Black Powder Cleaner

Black powder cleaner for muzzleloaders, flintlocks, percussion rifles and black powder revolvers. Black powder fouling is made of salts that pull moisture out of the air, so it can start rusting a barrel overnight, and those salts dissolve in water. That is why the cleaner that works is a water-based one: it dissolves the fouling completely, where petroleum solvents just smear it around. GNP Defend Gun Cleaner is water-based by design, and black powder is where it started: the formula was originally developed for black powder cleanup, then proved itself on modern firearms. Everything here is chemistry, not hardware, so bring your own rod, jag and patches.

The routine is three products. Bore Cleaning Foam goes down the barrel first: it expands to fill the bore and dwells on the fouling, then comes out on a patch. Gun Cleaner handles the breech plug, nipple or flash hole, the lock and the frame, and dissolves the salts that plain water leaves behind without soaking a wooden stock. Dry every part, then finish with Gun Oil on all bare steel: cleaned steel is exactly what black powder residue rusts first, so it never goes back in the case without oil. Gun Cleaner Wipes are the same formula as Gun Cleaner in a wipe, for the face of the breech and the lock between shots at the range.

The full step-by-step, inline and sidelock, is in how to clean a muzzleloader. The order of operations for any firearm is on How to Clean Your Firearm. Shooting modern smokeless loads too? See the best gun cleaner collection.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best cleaner for black powder?

A water-based cleaner. Black powder fouling is made of water-soluble salts, so a water-based cleaner dissolves it completely, while petroleum solvents just smear it around. GNP Defend Gun Cleaner and Bore Cleaning Foam are both water-based, and the Gun Cleaner formula was originally developed for black powder cleanup. Finish with Gun Oil on the bare steel.

Can you use regular gun solvent on black powder?

It is the wrong tool. Petroleum solvents are made for smokeless powder fouling and do not dissolve black powder salts; they spread them around and leave them in the bore to pull in moisture. Clean with a water-based cleaner first, dry the metal completely, then oil it.

Do you clean Pyrodex and other black powder substitutes the same way?

Yes. The major black powder substitutes burn cleaner, but their residue is still corrosive and still water-soluble, so the method is the same: water-based cleaner, dry thoroughly, then oil.

When should you clean a muzzleloader after shooting?

The same day. Black powder residue pulls moisture out of the air and can start rusting a barrel overnight, so clean, dry and oil the gun before it goes back in the safe or the case.