Best way to clean a muzzleloader

[adamR]

So I've been muzzleloader hunting for awhile now and always felt like I never quite got it clean afterwards...  I've tried a few different things and always had good luck with traditions orange cleaner except that it never really seems to get clean.
Recently I was searching the web and saw a lot about windex. So I cleaned my rifle with the windex and it cleaned it so freaking well!!!  It looked great!
 
I happened to look down the barrel today before I loaded it and saw some rust, took it apart and my freaking barrel was covered in rust.  I read a lot of different forums about windex and not one of them mentioned destroying your barrel after cleaning it...

So, what's the best way to clean my barrel cuz I sure as heck ain't using windex again?

[Miles]

Used to always clean mine with HOT soapy water after a good brushing.

[trophyhunt]

I tear mine down completely, put it in the bath tub of hot soapy water.  Let soak a few minutes and then scrub clean.  I wire brush, rinse and dry off.  Then I put the smaller parts in the oven at low temp to completely dry out.  Then use a lube on the inside barrel and other parts, store away and it's looks like brand new.  Owned mine for about 6 years.

[2labs]

I tear mine down completely, put it in the bath tub of hot soapy water.  Let soak a few minutes and then scrub clean.  I wire brush, rinse and dry off.  Then I put the smaller parts in the oven at low temp to completely dry out.  Then use a lube on the inside barrel and other parts, store away and it's looks like brand new.  Owned mine for about 6 years.

This.... The difference is I do it in the deep sink. Then everything gets a rem oil wipe down. Looks like the day I bought it.

[superdown]

My muzzle loader is a Knight bighorn and i clean it just like any modern rifle i have.I disassemble it to large parts and saturate it with wd40 scrub it until i see no trace of any fouling on any part then i wipe it down spray it off with brake parts cleaner and then LIGHTLY oil everything and then put a SMALL amount of silver anti seize on the breech plug and nipple threads.After six years it still looks brand new and i have never suffered a miss or hang fire.I tried the Windex and dish soap, hot water and bore butter on a previous muzzy and i will never use any of those products ever again.

[adamR]

I read somewhere that you shouldn't use normal gun oils, is this true?

[superdown]

I have read that also but the dozens of range trips and several dead deer say otherwise.  I am sure it has to do with the amount. At the end of the day oil is oil in certain applications so i am only recommending what i have continued success with and telling you what did not work for me.

[hollymaster]

I read somewhere that you shouldn't use normal gun oils, is this true?

Oil and powder don't mix. As long as you dry the bore, your good.

[PyroBlack]

I read somewhere that you shouldn't use normal gun oils, is this true?

You may have read that in conversations about Blackhorn 209 powder. That particular powder works best with synthetic gun oil, not the normal gun oils of many decades past.

Any time you clean the bore (even with Windex), be sure to follow that with a dry patch - then a  91% rubbing alcohol patch - then two dry patches - then a gun oil patch that is wet, not dripping.

Windex is one of the weakest cleaners to use. So is soap and water. The only time my MLs see soap and water is my sidelock, when flushing out the bolster drum. If it weren't for flushing that drum, my MLs would never see water inside them.

Water/moisture is an enemy to muzzleloaders. Dish soap and water cannot remove carbon, plastic from sabots, lead or copper. Neither can Windex.

[cooltimber]

I haven't hunted muzzle loader,for yr's .After reading this page I decided to take a look. .54 lyman deerstalker.IN 1998 I  Dissembled,and cleaned the barrel in Hot soapy water,took out the breech plug ,and brushed very well.,dried  and a light coat of oil on all part's,including the bore. simple
   I'll add this ,put a[ chrome]  .357 empty case down the bore and using a flashlight you can see any imperfection. THat rifle is just like the day I got it clean and no rust. simple

[T-Bone]

Just to repeat (from another post) my method for cleaning a traditional muzzleloader:
Never use modern petroleum based oils when cleaning; they react with black powder and BP substitutes to produce rust. Cock the hammer; remove the stock pin and take off the barrel. Use a nipple wrench and remove the nipple. In a small bucket, put boiling water and a small (drop or two) of dish washing soap; toss the nipple in and put the barrel nipple hole down into the water. With a shotgun-type cleaning rod; dampen a patch and start working it from the muzzle to slosh out the barrel. Remove the barrel and the nipple from the water; if you used boiling water; they will be amazingly dry. Run a few dry patches down the barrel and of course, dry off the exterior of the barrel and the nipple. Coat a clean patch with T/C Bore Butter or Tradition's Lube 1000 and run it up and down the bore. Wipe down the exterior of the gun with same; re-assemble and re-attach the nipple after a light application of the lube on only the threads and a peek to the light to make sure it is clear. Use of a brass brush destroys the seasoning of the bore and I would only use it on a neglected gun.

The above process is actually fairly quick; however, with any BP firearm, you need to clean it ASAP after shooting. I've shot a traditional T/C Hawken-type muzzleloader for decades with #11 caps and Pyrodex RS Select and never had a misfire by strictly staying to the above.

[PA BEN]

I read somewhere that you shouldn't use normal gun oils, is this true?

Oil and powder don't mix. As long as you dry the bore, your good.

I use boiling hot water; I brush out the bore then place the action in a bucket and pour the hot water down the barrow. Dump that water and add dish soap, pour hot water down again and pump the water up the barrow with the rod and a patch until clear. I finish with more boiling hot water down the barrow and let dry, if you use very hot water it will dry quick and not rust. All small parts I put in very hot water too. I never oil the bore when I'm hunting only the outside of the gun, I oil everything before I store my ML and give it a good cleaning before the next hunt.

[Smoke]

I read somewhere that you shouldn't use normal gun oils, is this true?

Oil and powder don't mix. As long as you dry the bore, your good.

if just cleaning between hunts I don't oil the inside, if putting the gun away for more then a couple of weeks (end of season) I run a oiled patch down the barrel, followed by a dry one, then when comes time to shoot again I pop 2-3 caps first to burn out any residual oil before loading... never had a problem

[Karl Blanchard]

I just use boiling water.  I pull the gun apart and put my breech plug and nipple in a little container with solvent and set it aside to soak.  Then I run a brush down the barrel to break up all the crud.  After that I dump a couple cups of boiling water down the barrel, brush, and repeat.  I will usually do two rinsings.  The boiling water super heats the barrel so any moisture evaporates immediately.  No drying necessary.  While the barrel is cooling, I take an old tooth brush and scrub down my breech plug and nipple.  I also use the little pipe cleaners to get all the wholes.  I blow those out with air to get any solvent I missed and then slap it all back together.  No oils, no mess, no misfires.  Works like a champ!  Usually takes me about 20 min.  I've been shooting the same Knight Bighorn for 13 years now, and she still shoots the same.

[Chesapeake]

Pretty sure windex has ammonia, an oxidizer. It's also a base, so is often suggested to combat (neutralize) acidic powders and primers.
Maybe good for that type purpose, but you would need to then rinse it out and oil the barrel.
I clean with hot soapy water, then dry and light oil. I keep oil out of the nipple and breach plug. I just run a few dry patches to remove the oil prior to loading. Never had any issues with this method.