Ed's Red - I'm a believer

[linux_author]

got back from the range this morning and mixed up a very small batch (3 oz.) of Ed's Red... as you old hands know, it's basically equal parts of:

Dexron II ATF
K-1 kerosene
mineral spirits
acetone

mixed a small batch in a stainless 8 oz cup, then used a spare big syringe (one-time use!) to squirt into a stainless 4 oz 'Jerry' can...

remarkably, i also had the prescience of mind to mix, pour, then do the cleaning of my sidewinder *outside* the house (nice day, sunny and breezy)

it works! swabbed bore and cylinder w/a patch, let sit for 10 minutes, then scrubbed everything down w/a bronze brush...

not too bad for about $15 a gallon (had kero on hand from hurricane supplies)

wish i had known about ER a long time ago!

willie
on the sunny and breezy Gulf of Mexico

[OLD and GRUMPY]

Old home brew.

Have wondered 2 things--

How does it work on black powder?

And how does it react with the finish on the wood?

[linux_author]

i'd omit the acetone if worried about wood finish... dunno 'bout black powder - aren't some washes popular in cleaning chores? (i dunno anything about black powder shooting)

willie
on the quiet and dark Gulf of Mexico

[Warthog]

Well, I find the hot soapy water works best on Black Powder.

Ed's Red is old and I have used it many times before but now I stick to Hoppe's #9 and Hoppe's Copper Cleaner if I find my gun getting a lot of Copper fouling.  Ed's Red is cheap and works for a lot of this stuff but I guess I am getting lazy and just don't feel like running around to gather what I need then mixing a lot more than I need and finding ways to store it.

[swolf]

I'm with you Warty--BP needs only soap and water, so buying or making a special solution is unnecessary. The time is spent in properly lubing a black powder load rather than cleaning it up. And I also use Hoppe's products for other cleaning.  I can't imagine that one can save more than a few cents for all their trouble in buying ingredients and spending the time and energy making and storing cleaner.  Maybe that would be a good "hanging out with your buddies" rainy afternoon where a big batch is made benefitting several guys.

[Warthog]

Yeah, mixing it and splitting it would be a nice deal but since I can't seem to find any friends here, I will stick with Hoppe's.

[OLD and GRUMPY]

Would probably need a HazMat permit to buy it all at one time! 

Soap and water is best for cleaning BP.

Hoppe's  BP  cleaner and patch lube works well. I swab with it at the range then soap and water at home.

[Warthog]

Huh, good to know OandG, never tried that type of Hoppe's.  I usually take mine home and disassemble it and drop it into a pan of too hot to use water with soap and let it soak a while them when it gets to a temp I can handle I get it nice and clean then lube it up really good (after it is dried of course).  I have a small  sonic cleaner that I got at harbor freight and if the parts will fit, I put it in there once it is clean and dry and let the lube get all in the deep and so far I have never had anything get rusty on me.

[OLD and GRUMPY]

Revolvers don't need swabbing at the range but the muzzle loaders stay better with a light swab every few shots.  At the end of the day I will mop it sloppy  and leave it wet till I get home. Softens the crud. Then Dawn and hot water.

I am trying to post this with a 8 month baby girl slapping the keys and jumping on my gut!

[WECSOG]

I've been using ER for about 10 years now. For black powder I use hot soapy water. If I need to clean BP guns in the field or at the range (between shots), I use rubbing alcohol and have done so for about 40 years.
For corrosive primers in surplus guns, it's Windex followed by Ed's Red.

[autofull]

warty, no friends. heck i never met ya and i like to consider you a friend. their loss dude.  kevin.

[linux_author]

FYI: found a site with more information than i think i'll ever need with various formulae (not a black powder-focused discussion though):

http://frfrogspad.com/homemade.htm

hth,

willie
on the free state on the Gulf of Mexico

[Uncle Fatso]

Willie, thanks for the interesting link.  I forwarded to my shooting buddies.