Advice needed on cleaning In Line BP Rifle

[billmaly]

I just bought a VERY lightly used CVA Hunterbolt that is clean as a whistle right now. I have almost no experience with muzzleloaders and need some advice on the best way to clean this gun. I plan on shooting pellets of Pyrodex and saboted bullets, or Powerbelts. It's a modern gun and the primitive approach, while certainly valid and important, just doesn't interest me right now.

On to cleaning. Obviously, brush and patch and oil the barrel, clean out the gunk after shooting/between shots. But, I've read a lot about hot soapy water, hot clean water, cold water, solvent A vs. solvent B, and I am now, officially, confused.

Given the load types I listed, as well as the powder and type of gun, what's going to be the best way to clean and store this thing? Oh, I also keep my guns in a metal cabinet w. a GoldenRod, so moisture condensation ought not to be a major issue during LT storage.

[johnt]

OUCH!,
I wish I could help sum.But I guess I'm stuck on that valid,important,primitve approach and can't be of much help with
your 'modern' gun.
There really should be some information on Pyrodex or powerbelt packaging or their web sites that will guide you to the purchase of their proper cleaning and storage products.
good luck.

[billmaly]

OUCH!,
I wish I could help sum.But I guess I'm stuck on that valid,important,primitve approach and can't be of much help with
your 'modern' gun.

Hey johnt, let me explain. Your post has a tone to it that suggests I was deriding older style muzzleloaders and their shooters. Not true at all.

In reading other posts here at Greybeard regarding ML cleaning, it appeared that the majority of the articles were aimed at cleaning of the older style "flintlock" or sidelock guns, and not newer style inlines.

My own personal interest lies in the newer style in line ML (that's what I own after all), and as near as I can tell, cleaning of inlines with newer style powders/pellets MIGHT differ from cleaning of the older style guns.

Please don't read my original post as trying to state the inlines are in some way superior to flintlock or sidelock weapons, they are not, they are just different. Hopefully this clears up any mistakes I made in the tone of my original post. Thanks.

[kevin]

Well Billmaly, well sir theres all knds of way to clean your rifle thers the cold water method, the hot water method , then there are cleaning solutions that are made by cva ,thompson center ,knight rifles and hoppes , then i  mamaflinter's recipe, the sky's the limit, it a choice that you need to make, if you don't like to you a primitive type of solution and you like and use hoppes 9 or hoppes' bench rest you my what to use hoppes' black powder stuff a friend swears by it, my self a frugale spender my self i use boiling hot water, if your curious send me a e-mail and i'll get back to ya.
                                               kevin

[savageT]

OUCH!,
I wish I could help sum.But I guess I'm stuck on that valid,important,primitve approach and can't be of much help with
your 'modern' gun.

Hey johnt, let me explain. Your post has a tone to it that suggests I was deriding older style muzzleloaders and their shooters. Not true at all.

In reading other posts here at Greybeard regarding ML cleaning, it appeared that the majority of the articles were aimed at cleaning of the older style "flintlock" or sidelock guns, and not newer style inlines.

My own personal interest lies in the newer style in line ML (that's what I own after all), and as near as I can tell, cleaning of inlines with newer style powders/pellets MIGHT differ from cleaning of the older style guns.

Please don't read my original post as trying to state the inlines are in some way superior to flintlock or sidelock weapons, they are not, they are just different. Hopefully this clears up any mistakes I made in the tone of my original post. Thanks.

billmaly,
You punched allot of peoples "HotButton" around here when you asked about cleaning techniques.......I don't own an in-line but cleaning can obviously be done in many different ways.  If I were you, I would go to a good hunting supply store and ask them.  They will sell you what they use and it will work OK.  After you get your feet wet you can start trying other products and techniques.

Some of the home brew formulations will be cheaper than the store bought stuff, but be a little careful about using anything that will leave  corrosion now or later after storage!  Just remember that if you let all the hype scare you, you will never enjoy the sport because of fears of doing something wrong.  I think you can read between the lines.  So clean well, clean often, and until you can say without hesitation, "I know I cleaned that gun"................clean it again a week later!  Send me a PM if I can be of help.

Jim

[johnt]

Well ok billy no offence take'n,
Kevin kinnda said it,It's not rocket science,All BP and faux BP is water soluble(spl?).
Water and a mild sufficant,drying and and oiling to finish is the same with any BP gun as it is with all firearms.The care you put into cleaning is a direct link to performance and longevity of the firearm.
Any oils need to be removed from the bore proir to shooting,same as other guns,
I have heard of some folks gitting a plastic build-up from sabots that needs to be removed,some use a specific plastic solvent.
I really wish I could help more but,those simple to use in-lines seem to have some underlying complications.
 Don't worry about ALL the way's!  Just find one way that works for you and you'll be ok. Check in with Kevin,he'll show ya a way.
best wishes,

[kevin]

when using power belts or any of the other sabots type things, you can remove the stuff with any of the modern chemicals as in hoppes, of use a bronze broe brush, but DO NOT ireapet DO NOT have the butt of the rifle on the ground, have the butt of t5he gun up in the air ,gravity helps when all residue come out when brush is removed , this prosses can also be used at the range , i do this procedure all the time and it works well, i'm sure it will work in in- lines as  it does in my flintlocks and cap guns, it also works real well in my side by sides.
                                            kevin

[The Shrink]

Bilmaly

Let me respond first in general.  There is no difference between cleaning a sidelock or an inline, other than the physical differences between them (i.e. removable breachblock or not).  Black Powder and Pyrodex, as mentioned earlier, are both water soluable, so anything with water in it will do an adequate job.  The reason hot water is recommended has nothing to do with disolving the residue, it heats the barrel, causing the barrel to dry more quickly than cold water will.  Cold water will do an adequate job, as will urine or anything else handy that has a high proportion of water.  

General advice I have read over the years suggests avoiding the use of H2O2, or Hydrogen Peroxide, as way too aggressive.  I had no problem using it, but then I dried and oiled my barrels immediately after cleaning, and I can see the problem for those who don't follow this practice.  I quit using it because it's simply unnecessary.  I've gone to water with a little soap in it, because I'm shooting a BP Cartridge gun and I have the soapy water there to drop my fired cartridges in, it's easy to soak a patch and run it through the bore.  There's no great virtue in the soap except that it helps loosen residue in the cases with little agitation.  

As to plastic, I have no experience with plastic residue, but would think a good brushing would take care of it.  If not, there are products on the market that will dissolve it.  

Don't get overly worried, almost anything on the market designed for black powder will work.  If all else fails, drink some water and spit on a couple of patches!