Blackpowder Muzzleloader Cleaning

Just wondering how you clean you reproduction muzzleloaders after taking them in the field? I used to use Thompson Center products, but as they were water based I found they caused flash rust in the barrel.
Since then I’ve been using a bore brush soaked in Butch’s Bore Shine, leaving it for 20 minutes and then running patches until the come out clean. I take out the nupple and bore screw so the excess cleaner can run out.

I then spray WD-40 into the nipple port and leave the muzzle facing down so any residue runs down the into barrel before running patches again and the follow up with a patch soaked in gun oil.

Brass brushes up and down the barrel many times, and then nitrate cleaning solution. Finish up by swabbing barrel with dry patches till dry, followed up REM Oil on patch and run thru barrel. On the range, bore bush every 5-6 rds and then a lightly oiled patch. I have a curved (sewing needle) to prick the nipple and it also pricks the flash hole which is on an angle to the powder chamber. Had that plugged one time after initial bore brushing on the range. Sure was a scary moment, when you have your first hang fire with BP. Held sight picture for 1 minute to ensure no cook off occurred, and let rest for 20 minutes with it pointing down range before I set about cleaning the "holes". I have heard of guys dry firing caps in barrel to remove moisture after cleaning, but for me the nipple/flash hole clogs before anything else. Will be trying my new lead casts soon and will look out for leading of barrel, always commercial rds used in the past. My Dad built my Hawken’s .50 cal from kit in 1974 and it is still as good as the day he built when he gave it to me this November. Percussion cap, not inline shooter.

MikePal and GoldenLakePete should chime in on our techiques, big BP/ML lovers.

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Originally Posted by line052

Brass brushes up and down the barrel many times, and then nitrate cleaning solution. Finish up by swabbing barrel with dry patches till dry, followed up REM Oil on patch and run thru barrel. On the range, bore bush every 5-6 rds and then a lightly oiled patch. I have a curved (sewing needle) to prick the nipple and it also pricks the flash hole which is on an angle to the powder chamber. Had that plugged one time after initial bore brushing on the range. Sure was a scary moment, when you have your first hang fire with BP. Held sight picture for 1 minute to ensure no cook off occurred, and let rest for 20 minutes with it pointing down range before I set about cleaning the "holes". I have heard of guys dry firing caps in barrel to remove moisture after cleaning, but for me the nipple/flash hole clogs before anything else. Will be trying my new lead casts soon and will look out for leading of barrel, always commercial rds used in the past. My Dad built my Hawken’s .50 cal from kit in 1974 and it is still as good as the day he built when he gave it to me this November. Percussion cap, not inline shooter.

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Good idea about the needle. I now clean all the oil out before going in the field and use the spay air used on keyboards to clean the oil out of the nipple and the port prior to hunting. I fire a few caps before hunting and watch for depressions in the snow or moving leaves to verify a clean port. Taking a gun from room temperature to -20 C causes some issues and I make sure I fire at least one shot before hunting.

Took the Crockett .32 out again yesterday. I am still amazed at the accuracy...

When I bought my .45 , the barrel was 'brown'..the first cleaning patch came out absolutely covered in liquid rust. Buddy said he soaked it good with oil before he put it away and that's what it looked like...liquid rust.

It took 2 hrs and close to 1/2 a bottle of Hoppe's 9 to get the patches to come out clean. I then coated the inside of the barrel with Break Free (CLP) overnight and went at it again the next day.

I took out the nipple at the beginning and let most of the cleaning fluids just flow thru the hole at the bottom of the barrel. Once I was happy that it was all loosened up, I took the air compressor and just blew the crap out of the lower breach area thru the nipple hole and then cleaned the barrel again. It cleaned up nice.

For after shooting maintenance now I just use the Muzzle Magic and lots of patches. Again blow out the breach area thru the nipple side with the air compressor. Then a light film of Remington Gun Oil.

I also fire off a cap before I start to load after the gun has been stored....just to ensure any moisture is burned off.

https://www.birchwoodcasey.com/Clean...r-Solvent.aspx



It turned out spotless and no signs of pitting. I used my buddies bore camera on it to confirm.

My wife is very sensitive to chemicals so if I have to clean inside due to inclement weather I use good old hot soapy water in a bucket, put the barrel in the bucket (with the nipple out) and work a patch up and down a few times. Put a clean patch down to see if it comes out clean - if not repeat until it does. Run dry patches through the barrel until the bore is dry.

Soak the nipple separately in hot soapy water and run a pipe cleaner through it until clean.

Then run a patch soaked in "Bore Butter" or similar stuff (sometimes I use olive oil) through the bore and on the exterior. Run a pipe cleaner soaked in the same through the nipple.

If I can clean it outside I use patches soaked in Windex to swab out the barrel and also soak the nipple in a small pill bottle with Windex. Then run dry patches through the bore until the come out clean. Then spray WD-40 liberally.

Pete did you want me to make up some 250 gr .50 cal, will trade for the 320's.

you can make a good cleaner with 1 liter murphy soap oil, 500ml. alcohol., 500 ml. of peroxide. Mix together and swab out barrel or clean all parts including nipple. Does a great job and a bottle will last a long time. Then i put bore butter in barrel.

I'm kind of partial to Palmolive dish soap and hot water. Rinse with hot water. Then dry patch until dry. Then CLP. Before shooting I'll run a couple alcohol/windex patches and then a couple of dry patches, then load.

My Omega is a chemical baby from start to finish.

HA

Thanks. I think I'll give that a try.

Please explain?? chemical baby?

HA[/QUOTE]

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Originally Posted by line052

Pete did you want me to make up some 250 gr .50 cal, will trade for the 320's.

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PM sent.

Chemical Baby - I don't clean it with soap and water. I use Butches Bore Shine, Hoppes # 9 and CLP.

HA

The main thing to remember is the fact that the salt residue from black powder shooting is NOT oil soluble. You must use a water base cleaner or else you are just covering up the salt, it will still be there waiting for a bit of oxygen to start doing damage. It will even attack brass cartridge cases when you fire BP in them.

Butches Bore Shine is designed for BP cleaning. I also don't use black in the Omega I use T7. It has worked for me so far without any problems (i.e. corrosion)

http://www.butchsboreshine.com/home/...bore-shine.php

HA

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Originally Posted by huntaway

Butches Bore Shine is designed for BP cleaning. I also don't use black in the Omega I use T7. It has worked for me so far without any problems (i.e. corrosion)

http://www.butchsboreshine.com/home/...bore-shine.php

HA

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I've been using Butch's Bore Shine and have NO complaints. Any water based products I've used in the past have added flash rust to the barrel, which is why I stopped using them.

As per the BBS, I swab the oil out of my barrel before firing and haven't found any signs of rust since starting to use it. Barrel cleaning is taking half as long and the barrel gleaming when done.

bore blaster works great

What about taking the lock apart for cleaning?