Cleaning a flintlock

[Livbucks]

Exactly, I guess people don't clean their guns while in the field as in camping, trekking or have you. I sure don't want missing pins or broken stock because I was cleaning it next to a fire.

You guess right.

 

[hanshi]

I never remove a pinned barrel for cleaning. Even if the gun gets wet I don't worry too much. The bottom of the barrels are waxed - wax renewed every year or two - and never had problems.

 

[qz2026_1]

All of this sounds easy, well, for half stocks, yes, it will work. Not as easy for full stock rifles. I remove the lock and use a toothpick to plug the vent. Pour some type of powder solvent into the barrel and let it soak while I clean the lock. Pour out the nastiness. Run dry patches, followed by a few wet patches. A few more dry patches. Wipe down the exterior of the barrel. Run a patch or two of preservative in the bore, reinstall the lock and done.

Sounds like the way I do it. But the toothpick... Ever have one break off in the touch hole?

 

[ord sgt]

Sounds like the way I do it. But the toothpick... Ever have one break off in the touch hole?

No, I never have had a toothpick break off in the vent. At least, not yet. I have been cleaning the flinters this way for over thirty years. Not to say it can't happen. Murphy was an optimist.

 

[hanshi]

I've had toothpicks break off in the vent hole and it's no trouble clearing the vent. I just use a vent pick or paperclip; takes about 3 seconds.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Just like @hanshi does, I push the broken toothpick on through the touch hole. No problem.

 

[olskool]

well i never put water near my guns. i use 50/50 alcohol and murphy's oil soap mix. i first swab the bore with denatured alcohol from a gallon can of it. that breaks up crude. then i swab with the 50/50 mix until bore is clean and bright. clean the lock with same solution,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Flintlock]

well i never put water near my guns. i use 50/50 alcohol and murphy's oil soap mix. i first swab the bore with denatured alcohol from a gallon can of it. that breaks up crude. then i swab with the 50/50 mix until bore is clean and bright. clean the lock with same solution,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Water, and more water, cool or room temp, dry properly. People have been cleaning their guns with wet (water) patches for 600 years now.

 

[tenngun]

My was is the best way, says everyone with out rust in their guns.
These are on you tube and all the ‘best way’

 

[Crow-Feather]

To be honest, I've been a slob when it comes to shooting unmentionables the last fifty years. Solvents, black stains on the clothing, having to wash hands 3 times to get 'em clean after shooting...I hate it so my "others" go until they get stiff all except for the "constant companions".

Recently, black powder arms entered into my life...specifically a .50 caliber Traditions Hunter flintlock rifle. I'm thinking, "My gawd these things get FILTHY" and they do...but getting them clean is a breeze I have found out. A bucket, some warm water , a squirt of Dawn, a couple of patches, a little WD40 and it's magic.

I'm a range operator and today was a quiet day and I was sitting around stalling about cleaning the rifle from the day before when I "bit the bullet" so to speak and decided to dive in. Got a bucket of water, put a shot of Dawn innit, broke down the rifle (jeez, that was easy!), took the flint out of the lock and somehow wound up with a previously unmentioned squirt bottle of Windex in my hand. What the heck. Gave the lock a shot and one down the bore just 'cuz. Grabbed a nylon brush and scrubbed the lock and the flash hole on the barrel. Gee, that knocked the crud right off! Grabbed the barrel and unscrewed the flash hole liner more for the experience than anything. Dropped the back end of the barrel into the soapy water, squirted some Windex on a patch and ran it to the bottom of the bore. Pulled the rod out a bit and started the pump. Lotsa bubbles and a quick cloud of black water then...nothing. No more black water squirting out of the flash hole. Huh. That was quick. Rinsed everything off with a hose, hit it all real good with the compressor hose, a patch with WD40 down the bore and a light film on the lock. I grabbed the flash hole liner, put a tiny bit of white lithium on the threads and screwed it in just snug. I put it all back together and thought "Dang, Woody. That was a snap! If only the smokeless toys were that easy!" It was actually shorter than typing this post.

I've got about two dozen rounds through the rifle in the last coupla days with only one misfire but I know what caused it. I've shot 200 grain .45acp bullets in sabots and 250 grain powdercoated lead R.E.A.L.s my buddy and BP mentor Mikey made for me hitting a 12x16 metal plate a lot more often than not and I'm getting really comfortable loading and shooting this new/old technology.

*click* flash! BOOM!! Heck yeah. This is FUN!

wm

I have always been told to use vinegar Windex.

 

[Zonie]

Cool, clear, water.

 

[Mike Payne]

I remove the lock clean it wth hot water and tooth brush. Tooth pick in touch hole pour hot water down barrel cover muzzle with thumb. Work water back and forth pour out. Repeat till water comes out clean. Then run wet cleaning patches down the barrel till they come out clean. I run a clean dry patch down then run a break free patch down the barrel. Spray lock with WD40 front and back reinstall lock . Finished!

 

[smo]

So many ways to skin a cat....

 

[Woody Morgan]

So many ways to skin a cat....

And they're all easy!

wm

 

[S.Kenton]

I plug the touch hole with round toothpick, then pour water/ with a drop of dawn dish soap down the barrel, filling it up and let it soak for 5-10 minutes, then pour it out. Then i dump about a cup of the same solution down the barrel and push it out with a tight, clean patch. I swab the bore until it comes clean. Then I’ll spray some wd-40 down there bore and scrub it again. Run another dry, clean tight patch and done. The final thing I may or may not do, depending on when I’ll shoot the gun again, is I’ll use fluid film to preserve the bore. Fluid film is lanolin based and is great for preserving metal.

 

[olskool]

Water, and more water, cool or room temp, dry properly. People have been cleaning their guns with wet (water) patches for 600 years now.

oh well 600 years or not even though water doesn't go near my guns. and 600 years ago they walked with there guns, i ride mine in a truck. and all they had was water, i have access to better things now so i use them. but hey just my humble opinion,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[leadhoarder]

oh well 600 years or not even though water doesn't go near my guns. and 600 years ago they walked with there guns, i ride mine in a truck. and all they had was water, i have access to better things now so i use them. but hey just my humble opinion,,,,,,,,,,,,

I figured that you would prefer to do things old school.

 

[olskool]

I figured that you would prefer to do things old school.

oh i do, but on some things it makes more sense to me to do things the way i think is better. like ridding in a vehicle instead of ridding a horse or walking, or cleaning your gun with modern chemicals and not water. and if i get sick enough i go to a modern doctor instead of putting leaches on my body. LOL ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[mckaylodge]

Fluid film is lanolin based and is great for preserving metal.

At my company we perform real-time outdoor exposure testing of liquid corrosion inhibiting films for a year and more on steel plates partially submerged in rain water, snow, ice. ALL so-promoted corrosion inhibiting products we have tested over 10 years now fail miserably, as bad as WD-40, including “oils” by firearm products companies. ONLY two products keep the steel free of significant corrosion over a year of such exposure: (1) the best: Ship-2-Shore, the “Industrial” formulation, and (2) a very close second: Fluid Film. It only takes a very thin layer of either of these for corrosion free steel in milder damp conditions. Great for protection when hunting in damp, rain.
I only use Fluid Film on my firearms.

 

[oldwood]

Built a few long rifles ,and love to shoot , but am pretty much the lazy type. First....No need to take barrel pins out , so don't do that. One day 40 years ago had a fit of Psycho laziness and made this contraption to eliminate the hot water mess. U-need........one piece of auto parts store universal brake line tubing. Couple bucks. 4 feet of 1/2" tubing w/ 2ea. small hose clamps. Hardware store fitting to fasten this onto the water faucet . (helps if you have laundry sink.) I have a double sink , so made a board that clamps on the center divider between the two sink bowls. The board makes dandy place to lay the rifle out flat . W / tubing hooked to faucet , lock removed , metal tubing inserted into the muzzle , plug touch hole w/ finger , turn on hot tap water and wait 'til barrel is hot to the touch. Pull hose out of bore , squirt a little lube in the bore so the drying patches don't stick , Run some warm water over the lock w/tooth brush , ( not the wife's , ), brush residue off , dry ,lube , put lock on gun. This is super if you have a number of guns to clean like I do when , also lazy , friends go to the range and come to my house afterward to clean up. This method doesn't involve any mess w/buckets of hot water. Powder fouling mixed w/whatever patch lube u use is all gone w/ the hot water down the sink drain. I timed the whole operation from hook-up to finish to be about 10 min's. . ..............oldwood