Use water to clean it's fouling.

A mistake made by myself and others concerning this powder, is the mention of perchlorates in the chemical mix.

Apparently it's easier to leave perchlorates on the 'list of incredients' than to replace it with a different chemical, due to labling laws - seems strange to me.

Perchlorates are exceptionally corrosive - perchlorates compose something like 17% of Pyrodex. T-7's chemical composition has changed from Pyrodex's composition and no longer contains perchlorates so it, T-7, should not be as corrosive as Pyrodex.

Bill Knight, a man whose information I respect and value, states he tested T-7 and found no perchlorates in it and that if he had to use a substitute, he himself would use T-7.

He, in no circumstance, would use Pyrodex or any other phoney powder that used perchlorates in it's composition.

As with real black powder, use water for cleaning. You do not need soap or any other corrosive to clean with. Yes, most soaps are mildly corrosive as well or have corrosive ingredients - along with salt in some.

I know many people use soap and scolding hot water - I don't and haven't since 1978, yet have never rusted nor pitted a barrel. I use tap water, cold usually, barely warm at most. I have seen scolding hot water used by a number of people and it ruined their barrels due to the accumulative effect of flash rusting over time, as it flash rusted their barrels every time they clean them. Minor pitting holds fouling and makes loading repeated shots, difficult. Piting also ruins/wears patches and reduces accuracy while promoting leading when bullets are used.

My brother gets to re-barrel rifles every year, whose owners did not abide by our cleaning regime and ended up rotting their barrels. There is information readily given on the net that is not good for your barrels.

We're told T-7 produces higher speeds and pressure when used in equal weight charges, ie: 100gr. of T-7 produces higher speeds and pressure than 100gr. of 2F black powder. I have not chronogrpahed it as I use only black powder.

I have also heard it is on par with Swiss 1 1/2 powder, which suggests one should drop the charge by 15% to match 2f black powder.

edited for futher clarity