Jump to content
SASS Wire Forum

Switching between BP and smokeless


Recommended Posts

If you shoot smokeless after BP it'll clean the barrel out for you.

 

 

Also if you have a carbon buildup from shooting short cartridges(.38 in a .357) 50 or so rounds BP will clean that out.

 

:D

 

Hot soapy water at home followed by BP friendly lube(Ballistol, Frog Lube, etc.). At the range PAM, Windex w/ Vinegar, Ballistol/Water.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I shoot about 50/50 BP and smokeless. Ballistol works well cleaning with both. With the exception of the shotgun when shooting BP, I use corks on my double and let soak for a couple minutes with hot soapy water and then use ballistol after. It speeds up the shotgun cleaning tremendously.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just shooting smokeless through any gun only has  a chance of cleaning the barrel!   ALWAYS clean after shooting black or subs the way that you have decided to clean black.  Hot soapy water at least.   I like PAM.  Have used moosemilk (10% Ballistol in water), but PAM is best for me.   Then oil a little.   C;lean the whole gun when you are switching to smokeless, action included.  If you forget about having shot BP and leave it for a year of smokeless shooting, you will be sorry.

 

To switch from BP to smokeless - clean for BP.   Then shoot smokeless.

 

To switch from smokeless to BP - clean for smokeless.  Then shoot BP. 

Don't just shoot BP over smokeless fouling, you won't get great accuracy and the BP fouling that is deposited will be much harder to get out.  

 

Good luck, GJ

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 minutes ago, Lone Rider SASS#32091 said:

Would the Hoppes and BP be a problem?

 

If it would be, I'd have told you.  :D

 

Cleaning solvents - have never seen BP make a mess with a trace of those still in barrel. 

It's "smokeless" modern petroleum-based gun oils, and bullet lube (and maybe the plastic off of poly-coated slugs), that will make BP leave hard fouling.

 

GJ

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gun scrubber is a little pricey if you use a lot of it so I use non clorinated Brakekleen from Walmart.  Great stuff to get oil and other cleaning products out of corners and hidden spots.  Be sure to lube afterwards.  I use Ballistol and Break Free for both.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Shirttail shoots both BP and smokiless. In her stainless revolvers the smokiless fouling is very hard to remove from the front of the cylinders. So she will shoot a match using BP before trying to clean the smokiless fouling off the cylinder fronts. Comes off then with very little effort using just Ballistol and water.

kR

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quote

I am thinking gunscrubber but wondered what you are using.

With 15 or so cleaning solvents tried, my favorites are Eezox or Lehigh Valley Lube and Cleaner for both smokeless and black powder

But sadly, Lehigh Valley Lube and Cleaner is discontinued.  But I sourced the last 15 bottles being sold and am as happy as a tall dog :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I shoot BP and smokeless.  I use Ballistol to clean/lube smokeless.  It works more slowly to remove fouling than smokeless cleaners, but does work.  The Ballistol rep once told me to swab it into the bore and then let it soak a while before continuing.  Anyway, the guns are then ready to shoot either BP or smokeless.  For cleaning BP, almost anything works (straight water, moosemilk, windex, pretty much anything with water in it), then lube with Ballistol so it is again ready to shoot either.

 

Another nice thing is that any lead in your bores from smokeless will be gone after shooting BP.

 

Note:  I am talking about real black powder.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Plain old blue windshield washer fluid....

followed by a non-petroleum based gun oil.

 

Immerse a reversible bronze bore brush in the windshield washer fluid, and make a pass through the bore.

Follow by a dry patch.

Follow that by a patch soaked in the windshield washer fluid.

Follow by a dry patch.

Follow a second time with a patch soaked in the windshield washer fluid.

Follow by a dry patch.

Then run patch soaked in a non-petroleum based gun oil through the bore.

You're done.

 

My Two Bits.

W.K.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Because of shooting both on and off in the same guns .

I just went to cleaning all my guns with Ballistol. 

Works for me.

Rooster 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/1/2020 at 11:25 AM, Barkeep Casey said:

I shoot about 50/50 BP and smokeless. Ballistol works well cleaning with both. With the exception of the shotgun when shooting BP, I use corks on my double and let soak for a couple minutes with hot soapy water and then use ballistol after. It speeds up the shotgun cleaning tremendously.

Barkeep, when you are shootin' agin me at a match I highly recommend ya carry a good supply of them thar corks and remember to put them in at the beginning of each stage.  I hear corks help bring down the shotgun targets a mite easier! :D:lol:

 

Kajun

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/1/2020 at 12:48 PM, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

The best BP cleaner is Windex multi-task w/vinegar

OLG 

Yep, My choice for BP and smokeless then finalize with a  patch with a spray of Ballistol on it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On ‎5‎/‎2‎/‎2020 at 12:11 PM, Krazy Kajun said:

Barkeep, when you are shootin' agin me at a match I highly recommend ya carry a good supply of them thar corks and remember to put them in at the beginning of each stage.  I hear corks help bring down the shotgun targets a mite easier! :D:lol:

 

Kajun

People kept laughing at me. It was making a funny popping sound.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/1/2020 at 10:12 AM, Lone Rider SASS#32091 said:

I am going to start shooting some BP cartridge in my open tops. I will also be shooting my smokeless loads and know I need to clean between the different types of powder before I shoot them. I am thinking gunscrubber but wondered what you are using. Thanks.

 

I go back and forth regularly.  I use Ballistol, Gunzilla, or Qmaxx.  All three work well with both BP and smokeless.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/2/2020 at 2:27 PM, Lone Rider SASS#32091 said:

Thanks for all the replies. Non petroleum based gun oil is a new term to me. I’ll have to check and see if mine is. Thanks again.

Think synthetic.

kR

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.