45 caliber muzzleloader qestion

[Dogshirt]

Well, a feller needs to stop an' REHYDRATE once in awhile! 

[hotfxr]

Well, a feller needs to stop an' REHYDRATE once in awhile! 

  I'll (hic) drink to that!   

[pilgrim]

    over the weekend,  I decided to shine the Brass.  It had a nice dull aged  Patina,       but I feel that brass needs to shine,  whereas steel is to be browned  or blackened.    Now the rifle looks like a totally different rifle.  I had problems with the ramrod thimbles.  They had what appeared to be glue on the side that was connected to the stock with a screw.  Not sure if they were meant to be that way,  but they are now NOT  glued and screwed in place.  Also, after removing the barrel,  I had a hard time with the two piece stock separating.   And then getting the holes in the nose cap to align with the holes in the barrel and the two piece stock to fit flush again.     But finally managed to get the rifle back together.  Then and there I decided that the barrel will NEVER be removed from the stock for cleaning.  So I ordered   Ox Yoke's Black Out Muzzleloader Flush Cleaning System.     So now when the item arrives,  then I will be ready to go out and shoot.  I usually I swab out the bore with cleaning solution and patches until the patches came out clean,  then  oil the barrel to prevent rust.   So  this will be something new for me.  Just hope it works, better than what I have been doing,  and works faster.   Hopefully this Old dog can learn new tricks.

     Is there any  member here that uses basically the same  system/method to clean their rifles, other than removing the barrel and placing the placing the breech end in a bucket of water??

[Red Badger]

I ordered a kit from track that was supposed to clamp over the touch hole on patience and allow me to clean her without disassembly... It does not work on a flint lock because of the pan... it does work on a cap lock if I put it on over the nipple... so not a total waste of money.

R.B.

[Patocazador]

Mine was a total waste. It leaked water into the channel between the barrel and the stock. I reverted to a round toothpick jammed in the touch hole and that works well.

[Dogshirt]

I found the flush system to be huge waste of time and money. As well as making a far bigger mess than I usually do when cleaning. All of my rifles have hooked breeches, but Maggie's Shenandoah does not. I STILL find it easier to remove the barrel than to use that thing. YMMV

[Hanshi]

I never remove the barrel for cleaning except with the hooked breech rifle I got from Mongrel.  I do the toothpick wash and then swab & swab until clean.  I do always remove the lock & wipe and oil. 

[hotfxr]

The ones I shoot the most are all pinned with fixed tangs. The others I usually use to teach and those have the hooked breech and they are cleaned with a hand pump and a coffee can, no problem. Of the pinned ones, the only caplock gets turned upside down and flushed with the hand pump but the 4 flinters get the vent plugged and patch cleaned with a bore cleaner while clamped in a downward angle so the barrel drains without making a mess on the wood. Whatever bore cleaner I happen to have will be specifically for black powder. I'm afraid if Pyrodex was ever used in any of my firearms I would be forced to melt them down and use them for fishing weights.

[pilgrim]

     I appreciate the replies concerning the flush cleaning system.    I received the kit today,  so soon I will see if it works or not,  as soon as the snow melts from the range.   I won't ever remove the barrel from a pinned stock again.  When I re-inserted the pins,  the pin caused a splinter on the opposing side of the stock.    I recently had the opportunity to get another rifle.  I don't understand why someone would own a rifle and not clean the barrel?    Any person that shoots a rifle,  any rifle, or handgun,   and DOES NOT CLEAN it,  should be FLOGGED,   SEVERELY.    I have run  several  patches down the barrel, soaked with bore cleaner then ran a brass bore brush, and then used Kroil followed by Ballistol and again a brass bore brush, followed by cleaning patches and dry patches.  Still have some sort of fowling within the first 12"  on the bore.    I plan to take it to the range and shoot it out of the barrel,  then clean as normal,  this has worked for me in the past,  I just hope the barrel is not badly pitted.    I had the same  problem with the .45,  but now near as bad.  I give a big thumbs down to any and all how enjoy shooting but won't clean their rifle etc.  Apparently they never served  in the US Military. 

[beowulf]

rust in the bore , I plug the touch hole or nipple , fill the barrel with white vinegar , and let it soak over night !  dump it the next morning , run a bore brush up and down the bore a few times , flush it out with hot water , allow it to dry and oil it !  vinegar is a miracle cleaner where rust is involved , it`ll also work any other crud loose !

[Dogshirt]

rust in the bore , I plug the touch hole or nipple , fill the barrel with white vinegar , and let it soak over night !  dump it the next morning , run a bore brush up and down the bore a few times , flush it out with hot water , allow it to dry and oil it !  vinegar is a miracle cleaner where rust is involved , it`ll also work any other crud loose !

It will also eat the zinc plating off of screws so they can be blued or browned.

[pilgrim]

rust in the bore , I plug the touch hole or nipple , fill the barrel with white vinegar , and let it soak over night !  dump it the next morning , run a bore brush up and down the bore a few times , flush it out with hot water , allow it to dry and oil it !  vinegar is a miracle cleaner where rust is involved , it`ll also work any other crud loose !

     I have the barrel filled with white vinegar and check it every hour.  Can actually see small bubbles  now and then.  Also rust  is floating on the top now along with something else?.   I hope to leave it in the barrel until I get home from the morning run,  which should be around 9:30 am.   Will it hurt the barrel if I leave the vinegar inside for 19 hours???  I get up at 4 AM and am not much of a morning person until just before I leave for work at 6 AM.

[Dogshirt]

rust in the bore , I plug the touch hole or nipple , fill the barrel with white vinegar , and let it soak over night !  dump it the next morning , run a bore brush up and down the bore a few times , flush it out with hot water , allow it to dry and oil it !  vinegar is a miracle cleaner where rust is involved , it`ll also work any other crud loose !

     I have the barrel filled with white vinegar and check it every hour.  Can actually see small bubbles  now and then.  Also rust  is floating on the top now along with something else?.   I hope to leave it in the barrel until I get home from the morning run,  which should be around 9:30 am.   Will it hurt the barrel if I leave the vinegar inside for 19 hours???  I get up at 4 AM and am not much of a morning person until just before I leave for work at 6 AM.

Won't hurt anything to leave it until you can get to it, but I would question what you will find. Vinegar is fine, but I would go with EVAPO-RUST.

[beowulf]

I generally leave it in 6 to 8 hours if there`s a lot of crud . cousin gave me a  bullet mould few months back , the aluminum part was fine , but the steel parts ( handles , pins,sprue cutter ) were covered in rust ,and you could just barely open and shut the thing .  soaked it over night , took a bit of scotch guard pad too it the next morning , and it now looks almost new , and functions perfectly !  was a tad worried what the vinegar would do too the aluminum . but it had no real effect on it ! 

[pilgrim]

    after approx  19 hours I emptied the barrel of the vinegar.  Poured hot water into the barrel then drained that.  Then took a 45 caliber bore brush and scrubbed the barrel,  followed by a solvent patch  and then dry patches.  The barrel looks better, still a little on the first six inches of the bore.  That I will shoot out.  After 10-12 shots and a thorough cleaning,  the barrel should sparkle.

    Thanks for all the helpful info.