What should a new guy get?

[Tracker0721]

Started my TC kit and I’m looking for what I’m gonna need to buy. Already ordered new front and rear sights and a toe plate from track of the wolf. So for the gun I should have everything. But for starting muzzleloading, what should I get?

I’m looking at the CVA deluxe cleaning kit, 2.5” patches, Hornady one shot for ML, a bore light to see how clean or pitted this barrel is, found a in-one tc nipple wrench and tenon key tool, nipple pick, bore butter, so I think I should be good for cleaning. For shooting I was gonna pick up balls, powder, nipples and some lubed patches at sportsman’s warehouse. Gonna make my own powder horn I think. Am I missing anything? Anything I don’t need or that I should get specific?


Oh, and I got my butt plate fitted, shortened the stock by 1/4” or so because the original had a bad gap. That’s the hardest part of a build isn’t it? Fitting that shape. I shoulda made a smoke lamp, or had inletting black. Did it by eye.

[JW_Halverson]

Get a nylon "range rod".  Being soft nylon it will not wear the crown of the muzzle, be plenty flexible, and unless you are bone-stupid...unbreakable (I have broke two). 

Now buy three each bronze bore brushes, loading/cleaning jags, ball pullers, and breech scrapers.  Put one each together in a small  muslin bag inside your shooting pouch so that when you lose one you lose them all at once. Efficiency! Put the others in a zip lock baggie and put it where you will remember. Immediately forget where that was.

You should always have a few old toothbrushes to clean the inside of the lock mechanism and various small places. Collect them, never throw them out, you will need at least a thousand. Cover your whole workbench with 'em. Fill coffee mugs, vases, canning jars, beer cans with the tops cut off jaggedly, in drawers, cupboards, and in unusual places like shoes. One never knows when one will need one and one should always be handy!  Never mind the noises coming from your wife. These are for cleaning and she is happy that you are doing some cleaning.

Got it now?

[Tracker0721]

Clear as mud bud! Actually I’ve already started the toothbrush collection. That and q-tips, girlfriend thought I was super into hygiene. Actually just clean firearms.

I was gonna ask about range rod material. Someone was saying brass was better then fiberglass. Didn’t think about nylon. I always thought fiberglass was best... I saw that the YouTube guy capandball has a pretty cool crown protector that he slides onto his range rod.

A shooting pouch! I forgot that I’ll need something to carry everything!

[Hawkdancer]

A ball puller and patch worm, at least one spare ramrod and short starter,  a couple round ball molds, and lots of patches.  An adjustable powder measure, for sure, or make one to suit your fancy from an antler fork, depending on how primitive you want to go.  A rod puller would be nice.  I like to use brake cleaner on the lock, out of the gun of course!  And Ballistol to lub it after it is clean.  There are many ideas on cleaning and lubing your barrel, but use whatever works for you!  Baby butt wipes work well, cut them in thirds, fold in thirds, takes about 10 -12 swabs, and she's clean, usually!  Hot soapy water with the nipple out, and a siphon pitch on the jag.  If you can find one, a surplus .50 cal machine gun cleaning rod is virtually indestructible!  Put a bore guide on it, though.  Remember, PGIF,
Powder goes in first!  Dry balls are embarrassing . Good luck withe build, post pics and stay safe shooting!
Hawkdancer

[archeryrob]

IMO, don't go crazy on cleaning stuff. I have a left insulated rubber glove and I boil about 2 gallons of water to about 180° to clean my hawken. Pull the barrel and wipe it clean, pull the nipple and drop in a glass of hot water with the barrel pin. I have a 1 gallon string bean can and old patches and pour 3/4 gallon in the can. Plunge that barrel with the hot water. Dump the water and refill can and plunge the barrel again to rinse. Carry Hot Azz barrel inside, with insulated glove still, and sit upright to cool and water evaporates out in 3 minutes.

Been doing this with this gun since 1990 and its still killing targets and deer fine with FF and .490 RB's 

But think Clean, clean, and clean with BP rifles. When you don't it will rust and misfire. Seen buddies do it all the time.

Lost a doe last season from a cap failure, never went off. Good luck, its a great hobby. I lobe my 2 1858 pistols too. 

[Eric Krewson]

Most of us don't use hot water in our guns because of the flash rusting that happens almost immediately when you dry the barrel. Everyone has their own method though.

All my guns are flintlocks with fixed barrels that I don't take out of the stock for cleaning. I swab with room temp water and a patch, lots of dry patches to dry the bore, dump some alcohol down the bore to absorb any remaining moisture, a few patches to mop up the alcohol followed by one with WD40 or Balistol and finish up with a patch soaked in Barricade.  If I am going to leave a gun put up for a long time I give the bore a swab with a patch a patch lubed with Rig.

Like I said, we all do it differently and most methods work just fine. I will tell you not to use Rem Oil as your final swab to protect your barrel, I had one rust badly when I did.

[archeryrob]

I haven't cleaned a flintlock yet, but watched plenty of people do it with a green twig/toothpick in the touch hole and hot water the same. I know with the 180° water and my barrel is dry shortly after I sit it down inside. Its the same way they cleaned them before the 1900's. Mine still goes bang and the deer still fall over and I can still hit the pie plate at 100 yards.