.54 caliber Thompson Center Help

[Mad Professor]

Lots of good advice so far.

If you can't find real black powder locally, you can have it shipped to some states. There is a hazmat fee so a larger purchase keeps the price/pound lower. Places like Grafs and Powder Inc ship it. Find out what your gun likes before a major purchase.

You will also want a: nipple wrench, ball puller, worm, and some extra nipples.

(Tell the girlfriend that's what you want for christmas :grin: )

A bronze bore brush too.

Traditional ML supplies are getting scarcer to find but lots of good places you can order those from too, Dixie and Track of the Wolf are two of them.

You don't need to waste good patches on cleaning, cut up old t-shirts/underwear.

A good book or three on traditional ML shooting also help. I can recommend The Lyman Handbook/Manual as one.

Welcome, be safe, and have fun.

 

[azmntman]

You will also want a: nipple wrench, ball puller, worm, and some extra nipples.

(Tell the girlfriend that's what you want for christmas :grin: )

:shocked2: that'd be :youcrazy: :slap: she gonna swipe YER bore! :rotf:

 

[nwtradegun]

no, hoppes 9 is for modern smokeless powder. you need to use hot water and dish soap to clean the barrel. black powder forms a type of salt that needs to use water to dissolve it.

 

[azmntman]

Im a big fan of Hoppes #9 Black Powder Solvent and Patch stuff. I have used since i started 40 years ago and (now using Dutch system)and I can say that it is hard to beat as a patch lube but water is by far the better cleaning concoction. I only used it one time to clean with, than back to hot soapy water.

 

[FishDFly]

A bronze bore brush too.


After getting a bronze bore brush, next post will be, how do I get it out of the barrel since it broke off my ramrod.

 

[Rat Trapper]

A bronze bore brush too.


After getting a bronze bore brush, next post will be, how do I get it out of the barrel since it broke off my ramrod.

If you get a metal range rod with a "T" handle it won't break off. If it gets stuck, just put the handle over the edge of the picnic table and pull it out.

 

[FishDFly]

That is one of the most posted topics, removing brass brushes, only to be exceeded by "how do I clean by gun".

 

[Jim C]

..........and what's the best patch lube LOL!

 

[Mad Professor]

But help the newbie. Point him in the direction, HELP HIM !!!

Don't be an "old Idiot" that knows it all, crudembry , callous, and vain.

 

[Mad Professor]

TGod never a brush, yet

 

[Jim C]

Hey, I was only joking, hence the "LOL". You need to tell that to the member who raked me over the coals for bringing up the subject a few mo's back.

 

[19 16 6]

Do you use a bronze bore brush & if so, why ?
O.

 

[Eterry]

Bronze cleaning brushes work great for getting copper fouling out of modern firearms, but I don't use them for my muzzle loaders, never seen much copper fouling in my front stuffers. I got one stuck in my CVA Kentucky years ago and took a lot of blood sweat and tears to get it out. I use nylon brushes if at all. Usually a TIGHT fitting rag on my cleaning jag works fine.

 

[Mad Professor]

Bronze cleaning brushes work great for getting copper fouling out of modern firearms, but I don't use them for my muzzle loaders, never seen much copper fouling in my front stuffers. I got one stuck in my CVA Kentucky years ago and took a lot of blood sweat and tears to get it out. I use nylon brushes if at all. Usually a TIGHT fitting rag on my cleaning jag works fine.

Copper fouling won't come out without the proper solvent like shooters choice even with a stainless brush. Took me weeks to get a neglected M70 shooting good again.

For lead /ML bronze brushes work fine to get imbedded manure loose from riffling grooves that plastic won't.

Never got one stuck yet, but then I'd never dry balled before either...

 

[Rat Trapper]

the metal brushes are ok for ML provided you use a strong range rod with a "T" handle. Once the brush is worn down a little the chance of getting it stuck is low. If it gets stuck the T handle will help ya get it out with ease.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Bottom line is a brush in a muzzle loader can be bad news. Avoid the hassle and use something else. I like the copper Scotch Brite pads. A bit can be cut off the pad, wrapped around a corkscrew wad/patch puller and scrub away. Works great, is cheap and trouble free.