Removing fouling? Season barrel ?

n/a

What non commercial things can I use to do the above?

Sage 1

dandak1

I assume you mean blackpowder or pyrodex fouling and not smokeless powder fouling. I use a diluted solution of windex with vinegar (1 quart diluted in water to make 1 gallon) for cleaning my bp guns, followed by a hot water on patches, followed by clean dry patches, followed by an oil mop. I know the windex with vinegar is "commercial" but it is cheap cleaning solution. As far as seasoning, I tried it once using commercial bore butter and will NEVER do it again. Pitted my bore. A seasoned cast iron pan is black. My gun barrels are still bright and shiny inside despite years of use w/o seasoning (except the pitted one which resulted from the seasoning experiment).

Odawgp

I am a seasoning student

no pits just a light golden brown patina that nothing sticks to

I use dawn dish soap n hot water to clean

then to evaporate the water out denatured alcohol

followed by a swab of grease, Crisco, bore butter or what ever its all the same to me. Just not oil it runs ussually away

Both my inline and traditional cap guns have been cleaned this way and none have pits and both shot the same as they did the day I bought them. maybe even better

If the guys at the mountain men rendezvous are still doing it there must be something to it.

I will do it until I see some harm in it