Ultimately I’ll need to mix it up and keep metal in it for a week or so, to see any potential damage. Seriously doubt it, but we’ll test it.
I kind of liked seeing the Kerosine as an ingredient. Easy to source, cheap and I thought it had a pretty good track record as being one of the safer petrochemicals? Been used for decades in kerosine lamps, heaters, stoves known and used as a greaser and cleaner and yet probably has enough oil in it to prevent rust.
Not to mention for washing old people!
I went through all this some time ago. My conclusions were;
Windex for fresh carbon.
Ed’s Red for general cleaning.
Sweets for copper, lead, heavy carbon.
If you think about it, just how much do you use?. Is it worth the effort?
Kero removes all oil, as does petrol. Therefore will not leave a protective coating on the steel to prevent rust.
Diesel is a light oil and leaves a protective coating.
It maybe so, OB, but you don’t have scientists with PhDs in Biomed and Organic Chemistry to help you 
I’ll get there…
Not sure what your comments was about there.
But I think you will find domestic cloudy ammonia will not have enough ammonia in it to effectively remove copper.
BTW. Ammonia is used to make ammonia nitrate, a common fertiliser. Mixed with you know what it makes ANFO.
And ANFO is lots of fun 
Cyanide!?!
That’s going off my shopping list… 
Not sure what your comments was about there.
I mean that you don’t have subject matter expertise to determine what will work best and in what ratios, as people who do this for work… And neither do I for that matter, hence being able to ask someone with this type subject matter expertise is probably going to get better results.
As for Windex and Ammonia and cloudy Ammonia, it’s all the same stuff (one with soap) at different dilution of water. It will work as a solvent, but we are not talking about what will work. Water will work. We’re interested in what will work best at bargain basement prices.
@Oldbloke for me it is something I do a lot of on a couple of guns. Im sure you have read the story’s that more guns are damaged by too much cleaning or cleaning in the wrong way. Thats something I worry about. On the Flip side a gun that is not really clean will foul more and again premature wear.
So the research into what cleaner does what and the most effectively is nearly as important as shooting well loaded rounds it has to be a consistent gun during a days shooting and from week to week. Without looking into the formulations you are just relying on sales / marketing and hearsay.
On Kerosine it is a thin oil distillate so wile it removes grease a bit like Diesel also does a light oil is left behind. Unlike the pure Alcohols like Ethanol or Acetone which i also use in the form of carby cleaner and Brake Cleaner especially before shooting a gun to clean out the Petro Oils and quickly evaporate although I still follow with a dry patch to leave a oil free dry barrel.
Home mades may not always give a stronger or better cleaner but certainly a cheaper product so I think they both have their place. Use the cheap one first to clean out the worst but most easily removed stuff first. I know that is normally 4-6 patches for me. Then move on to the better cleaners and brushes to hopefully reduce the brush use but get a clean gun.
Not any mention of the bore pastes like JB or Iosso and even Autosol has been made of yet. These are recommended by a lot of gunsmiths and barrel makers to be used every couple of 100 rounds as well. They are another topic and the way they are used / applied is also varied from on a brush to a patch on a solid slug to keep parallel sides on the bore.
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Seen it too many times.
I have no idea what’s going on here, but derailment and bit of post pruning is unavoidable. @Oldbloke you’ve lost me with the ‘i we t through all that’ - use Windex statement.
So do you mean, don’t bother or use Ed’s or Hope’s? Or… Sort of lacking conclusion to the statement.
I looked at diy options some time ago.
I came to the conclusion that the above were the best options. Ed’s Red has already been invented (it’s actually a rework of a much older recipe) and goes a good job, cheap too.
It isn’t worth all of the stuffing around trying to reinvent the wheel. Yes if you read the SDS"s (during my work history I have read literaly 100s) you will come up with a fair few recipes but IMO the 3 above do the job.
BTW, Many of the cleaners sold a simple mix of common solvent and oils.
Good luck
PS. Might try moose milk on my 30-06 next time I shoot it.
Yep. Agree. But one needs a mission 
But where will you find a moose that has just calved?
And how are we going to get a chicken to wear leather pantyhose? Naaaarf.
Forget lead solvent, the waste product is highly toxic. Lead should be scraped using course brass wool or the Lewis Lead removal kit, Cheers.
OK, I first tried “moose” milk last weekend on my muzzle loader. Does a good job removing the carbon.
Recipes is, can’t remember off the top of my head, about
8 parts water
2 part water solable machine oil
0.5dish washing liquid.
If your interested google it or send a pm. Busy but might get to it in a few days.