Captain Woodrow Cahill, SASS # 54363 Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Here's a question for the scientifically knowledgeable ... going on the fact that acids and bases when blended form a neutral mix. Triple 7 and Pyrodex both contain a chemical called potassium perchlorate, which has a pH value of around 6, which makes it slightly acidic. Most home-brew cleaning solutions suggest using vinegar in the mix. Vinegar has a pH of 2.2, which is even more acidic. If one objective in cleaning after shooting the subs is to neutralize the acid left by the potassium perchlorate, wouldn't you want to use something like baking soda which has a ph of 8.3 instead? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abilene Slim SASS 81783 Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Here's a question for the scientifically knowledgeable ... going on the fact that acids and bases when blended form a neutral mix. Triple 7 and Pyrodex both contain a chemical called potassium perchlorate, which has a pH value of around 6, which makes it slightly acidic. Most home-brew cleaning solutions suggest using vinegar in the mix. Vinegar has a pH of 2.2, which is even more acidic. If one objective in cleaning after shooting the subs is to neutralize the acid left by the potassium perchlorate, wouldn't you want to use something like baking soda which has a ph of 8.3 instead? Hot water, maybe a bit of dish soap if one desires. Then make sure it's wiped down and dry. Lube with Ballistol. That's all there is to it. Chemistry makes my head hurt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Howdy Some BP shooters tend to overthink the chemistry on this. I ain't no chemistry major, but it seems to me that when you clean you are using a much greater volume of cleaning solution than the volume of the fouling. I have always said, it does not matter so much what the pH is, the key is to dilute the fouling and wash it away. And also, I never use vinegar in my cleaning solution, and I don't think I know anybody who does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Woodrow Cahill, SASS # 54363 Posted February 23, 2011 Author Share Posted February 23, 2011 Howdy Driftwood - back in my Civil War re-enacting days we would clean our muskets with hydrogen peroxide. All that fizzing action really cleaned out the fouling. I just looked up the MSDS on the aforementioned subs, saw the ingredients, and scientific curiosity took the reins from there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.