Cleaning

[tgiles69]

Just got my first muzzle loader, Black Diamond 50 cal. I'm going to shoot pyrodex pellets and sabots, I would like some tips on how to clean it, I read several differnt things, I've got Bore Butter, Knight saturated cleaning patches, and also Wonder Lube 1000 plus cleaning patches.  Thanks

[smokestak]

Tgiles
sounds like you got the right start.reading these forums has taught me alot recently.I've been at this about 10yrs but most of my exp. is learned from trial and error.
One thing I can tell you is when stored for extended period of time you need to go back and check the bore ocasionaly,dont expect just because its clean its really clean.
I loaned a freind my knight last year he told me it was taken care of got it back this year and the barrel is likely destroyed due to rust

[DesertRam]

I have a BD as well.  I like to remove the sliding striker (that serves as a firing pin), then the breach plug, then take the barreled action out of the stock.  Then you can clean from the breach end just like a rifle with the bolt out.  I use T/C's cleaning solution (can't remember what it's called).  Soak the bore good for ten minutes or so, then run wet patches through until you see no black, then dry patches 'til all looks clean.  Then wipe down the whole action/barrel with a wet cloth to remove all the fouling in and around the breach area.  Make sure to get all of it, inside and out.  Then I like to soak the action pieces in T/C cleaning solution (still can't remember the name) and clean them good with a toothbrush and pipe cleaner.  Then reinstall the action/barrel in the stock and run a light coat of bore butter down the tube.  Reassemble the action components with a dab of whatever lubricant you like.  This method has been working for me for over three years now, so it can't be all bad!

[savageT]

smokestak,

Just a quick comment on your experiences........I have a couple friends (NO really??) that have pulled their muzzle loaders out after 1 yr. storage and found severe corrosion especially in the in-lines around the breech.  I don't own one so I'm going on what I see.  I would strongly recommend pulling barrels off and dunking them in a washtub of HOT, soapy water, using a cotton boreswab and flush the barrel out until the black is gone.  I just don't think you can get 'em clean with b/p solvents alone (even Windex which contains mild ammonia).  Open them up and use a good petroleum based lubricant (I think Vasoline the best) on bores, breeches, nipple channels, etc.  The borebutters, wonderlubes, WD-40's, and Ballistol just don't last long enough when these guns are stored in unheated, damp closets and cabinets.  Humidity/ temp changes attract moisture to even the slightest presence of corrosive salts.  Grease 'em up GOOD!


savageT

[KING]

I kinda agree sith savageT on cleaning your guns.  Now,I dont own one of those new in-lines,nor do I shoot anything except black,But,they still have to be cleaned.  What I would do my friend is to use hot soap and water on the inside of the barrell,also on anything else that the residue gets on.  Rinse well with the hot water after scrubbing.  I dry them right away and the heat transfer from the hot water to the steel will also dry them quickly.  After that a good oiling is in order.  I dont use any of the new cleaning wonders out there,and have been using the hot soapy water for a lotta years.  I have not ruined one yet.  and dont put any PEROXIDE IN  THE BARRELL as a cleaner,it will rust right now.  The hot soapy water might give ya some slight rust residue after it drys,but it will come right off with a little oil on therag and brl mop.  King :toast:

[smokestak]

I agree 100% with your methods I usually clean with coldwater and windshield washer fluid follow up with breakfree oil. I still go back and check it once and awhile. My wife calls it fondling.
I keep all my gns in a steel safe in my bedroom (makes it easy for fondling)with a 15w. light bulb on inside always.
My guns aint nun to purty but always clean and dry

[DannoBoone]

The last couple of years, I've had real good luck using
CVA's Advanced Sabot Shooter's Solvent, til the patches
come out clean, followed up with Break-Free oil. When
cleaning for storage, I take the plug out the end so it can
be cleaned as you would a center fire barrel. Since my
Encore rarely sits around for more than three months, I
can't say that this would work for an extended period of
time.

  Can't remember where I read it, but there's something
else I'm gonna try after Iowa 2d Season ML this year. Using
HOT water (so hot ya need to use a glove while swabbing
the barrel), keep pulling the water up through the barrel with
rod and cleaning patch until it is both clean and too hot to
touch. If scoped, the scope should be wrapped with some
type of plastic to keep it dry. Pull the barrel from the water,
run a patch down the barrel to make sure it is dry. Then
use a light lube such as Break-Free and oil both inside and
outside of barrel while it is still very hot. While cooling, oil
will be pulled into every pore and irregularity that normally
would get none. These microscopic places are  where rust
starts.

  OK, rust can be inhibited with heavier lubes such as
vaseline or bore butter, but I'm with the author of this
method of getting right down to where the rust starts in
the first place.

[KING]

Dannoboone !!!!  This is how I do it soo it may be some help to ya and not make as big a mess.  I have been cleaning my bp guns this way for over 35 years.  I first brush out the bore several times to get out as much of the solids as I can.  After that I attach a fals nipple with a rubber surgical hose attached to it.  This little critter replaces the original nipple on the caplock.  There is an imtem made for the flinters that looks like a C clamp,with the same type of hose attachment on it.  It closes over the touch hole and prevents any leakage of the water.  After this is attached i take the gun over to the sink and start running the hot water tap.  While that is getting warm I run the hose into a 5 lb coffee can.  A this point the gun has not been dismantled.  I stand the gun upright and place a small funnel (they are in the grocerystore where the kitchen acessories are at,and come in differant sizes) in the bore.  I then run hot water into the barrell via a large plastic cup.  The excess water goes into the coffee can.  I will do this until the barrell is hot (generaly a couple cups of hot water does it)  I then use hot soapy water on a bore mop,and run that through a couple of times,then repeat with the brush.  All the crude is not removed and you have a hot barell.  I then point the barrell down and lean it against something for about 15 minutes.  All excess water will be out of it,and the barrel should be dry from the heat.  I oil everything and use good lube after swabbing the barrell with a couple of patches until they are clean.  I always make sure that the entire gun is oiled and the exterior has been cleaned also.  Goos luck,and it dont leave a mess.   Any questions,give me a bump :-D  :-D    King

[Loozinit]

Twenty years of BP hunting has me watered down to the following basics for long bore life:  After a day of shooting at the range, I use the hottest water I can get from the tap or off the burner.  Fill the kitchen sink with it and stick the barrel, breech first, into the soapy water (hooked breech type only - Great Plains Rifle).  I use an ordinary cleaning patch and siphon the water up through the barrel until all is clean and the steel is very hot.  While doing this, the lock and nipple are soaking in the bottom of the sink.  After the barrel is clean I run a patch of clean motor oil down the bore and it will last til h--l freezes over without a speck of rust.  The lock just gets some Break Free.

With my Tennessee Rifle (pinned barrel) I use the tube method described above.  Both of these can be done in camp with a pot of fire heated water and some soap.

By the way - a tip for you flinters out there from a guy who gets rained on alot here in Western Washington State:  take some plumber's putty with you in your bag.  If it starts raining, just flatten out a little and wrap it around the precious parts.  She'll let off just fine.

[wallynut]

I know that everyone has there ways of cleaning, and figured I'd throw in my.02cents.  HOT water till clean, then Kroil on everything.  If the weapon is going to sit more then a week, I'll run a patch with wonder lube grease to lube it up.  I'll run a dry patch thru before the next shoot.

I run with the belief on seasoning your barrel like you would do for cast iron cook wear.  Once seasoned, why would you want to etch it out with some fancy concoction?  I've shot for many years, and if you notice, most of the guys that have been at it for a long time, use only water.  They may oil it up different, but water works the best and don't cost much, unless yer buying bottled water from "Perrier".


Wallynut

[fredj]

When it comes to muzzleloader cleaning there are an infinite amount of
solvent formulas and techniques. Anyone shooting Pyrodex or most of the faux BP's should use a commercial solvent which can put the Perchlorate
these BP substitutes contain into solution and neutralize it as it's only partially water soluable and steel is actualy somewhat porous and you can
destroy a fine bore eventually quite easily, particularly when you use the Bore butter (or Wonder lube) bore seasoning technique.
   With real Black powder plain old cold water works quite well even though it sounds counter intuitive hot water actually contributes to after rusting much more than cold and hot isn't a more effective solvent.
I learned this from a few different older highly experienced BP slug gun shooters ( I was pretty leery myself as I'd always used really hot water
myself)
the best way to dry the bore and get rid of any residual moisture is to
dry patch then run a patch or two saturated with rubbing alcohol which will
combine with any residual moisture then evaporate quickly.
   An excellent rust preventative is LPS either II or III, it's what they use as a rust preventative on nuclear submarines, it's extremely effective
much more so than lots of the established gun oil products, when you're ready to shoot again remove the LPS with a patch or 2 saturated with cheap aerosol Brak-kleen or a similar product, the LPS III is best for
really long term storage where cosmolene or rig would normally be used.
It's important to use Brak-kleen or a similar effective solvent to use to
remove any petroleum derived oils as BP fouling and oil can combine to
create a tough hard to remove asphault thats a bitch to remove and
creates fouling difficulties while you're shooting.
  For between shots BP solvent or after shooting range clean up Glass plus
or any non ammoniated glass cleaner works great, and if you're shooting every week or a couple of times a week you can skip the cold water flush
as long as you use the alcohol and LPS II after you clean, in a pinch you can also use the alcohol to remove any residual oil in the bore before you shoot, it just takes more patches. A very knowledgeable BP expert
(The Mad Monk) recently said he's using Cider Vinegar as a BP solvent
as it's mild acidity is super effective at neutralizing, breaking down and removing BP residue, which contrary to popular belief is actually quite alkaline, not acidic. Once spring comes I'll switch to Cider Vinegar myself
as this guy has likely forgotten more about BP behaviour and chemistry than I'm likely to ever know. Some of the old standby BP solvents like "Friendship speed juice" Murphy's Oil Soap, alcohol and hyrogen peroxide is extremely effective, but I'll only use it in my BPCR's as it
will seep into the breechplug threads of ML rifles and cause big time corrosion problems, some guys use this stuff but de-breech and use
water proof grease or anti sieze compound on the breech plug threads
a couple of times a year. As long as you're shooting real BP you don't need any of the expensive commercial solvents.  fredj