Last month someone gave me an old bottle of Hoppe’s No. 9. Every gun enthusiast older than dirt knows and loves its unique and familiar smell. Scientists tell us that smells trigger memories. Hoppe’s is proof they are right. That wonderful odor wafting through the narrow neck of the brown glass bottle transports us back across the years.

When I was a kid, certain industrialists’ names were well known in every American home — Kellogg, Ford and others. Hoppe was another household name because in those days one or more guns resided at nearly every address.

That old bottle of bore solvent prompted me to investigate the history of Hoppe’s. The story began when the U.S. Army introduced the new bolt-action M1903 Springfield in 1903, but the rifle had a major drawback. Its ammunition used corrosive gunpowder.

The residue left by burned gunpowder plus its hygroscopic nature (it attracts water molecules) meant that if the barrel of the Springfield wasn’t cleaned promptly and properly, it would rust. Furthermore, cleaning it was difficult and tedious. It took hours to make a special solution that would adequately clean a rifle barrel, and a very dirty bore might require two or three time-consuming cleanings.

Frank August Hoppe, a marksman with the National Guard, committed himself to making a gun cleaning solvent that was easy to use not only after his shooting matches, but also for soldiers in the field. On July 3, 1907, he registered a trademark for a “liquid chemical composition” he called “Nitro Power Solvent No. 9.” The “9” meant his concoction was composed of nine different chemicals.

“No. 9” not only cleaned gunpowder residue, it also removed metal fouling. And a thin coating protected the bore from rust. Shooters from everyday hunters to soldiers to Olympic competitors praised Hoppe’s No. 9. We should probably stop using the phrase “best thing since sliced bread” because the first single loaf bread cutting machine wasn’t invented until 1912. It turns out sliced bread was the best thing since Hoppe’s No. 9.

By the middle of the 20th century when Sears Roebuck and Montgomery Ward sold guns, Hoppe’s was essential to every gun owner. The retailers also sold gun cleaning kits containing their own solvents. A customer might buy the kit, but when it came time to replace an empty bottle of Wards “Westernfield” solvent, he turned to Hoppe’s No. 9.

Frank A. Hoppe also marketed No. 9 to people who were not gun owners, touting it as the miracle solvent that would cut gum, grease, tar and other materials. It was effective and protective on tools, cutlery, machinery, automotive parts, even typewriters–virtually anything with carbon steel in it — but Hoppe never saw the remarkable success of his invention. At age 51, on Jan. 16, 1921, he died from a stroke. His son, Frank Chestin Hoppe, assumed leadership of the company, and oversaw its growth through the 1930s and the war years.

Today, after almost a century and a quarter, the company is no longer family-owned, but Hoppe’s sales and its smell are both going strong. The guy behind the counter at Tall Tales Sporting Goods in Russell, PA confirmed that it’s still the gun cleaning solvent most gun owners prefer.

Hoppe’s has diversified its product line with gun cleaning patches, lubricants, copper solvent, cleaning rods, bore brushes and more, but it’s the smell of No. 9 that has us all hooked. Hoppe’s even makes air fresheners for your car with that intoxicating No. 9 smell. It’s a smell I have loved all my life. If the truth were told, maybe the 1959 hit song titled “Love Potion No. 9” was really about Hoppe’s. (Hey, the timing is right!) Maybe that’s why it has such spellbinding staying power.

Speaking of air fresheners, try punching a few holes in an empty shotgun shell and fill it with cotton or felt. Pour in some Hoppe’s Love Potion No. 9, hang it from your rear-view mirror, and let me know if it works.

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When “The Everyday Hunter” isn’t hunting, he’s thinking about hunting, talking about hunting, dreaming about hunting, writing about hunting, or wishing he were hunting. If you want to tell Steve exactly where your favorite hunting spot is, contact him through his website, www.EverydayHunter.com. He writes for top outdoor magazines, and won the 2015, 2018 and 2023 national “Pinnacle Award” for outdoor writing.