Cleaning a Kentucky

[glw]

I have a CVA Kentucky Rifle that I've recently started shooting. The first time I shot it, I took the barrel off for cleaning - it has two small drift pins you have to knock out as well as a couple of screws.

I think I read somewhere that removing these all the time could cause them to fall out and get lost so the next time (today) I just ran patches up and down the barrel until it came clean. It tool quite a few patches.

So I'm wondering if there's a better way. I've seen those nipples sold that you can attach a plastic tube onto so that you can wash the barrel without removing it.

Anybody have experience with this? Or is there a better way still?

 

[mooman76]

I just keep it together myself. You can get the aquarium tubing and it fits over the nipple. Stick it in a bucket of water and you're good. You don't have to use massive amounts of water either if you don't want. Just wet patches will work too or some people buy water based cleaners but don't use something that dissolves rust, that's what your bluing is.

 

[necchi]

Like Moonman said there is a cleaning kit with tubing and a nipple that's been drilled that you can use,,
But with that rifle why pull the front section pins?
Just pull the tang screw and pull the front section off leaving the front pins and nose cap screws intact

 

[glw]

Didn't think of that. I'll give it a try.

 

[Billnpatti]

Go to the hardware store and get a bolt with the same threads as your nipple. Remove the nipple and replace it with the bolt. Just finger tight is plenty. Stand your rifle on the butt where it will stay safely upright and pour soapy water into the bore. Let it stand for 15 minutes and run a patch into the bore and scrub it a few times. Then pour out the water. Replace it with more soapy water and repeat. The second time, it should be clean and it is time to rinse with fresh water and scrub again with patches until they are clean. Dry it with a series of dry patches and then wipe the bore with a few alcohol patches until they are clean. Dry with dry patches. Spray the bore with WD-40 to get rid of any traces of water. Thoroughly wipe out the bore to remove all of the WD-40 and then run a patch with a good gun oil such as Birchwood-Casey Barricade and you are through. It takes more time to tell about it than it does to do it. That takes care of the bore and the easiest way to clean your lock is to spray it with automobile carburetor cleaner or brake cleaner. Both work equally well so just use whatever you can get the cheapest. Remove the lock from the stock and take it to the driveway and spray it thoroughly. Let it dry, lightly oil it and replace it into your stock. Do not get the spray cleaner on your stock because it can damage your finish. Be sure to clean the rest of the gun as well.

 

[cowpoke1955]

I bought yhis for my son in law to use on his CVA Kentucky http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_102_506&products_id=2733 He has not had a chance to use it yet.

 

[George T.]

The tubing idea is a good one. However a spray bottle of your cleaner of choice and propping the rifle so the cleaner exiting the nipple wont run on your stock works also. I spray a little creak cleaner down it when finished and oil.

Geo. T.

 

[Baxter]

My CVA half-stock has wedges and a hooked breech; the only time that the wedges were lost was when my son had the rifle. I drift the wedges out, unhook the barrel and stand it breech-down in a coffee can filled with hot water and a few drops of dish-detergent and pump a cotton bore mop till clean, remove the nipple and repeat for a few strokes, repeat with plain hot water to rinse and then swab the bore with WD-40, dry patch and follow with Barricade. Takes me about 10 minutes, do it in the "mechanic's" (my) bathtub downstairs. Remove the lock, scrub it, dry, oil and replace it. Total time is about 20 minutes - I am old, slow, obsessive-compulsive. baxter

 

[Swampman]

Put a piece of leather or inner tube over the nipple and let the hammer down on it. Fill it half full of windshield washer fluid, windex, Simple Green, or tepid water. Slosh that around a bit with your thumb over the muzzle and dump it out. Patch it and repeat a few times. Hot water causes rust....don't use it. When you've dried the bore, patch it with BreakFree CLP and you won't have any rust ever. This is based on 40 years of trying everything that you can think of. Natural based oils suck for rust prevention and the Break Free CLP causes zero problems.

 

[glw]

Seal the nipple with something! Why didn't I think of that? Good idea - I'm gonna try it.

 

[dikman]

A bit of advice, if I may - don't try this with "hot-shot" nipples. They have these wonderful, tiny holes in the side of the nipple, and when you clamp a piece of rubber under the hammer the water leaks out!!

Guess how I know this....... :redface: .