Wingman Posted January 4, 2016 Report Share Posted January 4, 2016 Evening all I was chatting to a mate at work today that reckons he cleans his shotgun by plugging the barrels and filling with white spirit and then leaving it in for a few hours. Reckons it's dead easy to scrub all the stubborn fouling out after treating like this. Has anyone ever come across this or is he taking the ****? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beretta28g Posted January 4, 2016 Report Share Posted January 4, 2016 Dunno, I use methylated spirits for cleaning rifles, only on patches tho, and in conjunction with proper solvent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
point and shoot Posted January 5, 2016 Report Share Posted January 5, 2016 methylated spirit for me. works wonders on semi auto pistons when soaked overnight. so should be as good on barrels. Les Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingman Posted January 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2016 didn't think about meths but may be worth a go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted January 5, 2016 Report Share Posted January 5, 2016 I use a soak in mineralised meths for gas pistons and de- oiling rifle barrels However white spirt creates rust meths does not Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sportsbob Posted January 8, 2016 Report Share Posted January 8, 2016 Meths contains between 5% and 10% Methanol with the balance being Ethanol hence the term methylated. Methanol and Ethanol are both Hygroscopic that means in simple terms it absorbs water from its surroundings. When the spirit evaporates it can leave some water behind which will cause rust, I have a fair amount of experience with engines that run on Methanol and it is a well established fact that you should run the engine dry of all fuel while they are still at operating temp and apply oil to the inlet port and circulate it round the engine to prevent corrosion to the bearings. White spirit however leaves a slightly oily deposit so it should not cause rust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted January 9, 2016 Report Share Posted January 9, 2016 Meths contains between 5% and 10% Methanol with the balance being Ethanol hence the term methylated. Methanol and Ethanol are both Hygroscopic that means in simple terms it absorbs water from its surroundings. When the spirit evaporates it can leave some water behind which will cause rust, I have a fair amount of experience with engines that run on Methanol and it is a well established fact that you should run the engine dry of all fuel while they are still at operating temp and apply oil to the inlet port and circulate it round the engine to prevent corrosion to the bearings. White spirit however leaves a slightly oily deposit so it should not cause rust. One should check this I believe it's the other way around guns are de- oiled with mineralised meths never white spirt for this reason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sportsbob Posted January 10, 2016 Report Share Posted January 10, 2016 Are you saying my post is incorrect ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted January 11, 2016 Report Share Posted January 11, 2016 Are you saying my post is incorrect ? I suspect someone has mixed the two up At some point that's all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingman Posted January 11, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2016 I actually ended up buying a litre bottle of pure acetone from my local hair salon supplier, only 4.99. I am planning to mix up some Ed's Red with acetone included and see how that works. Seems like a fun thing to do and if it works could save a bit of cash on over the counter cleaning juices! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZG47 Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 (edited) White spirit is a trade name registered by Shell for a high grade of kerosene, also known as Stoddard's Solvent and Mobil Pegasol 3040 (Mobil Pegasol AA is unleaded petrol i.e. Coleman Fuel). White spirit is the correct grade of kerosene for kerosene camp stoves and for hurricane lanterns (as opposed to lighting fuel kerosene sold by hardware stores, which burns less efficiently and creates more soot). White spirit is also a paint solvent. White spirits is a colloquial name for Coleman Fuel, aka Mobil Pegasol AA, Shellite, Mobilite, Britolite, etc. YOU NEED TO BE CAREFUL TO AVOID CONFUSION BETWEEN THE TWO PRODUCTS. Some hardware/paint stores have gotten to the stage where they will not have anything to do with either product (except perhaps, when selling to trusted tradespeople) due to casual customers who neither read instructions nor listen to what they have been told and who have come to grief! Edited January 16, 2016 by ZG47 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 I don't think I could be bothered to leave my barrels standing up somewhere full of liquid for a few hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 I had a 34" long barrel bath made when I was shooting a lot more, I would leave the barrels submerged for a week at the end of the season, remove the plug and drain out all the liquid. Amazing how much **** came out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingman Posted January 16, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 Thanks guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrowningB525 Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 Evening all I was chatting to a mate at work today that reckons he cleans his shotgun by plugging the barrels and filling with white spirit and then leaving it in for a few hours. Reckons it's dead easy to scrub all the stubborn fouling out after treating like this. Has anyone ever come across this or is he taking the ****? Bit of a waste of white spirit. I use Ed's Red which uses white spirit as an ingredient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortune Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 I actually ended up buying a litre bottle of pure acetone from my local hair salon supplier, only 4.99. I am planning to mix up some Ed's Red with acetone included and see how that works. Seems like a fun thing to do and if it works could save a bit of cash on over the counter cleaning juices! Bit of a waste of white spirit. I use Ed's Red which uses white spirit as an ingredient. This is the way to go chaps. Ed's Red is blooming marvellous stuff. Cheap as chips and effective. Good old Ed. I use it in conjunction with a Turks head brush. The brush hasn't ever damaged the surface of any of the barrels and with the Red it shifts anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bb Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 I use Ed's Red which uses white spirit as an ingredient. Have you a list of ingredients in English, not American? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 petrol / deseil mix..........scrub out with bronze brush..........push out with kitchen tissue patches.....oily jag............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 Can I ask if anyone who makes and uses Eds Red finds that the acetone part evaporates away quickly? I ask because I have heard many good things about it, but it seems that owing to the volumes in which the ingredients come - you will end up with enough to last a long time. But does the acetone evaporate away. Some things seem to escape from even good screw top containers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortune Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 It depends on what you keep it in. anyway if it evaporates a bit chuck in some more acetone. the mix doesn't have to be precise. it's not important. As long as it's got the base of the mix it will do the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrowningB525 Posted January 17, 2016 Report Share Posted January 17, 2016 Have you a list of ingredients in English, not American? It's a home made gun / bore cleaner, found out about it browsing the the net. It's a mix of 1 part paraffin, 1 part acetone, 1 part white spirit, 1 part atf. Widely used in the states, loads of info on the web. i found it works very well and 4 litres will last years. Here's one link- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bb Posted January 17, 2016 Report Share Posted January 17, 2016 It's a home made gun / bore cleaner, found out about it browsing the the net. It's a mix of 1 part paraffin, 1 part acetone, 1 part white spirit, 1 part atf. Widely used in the states, loads of info on the web. i found it works very well and 4 litres will last years. Thanks for that, now we know what the chemicals are called here in UK. I have read that acetone is i) fairly nasty stuff and ii) only really necessary if cleaning plastic residue from a shotgun, thus it can be left out if not needed. Also, many recipies include lanolin as a lubricant which protects the gun after cleaning. As said, 4 litres is going to last for years! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert Posted January 17, 2016 Report Share Posted January 17, 2016 What do gun shops use? there for sale guns always look gleaming Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted January 17, 2016 Report Share Posted January 17, 2016 What do gun shops use? there for sale guns always look gleaming Whatever they use, some use far too much of it. I have handled guns in shops which have been nearly dripping oil. Not good for the wood. 'Proper' gunmakers/smiths the guns are often handled with an oily rag - and whilst clean, are never running with oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrowningB525 Posted January 17, 2016 Report Share Posted January 17, 2016 Thanks for that, now we know what the chemicals are called here in UK. I have read that acetone is i) fairly nasty stuff and ii) only really necessary if cleaning plastic residue from a shotgun, thus it can be left out if not needed. Also, many recipies include lanolin as a lubricant which protects the gun after cleaning. As said, 4 litres is going to last for years! I did add the lanolin. Yes acetone is pretty nasty. I would leave it in though. It is an important ingredient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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