Beating A Dead Horse: Cleaning Your Flinter

[Marc Adamchek]

OK, guys, I apologize for the utter redundancy and yawn-factor of this question, but after all is said and done I still would like to know; do you always remove the lock when cleaning your barrel or do you sometimes leave it on, particularly if you're away in the woods for awhile?

 

[Stumpkiller]

Depends how much I've shot. If I've only fired once or twice I swab with moose milk followed by alcohol and then oil and leave the lock in place.

If I use soapy water after a "full" shooting session I remove the lock.

 

[Cruzatte]

Most of the shooting I do is at day long, or sometimes week end long shooting matches. So yes, I usually do pull the lock when cleaning up. To keep from losing the lock bolts, I screw them back into the lock after the lock has been removed from the morise.

Cruzatte

 

[flm_shooter]

Most of the shooting I do is at day long, or sometimes week end long shooting matches. So yes, I usually do pull the lock when cleaning up. To keep from losing the lock bolts, I screw them back into the lock after the lock has been removed from the mortise.

Cruzatte

What he said. Almost word for word wha I wanted to say. Oh, and use a good gunsmithing screwdriver. :redface:

 

[Swampman]

When I'm in the woods, I don't normally clean. If the lock is installed properly, nothing gets behind it. It's easy enough to wipe off the outside.

 

[MikeChapin]

If I am hunting, I will usually clean the rifle with the lock in. It has only been fired once or twice, usually, so I usually wipe it down with the last clean wet patch from the barrel cleaning. Dried off with the last clean drying patch from the barrel. I do it that way to keep from losing parts in the flickering firelight.

For cleaning at home or at rendezvous, I pull the lock. This is not so much to clean up the inside of the lock as it is easier to clean up around the lock area on the barrel and it is easier to clean up the lock when it is out of the rifle.

 

[PALongbow]

I have read that the lock can be cleaned with hot soapy water, sprayed with WD40 to displace any water, and then sprayed down with Rem Oil to prevent rust.

Ron

 

[RiverRat]

When I'm in the woods, I don't normally clean. If the lock is installed properly, nothing gets behind it. It's easy enough to wipe off the outside.

My TVM fowler has a tight fitting lock and no ignition residue seeps behind the lock. However, after shooting my GPR, the inside of the lock is coated with black soot.

 

[2172]

I don't clean in the woods, but after a day's shooting at the range, I toss the lock into the bucket of hot soapy water that I'm using on the bbl...when I fish it out, I towel dry it, spray with wd 40, and then lightly oil...it is probably more than I need to do, as very little stuff gets down into it, Hank

 

[roundball]

I have read that the lock can be cleaned with hot soapy water, sprayed with WD40 to displace any water, and then sprayed down with Rem Oil to prevent rust.

Ron

That's how I've been doing it for a few years now.

I've never spent the night / camped with a Flnter yet so I can only speak to lock cleaning from my home environment...but if I fire it once to take a deer or fire it 50 times at the range, my cleaning regimen is exactly the same, and always includes the lock.

I even go to the extreme of removing the frizzen and cleaning / lubing the frizzen bridle, frizzen pivot area, pivot screw, and top of the frizzen spring every time...my reason is when I put it back in the rack it can sit there for years and I never have to worry about remembering to go back to "finish cleaning" anything.

:thumbsup:

 

[graybeard]

Out of ignorance, I didn't clean the lock on my first cap and ball pistol, a Kentucky replica. Once I finally took the lock off, it was a mess. I don't clean locks in the field, but when I get home every time I take the lock off, clean thoroughly with solvent and toothbrush, dry completely and spray with Remoil.graybeard

 

[Hoyt]

Hunting and camped out I..if I shoot and don't feel like a first class clean job, I'll field clean and not pull lock. Actually I got three methods of cleaning one is field cleaning..I don't pull lock..2 is pull lock and clean it with water and soap or whatever I'm in the mood to use..the other is take lock apart and give good cleaning.

 

[riarcher]

Ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Yes "I" do.
2 screws = no big deal.

 

[SilverBear]

I've sorta gotten in the habit of after the 3rd or 4th time I have been out shooting the gun, to pull the lock and clean and oil it good. And if for some reason the gun or the case has gotten wet, I pull and clean it for sure.

Tony

 

[mmahlock]

I'll chime in with a big yes. :thumbsup:

If nothing else it makes it easier to get at the touch hole to remove it or for it to drain without getting cleaner under something else to start problems.

A side note:

Over the years I've run accross flinters and cappers that have had problems with ignition. After trying several fixes the lock was removed and to my eye it was a disaster. I had obviously never been removed before. After cleaning it up as much as possible behind the line and oiling it up thoroughly, reinstalling it the ingition problems went away.

It also make possible the general inspection of the lock's inner workings to identify small problems before they become big ones.