Barrel flush tool

[longshot47]

Tryin' to get a fix on whether those clamp-on [avoid removing the barrel] type cleaning aides perform well [no leaks/marring] --and which, if any, can be recommended for flint. I recall seeing fragments of info on these things in random posts and have done due diligence with the search -but can't seem to get on target. Opinions invited. Thanx....Longshot :hmm:

 

[Black Hand]

Sir,
This type of contraption is not really needed. Just plug your touch-hole with a wooden toothpick and add cold/warm/hot water with/without soap to your barrel. Allow to sit a few minutes and pour out. Scrub with damp patches/tow and dry. Lube as you see fit. I like to remove the lock and clean the touch-hole with a pipe cleaner. I like to remove my barrel once a year or so to check the underside for rust just in case.
Black Hand

 

[Hoyt]

I bought one and don't use it that much..it's a pain to get on right and keep from leakin.

 

[bob1961]

try and get a brake bleeder valve the fits yer touch hole threads and epoxy a hose on it then use a rubber o-ring to seal it as ya hand tighten it to the barrel and with a weight of some sort on the end of the hose in yer pale of water....ya can even drill the valve out to a bigger hole on the inside...........bob

 

[davy]

try and get a brake bleeder valve the fits yer touch hole threads and epoxy a hose on it then use a rubber o-ring to seal it as ya hand tighten it to the barrel and with a weight of some sort on the end of the hose in yer pale of water....ya can even drill the valve out to a bigger hole on the inside...........bob

Here is a photo of a tool I made to flush my flinter barrel with .. it is simply a correct thread size bolt drilled into which I silver soldered a copper 1/8 plumbing fitting on to match my rubber hose size! You can shorten the bolt and install a simple o'ring to make it watertite! Or use plumbers teflon tape::

Davy

 

[Stophel]

I use one and like it. Clamps on easily, doesn't leak. No, it is not necessary, but nice. I only use it when I am in the shop.

 

[longshot47]

SIMPLICITY RULES! -and I've never heard it made simpler [bullseye Blackhand]
I'm also liken' the resourcefulness of the threaded bleeder valve solution -which begs a try.
Shoot more/clean less. Thanx all.
Longshot :thumbsup:

 

[JOHN L. HINNANT]

Greetings Longshot47,

While it is no secret that I am a strong advocate of the flush tube method, one point seems to get overlooked.

Not every rifle or handgun needs to be bore cleaned by the flush tube method.

For me, this method is primarily used with percussion rifles (or flintlocks) that have a patent breech or Nock Breech breaching system, but also works well with a percussion drum/nipple ignition setup.

Flintlocks that have the standard traditional screw-in breech can be quite adequately and properly cleaned by wiping the bore repeatedly with cleaning patches and one of our excellant modern bore cleaners like BLACK SOLVE (a personal favorite and no; I am not a sales rep for BLACK SOLVE).

I am also strongly opposed to using the traditional hot water with/without soap method, believing it does more harm than good. Sorry fellows, I will not debate or argue this issue. As Davy said, I am "a mite prickly" about this subject.

I would make an exception though; if one was miles and days away from home, in the wilderness and had no other choice.

If one feels an over-powering need to use a flush tube on a conventionally breeched flintlock, then Davy's idea is a very good way.

Removal of the lock and touch-hole liner is required, but one should remove the lock anyway to cleanup the internal parts. Much fouling will accumlate inside a lock after a long day of shooting.

Best regards and good shooting,

John L. Hinnant

 

[longshot47]

John-
Now I gotta ask: conventionally breeched? Patent breech/nock breech??
My need rises from a .54 Rice barreled flint rifle. Please enlighten me further.
Goin' back; the touch hole liner orfice looks a might small to accomodate a threaded stud [bleeder valve] -and upon inspection does not appear to be threaded.
Dutchman; Since you are apparently satisfied, what is the make/where did you get the device ur usin?

Them toothpicks is still lookin good!

.......Longshot

 

[Stophel]

I got mine from Wayne Dunlap. (Dunlap woodcrafts) I think he has them made for him.

Water is all you need, man! It will not hurt the barrel in the LEAST. Just dry it out and grease it up. Plus, water is FREE, not to mention period correct!!!

I hate touch hole liners and don't like the idea of constantly removing them if you have one. This little gizmo clamps down over the hole. No need to remove anything.

When I am "in the field", I just prop the butt of the gun up on something so that the touch hole is pointing down (with the lock removed). Spit some water down the bore and swoosh it out the touch hole with wet tow. Rinse and repeat. When clean, let it sit muzzle down for a little while, then dry it out with dry tow/patches and grease the far out of it. ALWAYS go back the next day and check it and grease it again.

 

[JOHN L. HINNANT]

Greeting Longshot47

The conventional or tradtional breech plug is simply a threaded stud screwed into the breech. A tang is welded to the top of the stud.

Nowadays the better breech plugs are machined as one piece. Of course this leaves a lot of metal chips laying on the milling machine table.

There are also some good ones that are investment cast out of good alloy steel and machine threaded.

When this type of breech is used, the touch hole is located and drilled just in front of the end of the plug in the barrel. This is the tradition breech plug and has been and is still used successfully on thousands of rifles and pitols.

This type of breeching system is also used for the drum and nipple percussion caplock ignition system. In fact, many original flintlock rifles were converted to caplock by drilling out and tapping the flash hole for a drum and nipple.

My flintlock rifle is a convertable flintlock/caplock using this principle. The touchhole liner is removed, the drum and nipple installed, the flintlock replaced with a caplock action, and presto; transformation.

The Nock Breech is similiar to the traditional breech but has a much longer threaded stud. the extra length is drilled and coned to form an early type of patent breech.

The touch hole is drilled through both the barrel and the breech at the end of the cone. This is a stronger breeching system, since for a micro-second, gas pressure is excerted against the threads from inside the cone, thus forcing that part of the breech plug threads tighter into the barrel breech threads.

This system can also be used for flintlock, percussion lock,
or convertabile. My current long rifle project has a stainless steel breech that is combination Nock and patent breech design convertable flintlock/caplock. The touch-hole liner/drum and nipple screw in to the breech only, not any part of the barrel.

It is my opinion that the Nock Breech system should be used on 13/16 or 7/8 barrels of 40 caliber or larger for purposes of safety. The wall thickness of one of barrels does not leave much for threading to install a touch hole liner or drum. The larger the bore, the the thinner the wall thickness.

I am also of the opinion that the safety concern is one reasons the companies like Pedersoli use a modified Nock Breech system. I have seen and know of other rifles that had
the drum and nipple blown out because of the thin walls.

Somewhere on the forum, somebody posted a good cutaway sectional view of the Nock Breech.

The patent breech is an improved Nock Breech designed for caplock use. The best example is found on the Hawken rifle. These are an investment cast alloy steel breech with the snail cast in place. There are at least two examples of original Hawken rifles with a brazed on snail.

Hope this is the information you wanted.

Best regards and good shooting,

John L. Hinnant

 

[Darkhorse]

Track of the Wolf also sells a flush kit. They send simple instructions with theirs also. Follow them and everything will work just right.
I put a dry patch between the clamp side and the wood, no marring.
Get used to it and it works real well.

 

[longshot47]

John-
Still with ya -and thanks much.
As I'm reading you and checking my rifle I spect I'm seein a nock breech [one piece] as opposed to my GPR which has an obvious joint at the tang/breech [traditional]. In sum...flush the nock, swab the traditional.
Dutchman/Darkhorse; appreciate the follow-up.
Got both sources covered.

Barrel wedges are a 'good thing'
...Longshot

 

[weirdjack]

Yep, I use one and I like it.
I put a piece of leather under the clamp to prevent stock marring. Getting a good seal is pretty easy with practice. I use it at home to do a thorough cleaning after range shooting. I just fill a plastic gallon jug (Period Correct plastic of course) with warm water and some PC Windex, drop the weighted hose into that and start pumping. Then run some dry patches down the bore, follow with some oiled patches, done. I like it. At the range, I use Murphy's Oil Soap on a patch to do a quick cleaning.
Jack

 

[Bob J]

John-
Still with ya -and thanks much.
As I'm reading you and checking my rifle I spect I'm seein a nock breech [one piece] as opposed to my GPR which has an obvious joint at the tang/breech [traditional]. In sum...flush the nock, swab the traditional.
Dutchman/Darkhorse; appreciate the follow-up.
Got both sources covered.

Barrel wedges are a 'good thing'
...Longshot

With regards to the GPR, believe its called a patent breech? At any rate, the bottom of the breech is smaller than bore size. So flushing it out with breech in bucket of water is good AND using a .30-.36 size brush with a patch on it to dry and lightly oil this area (see lyman manual). :m2c:

 

[longshot47]

Dixie Flinter-
Good tip concerning the GPR. Guess that means a scraper with a shaped end would work best.
Thanks.....Longshot

 

[weirdjack]

Guess that means a scraper with a shaped end would work best.

Dunno about the GPR specifically, but I use one of those little breech brushes for the patent breech on my Mowery. Screws in the wiping rod end....a little twisty action with it down in the breech area sleans things nicely.
Jack

 

[tg]

Blackhand summed it up petty well, his method is quick and simple and has worked for centuries.

 

[Okwaho]

I agree here. water and tow are all I use.I used to shoot an old Southwest Va. rifle Ca.1820 and I could take take the breech pin out with regular pliers. It had a hand forged iron barrel and I would take out the breech pin after I had the barrel pretty well cleaned and pour boiling water down it and it would evaporate and be dry immediately.Then I replaced the barrel and that was it.Sometimes I didn't clean for a few months but never had rust on that old iron barrel.I sometimes wish I had kept it but you can't keep all of them.It had two grease holes in the butt,one for grease and the other for the patched .40 cal.ball, no buttplate or rear pipe and about 2" gone off the nose, just an old cheap mountain rifle that I bought for $55.00 and Southgate reconverted for me for about $50.00 more and I shot for about 30 years.
Tom Patton

 

[Bob J]

Dixie Flinter-
Good tip concerning the GPR. Guess that means a scraper with a shaped end would work best.
Thanks.....Longshot

Lyman recommends a .36 brush. I've been using about a .30 brush with patch on it, sprayed with a little Ballistol (after thorough flushing of barrel, dry patches, etc.).