Cleaning a muzzleloader

[ETipp]

This is as good of process as any if you are pulling the barrel. ^^^^^^

That's how I clean mine whenever I remove the barrel every 5-6 times.

 

[user 30577]

For a sidekick muzzleloader, especially if it is a wedge gun, this one should help you out too:

 

[anonymouscowherd]

Room temp water is all that's needed for cleaning ,Ed

If you get the metal hot enough with hot water it will evaporate off and get dry a lot quicker.

 

[ETipp]

If you get the metal hot enough with hot water it will evaporate off and get dry a lot quicker.

That's how I look at it but I about quit using boiling hot water. I do like to use hot tap water, however. It still heats up the barrel somewhat anyway.

The compressed air helps dry out the barrel as well.

 

[eekjellander]

If you get the metal hot enough with hot water it will evaporate off and get dry a lot quicker.

Yup or run a couple of patches thru and have the same clean barrel ready for your favorite oil (mines bear) but coon works fine but the odor might put you off for cooking donuts . Back in the day if water was scarce they used pee but for sure the only water they used hot was for coffee ,and they shot a lot more than we ever did /well maybe not me /Ha

 

[WP79Vet]

If you get the metal hot enough with hot water it will evaporate off and get dry a lot quicker.

Hot is important, IMHO, because it drives the water out of places like screw holes, dovetails, and so forth. Without the heat, the water will remain in these crevices and cause rust.

 

[ETipp]

Hot is important, IMHO, because it drives the water out of places like screw holes, dovetails, and so forth. Without the heat, the water will remain in these crevices and cause rust.

Good point!

 

[eekjellander]

Hot is important, IMHO, because it drives the water out of places like screw holes, dovetails, and so forth. Without the heat, the water will remain in these crevices and cause rust.

Must be something in my water ,30+yrs and no rust !!!/Ed

 

[Wil]

I clean mine with hot tap water but my well water has a lot of iron in it so I have to make really sure I dry everything well. I have a 3-gallon air compressor in the basement along with a hair dryer to aid in the cleaning process. Sometimes I add Dawn dish soap or Ballistol to the water when I do the pumping action with tight patch and ram rod. Then when dry, I coat everything with Barricade Sheath inside and out. Before I shoot,I run and few patches of 91% alcohol through the bore followed by a dry patch.

 

[Hatchet Jack]

I use M.A.P. to clean real black powder from my sidelocks and Whites. For sidelock breech plugs I will let them soak in brake cleaner and BP Blast over night to help break down the carbon build up. Followed up with with a good quality gun oil down the bore. I just can't get myself to use water when it comes to cleaning any gun.
For BH209 I will use old #9 just like cleaning a centerfire bore.

 

[eekjellander]

I use M.A.P. to clean real black powder from my sidelocks and Whites. For sidelock breech plugs I will let them soak in brake cleaner and BP Blast over night to help break down the carbon build up. Followed up with with a good quality gun oil down the bore. I just can't get myself to use water when it comes to cleaning any gun.
For BH209 I will use old #9 just like cleaning a centerfire bore.

Water works for (not any gun ) just ones shooting black powder (proven fact) , you can use anything that makes you feel good but try not to mislead new comers on your feelings!/Ed

 

[Hatchet Jack]

Water works for (not any gun ) just ones shooting black powder (proven fact) , you can use anything that makes you feel good but try not to mislead new comers on your feelings!/Ed

Never said it wasn’t a proven fact. I know it is. Water works just fine. Most of my friends that shoot blackpowder use the soap and water bucket method. This thread is asking how we clean our muzzleloaders. I wrote how I do it and why I use my method. I am clearly out numbered when it comes to this method and why I use it. However I am not the only person who uses this method.
It was never my intention to mislead anyone and I don’t think I did. Just showing a different method.How you could twist it to think I am misleading anyone is beyond me.

 

[HC]

MAP is about 40% water, depending on the (% of the peroxide, and alcohol).

 

[Felonious]

I use soapy water and when it's mostly dry, I have a small spray bottle with 91% isopropyl alcohol that I use to give a light misting to drive the water out of any threads, nooks, and crannies. The high test alcohol acts as a drying agent, and saves me a few hours of air drying time. Once it's dry, everything gets a light coating of Ballistol.

So far, no rust.

 

[Marksman1941]

We shoot pretty high volumes at rendezvous with it traditional rifles, and they get patches all weekend until we get home. At home, we pull the barrel (leave in the nipple), set the nipple side in a sink full of near boiling water that has some murphys oil soap in it. Let it soak for a couple minutes, then push patches through and draw hot water up the barrel until the barrel is full. Let it sit a couple more minutes. Run a few more patches until they come out clean clean. Dump them water out the barrel, dry off the outside with a rag. Run some drying patches through the bore. The hot water evaporates out of the little crevices quickly enough but help it where you can. Leave to dry for a half hour. Finally, liberally coat inside and out with Bore Butter and store. Pop a few caps before loading next time you shoot in case there’s a glob of bore butter against the touch hole.

 

[eekjellander]

We shoot pretty high volumes at rendezvous with it traditional rifles, and they get patches all weekend until we get home. At home, we pull the barrel (leave in the nipple), set the nipple side in a sink full of near boiling water that has some murphys oil soap in it. Let it soak for a couple minutes, then push patches through and draw hot water up the barrel until the barrel is full. Let it sit a couple more minutes. Run a few more patches until they come out clean clean. Dump them water out the barrel, dry off the outside with a rag. Run some drying patches through the bore. The hot water evaporates out of the little crevices quickly enough but help it where you can. Leave to dry for a half hour. Finally, liberally coat inside and out with Bore Butter and store. Pop a few caps before loading next time you shoot in case there’s a glob of bore butter against the touch hole.

Boiling water and bore butter , 2 things my guns will never ever know about!/Ed

 

[Felonious]

.... Finally, liberally coat inside and out with Bore Butter and store. Pop a few caps before loading next time you shoot in case there’s a glob of bore butter against the touch hole.

I wonder if bore butter is one of the culprits of unknown misfires. A nipple pick would go right through it, and after the cap went off, it would melt, erasing evidence of the blockage.

I don't use bore butter, and I don't dry fire a cap before shooting. I haven't exactly been shooting a long time, but so far I've had no issues with grease clogs, using Ballistol or a liquid oil.

 

[Marksman1941]

Boiling water and bore butter , 2 things my guns will never ever know about!/Ed

Why is that, out of curiosity? I've always done it mainly because that's how my family always maintained our rifles, and we've never had a fouling or rust issue with that method. Things are still clean and accurate after 20+ years of constant shooting.

 

[Marksman1941]

I wonder if bore butter is one of the culprits of unknown misfires. A nipple pick would go right through it, and after the cap went off, it would melt, erasing evidence of the blockage.

I don't use bore butter, and I don't dry fire a cap before shooting. I haven't exactly been shooting a long time, but so far I've had no issues with grease clogs, using Ballistol or a liquid oil.

I'm sure bore butter could be part of the problem if people don't pop a clearing cap before loading. I've seen that happen more than once.

 

[ThreePoint]

Isopropyl alcohol works great.