I am getting low on Hoppe's #9 again.... and I'm a bit tired of paying about $6 for a little bottle of it (6 oz., I think)....the larger (quart ?) bottles are more like $12 to $15. Anyway, I have this quart can of turpentine on hand, so I though that I'd give that a try. The turp is about 1/3 the price of the Hoppe's, by volume. I don't know of any reason why this stuff would harm anything....and it's not any more noxious than Hoppe's....so, why not ? Anyway, after shooting my paper-patched loads, which are lubed with Lee Liquid Alox, my barrel is never very dirty, as it is. With Hoppe's #9, it usually requires (a total of) about 2 - 3 wet patches, with a few minutes for the solvent to work...and dry patches in between....to get the barrel clean (final dry patch with basically no dirty residue). With the turpentine, ONE wet patch, followed by about a 5 minute wait, followed by TWO dry patches....and voila. Not only is the barrel clean, it is SQUEAKY clean (the final dry patch actually squeaks as it slides through the barrel). I follow up the final dry patch with a lightly oiled patch, just as I have always done. Who could have guessed that ordinary, cheap turpentine would do as well, if not better than, precious Hoppe's #9 ? I have always used Hoppe's...and never gave much thought to trying a substitute.... as the Hoppe's always worked well and just seemed like the "right" thing to use (a bona fide powder solvent). I am much more conscious of shooting-related costs than ever before now....so I am always on the lookout for cheaper alternatives. Who'd of thunk it ? Probably, turpentine will do nothing against metal fouling, but, as I only shoot cast, paper-patched loads now, copper or lead fouling (for me) is not an issue.
Anyway, barring some strong evidence that turpentine will damage barrel steel, or cause some unforseen catastrophe....I think that I shall continue with it, at least for the time being. If all goes well, then perhaps I will never buy another bottle of "bona fide" commercial powder solvent again.
This can't possibly be new info to anyone (or most anyone here)...it seems silly to mention it....but I'd thought I'd pass it on, just in case.