And......the dirt you get from working on your truck makes shooting dirt look tame by comparison....like pulling a transmission that's been behind a leaking rear main for years. Black powder looks like dainty dirt in comparison.

Clean a sooted up oil boiler and get back to me. If anyone has had this happen in their home they know how bad it is. Surfaces look clean but when you run your finger across them they turn black. That's what I consider dirty. And I'm glad I don't have to clean them as work anymore. So shooting is clean IMO.

The outside of a handgun is going to be dirty regardless of what type of bullets you're shooting. Wipe it down w/ a rag and keep going. If it's gumming up the internals you're doing something wrong. Shooting cast will leave more residue due to the lube. But it should not effect function.

[NoAngel]

Light loading a Ruger blackhawk with Unique and Ben's Red lube is the worst I have ever done. Nowhere near enough pressure to seal the case and after a couple hundred rounds, it looked like an elephant took a dump on it. Ben's Red is a WONDERFUL lube but that Lucas Red & Tacky lives up to it's name. ...and they don't call Unique "Flamin' Dirt" for nuthin LOL!

[huntrick64]

I once fired 600 rounds in one afternoon from my SR1911. The load was near max Bullseye and 200 Lead SWC lubed with LBT soft blue. It was hard to tell that the gun was stainless with all of the powder residue. I pulled the grips and blasted it with brake cleaner, wiped it out and down with Eezox and put it up for next time. I can't compare that to shooting 600 rounds of jacketed bullets because I can't afford to shoot 600 rounds of jacketed. End of story for me.

[LAH]

I once fired 600 rounds in one afternoon from my SR1911. The load was near max Bullseye and 200 Lead SWC lubed with LBT soft blue. It was hard to tell that the gun was stainless with all of the powder residue. I pulled the grips and blasted it with brake cleaner, wiped it out and down with Eezox and put it up for next time. I can't compare that to shooting 600 rounds of jacketed bullets because I can't afford to shoot 600 rounds of jacketed. End of story for me.

Feel your pain. I used the Lyman 452374 & 5 grains of Promo. It was dirty. I'm now shooting through a batch of the MP 45-200-SWC-BB & 4 grains of Promo. It is dirty. Bullseye & Unique & Green Dot are dirty. Winchester 231 & HP 38 are dirty. Winchester 296, H110, 2400, 4227, AA9, WC820, AA5744 are all dirty. Carnauba Red, LBT Blue Commercial, LBT Blue Soft, RCBS Rifle, Lyman Black, Ballisti-Cast Hard Blue, all dirty. However some combos do smell better than others.

I've never tried dipping in motor oil but figure it is dirty too.

[Silver Jack Hammer]

Some of the worst ammo I ever used was practice ammo on a law enforcement agency where I worked. They got this "Win-Clean." I had to scrub my .45 for hours after using that junk.

Then in about 1982 I bought a brand new in the box Ruger Security-Six stainless. Qualification was 100 rounds. My new Ruger seized up and I took it back to the gunshop I bought it at. Later the gunsmith said there was nothing wrong with the gun but the lead deposits and fouling were so bad he'd never seen anything like it before.

[EMC45]

I use Alliant powder and cast with Moly/beeswax lube. When I get done shooting it looks like I stuck my hands in a bucket of powdered graphite. The guns usually are sooty and have lube smears all over them, but my hands are what gets filthy.

[Silver Jack Hammer]

Are you talking dirty? I shoot cap pistols and try to get them to fail by fouling. Black powder lube applied before the session keeps them running all day.

[Scharfschuetze]

Are you talking dirty? I shoot cap pistols and try to get them to fail by fouling. Black powder lube applied before the session keeps them running all day.

Roll caps or Greenie Stick 'Em caps? Could make a difference!

[LAH]

Roll caps or Greenie Stick 'Em caps? Could make a difference!

Love it.

[paul h]

I use Alliant powder and cast with Moly/beeswax lube. When I get done shooting it looks like I stuck my hands in a bucket of powdered graphite. The guns usually are sooty and have lube smears all over them, but my hands are what gets filthy.

Lithi-bee is filthy, but a good lube. I remember years ago I used to sell some of my cast bullets to cover my powder and primer expenses. One of the guys I sold them to turned out to be a neat freak and he complained about how dirty the lithi-bee bullets made his gun. I said, yeah but look how small your groups are! He was more concerned with a clean gun than with small groups. Some people...

On the flip side my boss was on jury duty and listed his interests as guns, shooting and reloading. The defense attorney asked him a series of questions.

Atty. What is your favorite gun?
Boss All of them
Atty. Let's take another tact, what is your least favorite gun to clean?
Boss I like cleaning all of my guns, cleaning my guns means I've shot them, and I like shooting them.

I don't recall if there were any more questions before he was dismissed from the jury.

He wasn't trying to get off the jury, he was answering honestly.

[buckwheatpaul]

I was at a gunsmith, friend, that has a large bucket filled with mineral spirits and he tosses the weapon into the bucket after the grips are removed and then after a while he pulls the weapon out and all the old guuuuu just goes away.....I am considering the same option....Paul

[Traffer]

Wow, I have not shot a handgun much at all. I was going to get into the whole spectrum, Handloading, casting, powdercoating, maybe even black powder shooting. But not now. Thanks for wising me up here guys. You can keep your filthy handguns. I quit. I don't want any of that nasty stuff on me.


Hahahahahaha. had you going didn't I?

[Silver Jack Hammer]

How do you not get dirty when shooting? Take a lesson from black powder shooters, wear dark clothes.

[fivegunner]

Some of my guns are nasty, I knew this would happen when I shot under size soft boolits in it!!

[Geezer in NH]

When I had my shop all used guns we bought went through the Parts washer loaded with mineral spirts.

Most sellers have never cleaned their guns IMHO.

My training by the dept. had all of the guns cleaned every time they were shot. Used what the training officer called dry cleaning consisting of using a stainless brush for the bores and a stainless tooth brush for the slide and frame. Wipe off the loose soot with a dry rag. No spots of carbon to be left visible.

I asked about wear cleaning them like this and he stated good changes the lab results every time you clean. Then said do not believe what you see on CSI. Made sense to me.

Also your carry gun is to never leave the range un-cleaned and never carry a dirty gun.

The reason: If you get involved in a shooting and YOU did not shoot your weapon, you are safe from any wrongful lawsuits that will come in most shootings. Now that is a good thing!!!!!!!

My choice is to clean every gun. I shoot the day I shoot it. Not counting the fouled barrel on my hunting rifle.