Cleaning Your Muzzle Loader?

[bowtarist]

After reading Pearly's post over and over...5 pages so far, Cleaning of the muzzle loader has come up. I have been shooting black powder since I was 14 years old in the mid-eighties and have always cleaned it the way I was taught back then. Never really been around any one else cleaning theirs too much so I was wondering how you all go about it?

Here's what I do. If in the field between shots I run a patch or two of powder solvent down the barrel and keep shooting, but when the day is through, I again run a patch or two of solvent down the barrel, then remove barrel, (I have used a small rubber hose hooked to the nipple too, but only on one gun that has several pins holding the barrel on, a Dixie Mountain Rifle) remove the nipple, sorry flinters, and submerge the butt end of barrel in boiling water and start running jag and patch up and down and changing patches til they run clean. Then I remove from water, dry off the hot barrel and run a couple patches of WD40 down there. I usually use the back of the last WD40 patch to wipe the gun barrel down, shoot a squirt of WD40 into the hole the nipple screws into and let it cool then return it to the stock. Before I load it again I'll pop a cap, then go ahead and load it.  I ain't had a miss fire for a long time, but that's another story why that used to happen to me.

Wondering how some of you all clean your black powder rifles?

Thanks, dpgratz   

[JW_Halverson]

I have a flinter that is not pinned together, so it is easy to remove the barrel and drop it butt first into a bucket of hot water and dish soap.  LOTSA patches up and down the barrel, so it pumps water in and out thru the touch hole.  I often rinse with a teapot full of boiling water down the barrel so that the barrel ends up plenty warm.  I then stand the barrel muzzle down on a paper towel while I dump out the soapy water.  Couple of dry patches down the barrel and then while it is still hot, I stick a toothpick in the touchhole and shoot a 5 second blast of WD-40 down the pipe.  One finger covers the muzzle and I tip it back and forth so the WD-40 picks up all the last of the water.  Drain and rest muzzle down on another paper towel while I disassemble the lock and clean that with fresh hot water and soap.  The lock parts get paper toweled dry and are blasted with WD-40 before assembly. 

The whole mess sits for several hours to drain WD-40 off.  Then I wipe everything down with deer fat on a rag, inside and out.  Lastly, I hit several bearing points with beeswax and point a heatgun on it for a moment.  Then, one last wipedown with a dry rag.  Reassemble the works. 

The flintlock that is pinned gets the traditional patches and solvent in-n-out x 1,000.  Fortunately, that barrel has round-bottom rifling and comes clean after only about 40 patches. 

[JW_Halverson]

Before folks start talking about never touching the inside of a barrel with a solvent or detergent because it will "ruin the seasoning", think about this: Why don't they make cast iron frying pans out of steel?  Because cast iron is porous and steel is not. They make steel pots and I challenge you to "season" one with fat or grease. 

Once upon a time muzzleloaders (at that time they were just called guns) were made from wrought iron.  THOSE barrels can be seasoned.   

[Ed Brooks]

I have used a few different methods. I use Dawn dish washing liquid in a bucket of hot water and swab like above. I've use Simple Green and a lot of patches, then run a lot of dry patches followed by a TC Bore Butter patch. When I go to load up, I'll run a dry patch, after that I'll snap 4 or 5 caps, I'll point the muzzle at a blade of grass a leaf just to see that air is moving out the end when snapping caps. Ed

[artcher1]

I don't own a flintlock or use black powder. For my cap locks I shoot a substitute like Triple Seven where only water is required for cleaning . But I still like hot water and Dawn. Air hose after that with a nice coating of Bore Butter for storage.

I've read and be told by several gun smiths to never use WD40 on any firearm. So I'll stick with that advice for my MLs also.

Cleaning is pretty straight forward really. Where folks get in trouble with cap locks is busting caps to clear the nipple, load and hunt all week without discharging daily and cleaning. Or just busting caps in general and not cleaning. Spent caps are more corrosive than burnt powder. You can however, load, hunt all season without having to discharge your rifle daily and still be assured it'll fire when needed. Often I won't clear my rifle until just before next season. Never failed once to discharge. And I don't get any corrosion because I've not busted any caps or fired the rifle.  Common sense and precautions is all that's needed...........Art

[KrisDelger]

Generally on mine in the field I go with the tried and true solvent soaked patch and run it through the barrel followed by a dry patch then continue shooting. At the end of the day I disassemble, remove the nipple (I've yet to finish my flinter so I've got my two rifles and two revolvers all cap) [if it's my revolvers I remove all the nipples from the cylinder] Then I flush the barrel [or cylinder and barrel] with hot water (Not quite boiling but super hot) then I spray some gun scrubber down the barrel [and cylinder] on the gun. After I've sprayed in the gun scrubber I let the barrel sit muzzle down on a rag for a few minutes. Once It's stopped dripping gunk filled oil solvent from the muzzle I give it another flush through with hot water. After it's been flushed out again I run a gun scrubber soaked swab in and out of the barrel to make sure the rifling is scrubbed out. Then it's time for another flush of hot water and hang the barrel [and cylinders] up to dry in front of the heater for about 15 minutes. After they're dried out I spray in a heavy coating of rem oil then sway with a dry patch to pick up excess oil.

Once that's done I wipe down the outside of the barrel with a grease cloth and re-assemble the barrel and stock. As for the lock I disassemble and give everything a good wipe down with gun scrubber followed by a good wipe down with a dry soft cloth, inspect the mainspring, hammer cup, and sear. before re-installing the lock I give it a light coating of oil. As for the trigger set for the lock I just give it a swabbing with cotton swabs and some oil to keep it lubricated and clean. The nipples I submerge in gun scrubber then rinse them down, dry them off, stick a tooth pick into the nipple then I give it a shot of oil and wipe it down to keep it nice and clean.

Yes it takes me about an hour to clean my black powder guns 

[PEARL DRUMS]

I use a half sink full of warm water. Stuff the barrell in with the nipple removed and run a wire brush through it several times while pouring a cup of water through. All the goo comes out. Then I run a few No 13 soaked patches through and get it clean. Then I run a few dry patches down. I follow that with one pass of gun oil and another dry swap. I dont leave oil on or in my gun. I honestly can count my misfires on one hand over 6-7 guns and 20 years. All those where on the range with a dirty a** gun.

If you really want to kick it up? Attach your cleaning rod to a cordless drill and wire brush. Run that up and down a few times and she will sparkle like new. Nothing gets left behind.

[Eric Krewson]

I toothpick the touch hole, pour the barrel full of water(doesn't have to be hot), let it stand for 15-20 minutes, pull the toothpick, dump out the water, give the barrel one more filling to rinse it out, dry with 5 or 6 patches, give the barrel a squirt of WD-40, a few patches to dry out the WD-40, run a patch of PT Blaster down the bore, put the barrel muzzle down for a day or so, one more patch a week later to make sure everything is OK.

If I have been shooting a lot I found I need to scrape the fowling off the breech plug face with what else... a breech plug face scraper on my ramrod.

[nclonghunter]

My flintlock has a drilled vent hole, but some have a screw in vent. I stick a toothpick in the hole and fill with HOT water. I take a jag with a cloth patch on it and pull the toothpick as I shove the patch down the barrel. Face the vent hole down so ALL the hot water squirts out the vent hole. I have already removed the lock. Once the water is out I run the patch several times up and down the barrel. Plug the vent hole again and pour the barrel full of HOT water again. Keep doing it until the water and patch are clean. No sign of black. Last time the barrel set with HOT water for several minutes, then just pour it out the end ( makes barrel real hot) and sorta sling the water out (gently). Run several dry patches down the barrel to get it dry. Stand it with muzzle down for a while, then run a Wonder Lube patch down the barrel to lubricate it. Make sure you get a little lube in the vent hole. About 3-5 days later run another lightly lubed patch down the barrel to check for light rust. If done correctly no rust will be found. You can run a little added liquid soap the first couple barrel flushing, then clean water. I will check my BP guns occasionally just to run a lightly lubed patch.

I have heard WD-40 can get into the breech threads and set. Hard to get it out. When powder is loadeded it can draw or pull the oil out of the threads. Probably wouldn't keep the gun from firing unless a lot was in there, but it could change the load. Grease or tallow for flintlocks, no oil for me. If it was easy more folks would do it...Flintlocks are great!

[Buckeye Guy]

Pour boiling water down the barrel !
When the barrel is half full put thumb over the end and shake till the chunks come out
Then pour boiling water thru till its clean and to hot to hang on to, wipe her down and done unless you  are putting away for extended time then oil her up with bore cleaner
The lock and other parts may need some fancier work ,follow what JW said already

 If a gun has had triple seven or other counterfeits used in it I walk away from it shaking my head thinking what a waste ! Poor gun .
 There seems to be no way to get that stuff out of a barrel even the wire brush on a drill wont touch it
I strongly recommend black powder only !!!
Guy

[Danzn Bar]

Amen Guy, black powder is the way to go, easy cleaning, and if you DO NOT use petroleum grease or oils your barrel will become a season cast iron skillet and be very simple to clean with hot water.
Just IMO
DBar

[Alpinbogen]

I usually use a clear vinyl tubing assembly with a rubber O-ring that clamps around the touch hole.  I drop the weighted end of the tube in a small container holding warm water.   I then scrub the barrel with a wet patch on a cleaning jag.  On the up-stroke, the wet patch creates suction that draws the water up the tube and into the barrel.  On the down-stroke, water is pushed back out.  I alternate repetitions of using the wet patch and brass brush, changing the water a couple of times until my patches are clean.  I then dry the barrel with patches, paying particular attention to pumping them near the breach to blow water out of the touch hole.  (My guns have something of a patent breach, which is hard to access.) 

After that, I lube/protect the bore.  If I won't be shooting for a while, my strong preference is to use Break Free CLP.  It's an excellent protectant that won't create a glaze or gum over time.  Also, if I wasn't thorough enough with my warm water routine, my Break Free patches will remove it (and clearly show it).  However, if I'm cleaning during hunting season, when I don't want to worry about getting all of the oil out of the bore before loading again, I lube with Lube 103, which is something along the lines of chap stick in consistency.  I can simply load and shoot the next time out, with no barrel wiping needed.  The Lube 103 is also a good patch lube and is perfectly adequate for storing guns for several weeks, but Break Free is much better for longer periods.

To clean the lock, I drop it in a container of warm water and clean with q-tips and patches.  I shake, pat, and blow it dry, then lube also with Break Free, trying to avoid getting it in the flash pan.  I also shake, pat, and blow excess oil off, then reassemble the lock onto the gun.

[Knapper]

For years I cleaned my muzzle loader as most have explained here. I guess in the past few years I have got lazy but a fellow primitive shoot showed me this and it the way I've been doing it the past three or four years and haven't seen any problems so far. I use a mixture of hydrogen peroxide , isopropyl alcohol, and Murphy's Wood oil soap in equal parts. Swab inside of barrel till clean, wipe down out side( wood and iron) store till next use. Cuts cleaning time in half.
Knapper

[KrisDelger]

Amen Guy, black powder is the way to go, easy cleaning, and if you DO NOT use petroleum grease or oils your barrel will become a season cast iron skillet and be very simple to clean with hot water.
Just IMO
DBar

I've tried to get mine seasoned like everyone talks about and I only shoot actual black powder through the guns I have but my rifle barrels won't season don't have any clue why. The revolvers won't season either but they're revolvers so they are more just for fun to shoot.

[Eric Krewson]

The general consensus on all the M/L boards is that seasoning a barrel is a myth but a very persistant one that gets passed on generation to generation.

When I install a breech plug I put so much high temp ant-seize compound in the threads there is no way anything is going to gum up the threads. I use the same stuff on my tractors 3 point hitch turnbuckles, lasts for years even after being in the grime of tilling and bush hogging.