Cleaning Ship's Guns

[Joe Pyrat]

I've watched people clean cannons swabbing with water followed by swabbing with motor oil . They did not dry out the barrel before applying the oil so it occurs to me this might actually keep water in contact with the barrel liner longer then not applying oil, although the oil would limit exposure to the air. It seems to me wither swabbing with a dry patch until all water was removed or depressing the barrel and allowing to dry before applying the oil would be preferable. I am curious as to what procedures our those of you who own and/or fire cannons use?

[Graydog]

We clean the guns at the event with water and dry swabbing.

However, we don't oil them until we get home, by which time have throughly dried.

Edited February 15, 2009 by Graydog

[callenish gunner]

We have always waited several hours before oiling our guns to allow proper drying ...then we will apply a second coat of oil a few days later

[Hawkyns]

We use a mix of alcohol, peroxide, and Murphy's Oil Soap. Equal parts of each. Tip it down the bore and swab till it comes clean, then drop the muzzle and let it drain. On a normal season, with no more than 2 or 3 weeks between musters, it keeps things nice and clean. It also cleans the swabs and they come out white again. Except when putting away for an extended period, I generally don't oil, and even then with nothing as heavy as motor oil. That stuff just gums up and makes a hell of a mess.

Hawkyns

[Crudbeard]

We use a mix of alcohol, peroxide, and Murphy's Oil Soap. Equal parts of each. Tip it down the bore and swab till it comes clean, then drop the muzzle and let it drain. On a normal season, with no more than 2 or 3 weeks between musters, it keeps things nice and clean. It also cleans the swabs and they come out white again. Except when putting away for an extended period, I generally don't oil, and even then with nothing as heavy as motor oil. That stuff just gums up and makes a hell of a mess.

Hawkyns

The Pirates of the Dark Rose are using WD40 liberally swabbed in the bore after cleaning with sponge water dosed with concentrated black powder solvent. While I don't like WD40 for anything mechanical much, it IS water displacing, and I just can't wait for drying out before storage. I like the idea of the Murphy soap, peroxide, and alcohol though, and am gonna try it. Sonds great!

[Joe Pyrat]

I was thinking it might be good to rig some kind of air line with an extension, brass tubing perhaps, that could reach down the barrel to the breach. This could be used to cause airflow out of the barrel and greatly reduced drying time. You could power it using a leaf blower or compressor.

[Scupper]

I've used the peroxide, alcohol and murphys mixed in different time lines over the last 26 years. So far it has done the best job to date.

Scupper

[Commodore Swab]

I supose it might be helpful if you specified if the gun you were cleaning was bronze, iron, bronze with an iron liner, or something else

[Scupper]

I supose it might be helpful if you specified if the gun you were cleaning was bronze, iron, bronze with an iron liner, or something else

I have used it with all three mate! bronze, broze and iron with steel liner and straignt iron

[gunner Gordon]

end of season cleaning involes a trip to the carwash, hot soap cycle, then blowdry on the way home then swab with watersoluble oil( the type used for radiators to lube old time water pumps) the water drys and leaves the oil. The car wash works good on swab heads too. If the guns are stayinr on board, the same process but use a rechagable water type fire ext. filled with boiling water and set up with a high pressure car wash sprayer.