What liquid should I use for cooling and cleaning?

[Dilettante]

I want to try this.

Recently I asked about cooling your barrel while re-loading. It sounds like some people swish their barrels in water during a long shooting session.

So the next time I shoot, I'm going to leave the barrel in some liquid while re-loading.

I don't see why it has to be water. For cooling purposes, it would be easier to use alcohol or machine oil, since they stay liquid in the freezer.

I'd prefer something that would help keep the barrel clean. Maybe even help lubricate it.

Does this still make sense, or am I going overboard?

 

[Dr.Rob]

This is totally unnecessary. Unless you are banging through pistol mags at a machine gun pace.. in which case you are likely doing more harm to your pistol than a dip in oil would cause.

Say, if your barrel was hot enough to smoke the oil.. you now have cooked grease in your bore and potentially partially obstructed it. That's dangerous.

Ditto with alchohol.. I'm not sure what the flash point is but you'd look rather silly dipping your barrel in a coffee can full of rubbing hooch and having it go off like a cannon.

Slow down.

take another pistol and shoot it while the first one cools off.

 

[J Miller]

Nothing.

Been shooting for a long time and I've never done such a thing.

About the only time I can see doing this is in war time with a batallian of enemy polititions attacking from all sides. It's you or them and you don't want to melt the barrel.

Otherwise, nothing.

 

[CZ-100]

I agree with the first two posts.. Nothing is needed.

 

[Mal H]

Nothing. Never seen it done even by the best there is.

If you do insist on trying the experiment, please don't use oil of any kind. It can easily get to the chamber and you don't want to oil up your chamber while shooting. Sort of like oiling your car brake pads.

 

[Mike Irwin]

Shotgun a beer through the barrel...

Takes care of both you and the gun at the same time...

 

[valnar]

Recently I asked about cooling your barrel while re-loading. It sounds like some people swish their barrels in water during a long shooting session.

If that is recommended anywhere in these forums or on the Internet, I'd love to see it.

-Robert

 

[Penforhire]

I wouldn't do it. But if I wanted to do it I see no reason to prefer other fluids over water. Alcohol is too flammable. Water has magnificent thermal capacity and transfer properties. It would only be improved by wetting agents (hence, Redline Water Wetter for race car radiators). Oil could get dangerously hot to the touch while not giving an indication (like water's steaming). It also wouldn't dip and evaporate completely clear.

 

[BluesBear]

I personally like the feel of a nice warm weapon that has just digested a few hundred rounds of ammo without a hitch.
It makes me smile.

If your barrel were so hot it would sear flesh or something dangerous, quickly cooling it could change the temper of the steel. And that's not a good thing.

 

[RVSinOK]

Bad idea.......

 

[10-Ring]

When my P7M8 gets nice & toasty, I usually just set it down w/ the action open and let it sit for a while and shoot something else. So, I guess my answer is nothing

 

[Moparmike]

I answered the last choice to answer "Liquid Nitrogen" and to be a smarta$$.

 

[CWL]

If needing to cool-off a gun that badly, man has been provided a natural water spigot. Been used a few rare times in combat.

Otherwise, leave the gun alone.

 

[Dionysusigma]

Use shade. Works like a dream, and is available all over the place.

 

[Owen]

i endurance test pistols on a fairly regular basis.

We usually shoot about 250 rounds, at one round a second. We usually have about 500 magazines loaded when we start, so we are shooting the 250 rounds pretty continuously. After 250 rounds we stand the gun up in a special cabinaet that blows air through the barrel. The guns get really hot (hot enough that you will leave skin on it if you touch it.), but they aren't damaged by the heat. I doubt you have enough magazines to get your pistol as we get ours while testing.

IOW, don't bother with the liquid cooling.

owen

 

[Hal]

When Remington was developing the .44magnum they used an open barrel of water to fire test shots into. They ran into all sorts of problems with bulged barrels on their test guns. They finally figured out that the shots were causing the water to spray up and back into the barrels, causing a blockage and in turn, causing the barrels to bulge. The problem went away when they fitted a rubber membrane over the top of the water barrel to prevent the shots from splashing.


Liquid in a barrel?

Nope, not a good idea at all.

 

[m14nut]

Shotgun a beer through the barrel...

I've done this........ but its real gritty to get down....

 

[Waitone]

Hey, Oleg!

Mount this thread in your trophy cabinet. First time I've see unanimous agreement on THR.

 

[marvl]

During European winters in WWII, if a GI's Garand froze up, he could often remedy the problem by taking a whiz on the the rifle's action... oh, wait a minute, wrong problem.