Cleaning a Patent Breach

[rhwestfall]

After searching enough posts, I now know what one is, and also know that my GPH .50 has one. My question is: What are people doing to clean in that area since the .50 jag won't make it in there. I had thought of buying an undersized fouling scraper (.32?) but don't know if it will fit into that taper. Also looking at brass brushes (not the bore brush) that RMC sells. What are you folks doing?

BobW ::

 

[bob1961]

believe it or not "thats a show isn't it" all i do is just clean with hot water to clean my T/C hawken....and i don't have to touch the breech....the hot water just disovles any fouling i've had....once clean i just oil it good to coat the bore and i make sure to clean out any oil before shooting....thats it :results: .............bob

 

[Tahquamenon]

No Patent Breech on Flintlock that I'm aware of.
Perhaps this is for the Percussion category?

In the field, you can "fish" the flash channel with a pipe cleaner or a wire with the nipple removed.

For cleaning, after pump-flushing with very hot soapy water you can "fish" in the flash channel with another pipe cleaner.

 

[bob1961]

my flintlock T/C has the patent breech.............bob

 

[rhwestfall]

No, it is a flinter, as has been discussed in other threads, Lyman and T/C have them.

Due to som very typical upstate New York humidity, the "goo" seems to get quite heavy in there. When i remove the vent liner, it is uncanny the crud that is still there after a good hot water flush and also using T/C Bore cleaner.

BobW

 

[Stumpkiller]

I use stepped jags on my T/C's that fit the breech's profile, but for some reason T/C stopped offering them. Guess they weren't necessary for in-lines of the same caliber so why bother? (ka-zing!).

You could use a slightly loose brush (say a .45 in a .50) that will form to the breech shape once it gets there. (Be sure not to use a cheap one that is just swaged on the threaded tip. Get one that is wound through the thread fitting it so it won't pull off down there. Been there, done that :boohoo. Normally, I don't recommend brushes as they have to reverse in the rifling and that is a bit aggressive on the bore.

 

[roundball]

After searching enough posts, I now know what one is, and also know that my GPH .50 has one. My question is: What are people doing to clean in that area since the .50 jag won't make it in there. I had thought of buying an undersized fouling scraper (.32?) but don't know if it will fit into that taper. Also looking at brass brushes (not the bore brush) that RMC sells. What are you folks doing?

BobW ::

Like Bob1961, just a thorough soaking/pump flushing in my TC Hawken Flintlocks keeps the patent breeches clean as a whistle.

I also keep a regular centerfire rifle cleaning rod rigged with a .30cal brush, which I use to push a large dry patch down into the patent breech and spin it around to help dry it, and I use the .30cal brush to push a lubed patch down into it as well....so I never use a breech scraper or anything like that...not needed on my TC patent breeches

 

[Tahquamenon]

My bad. Does have patent breech.

Brain slipped a cog or something.

eace:

 

[Darkhorse]

I always used the TC stepped jag on my GPR along with hot, soapy water. It always cleaned all the residue out.
I also started using a cotton bore mop coated with oil to preserve the barrel between shootings. The bore mop conforms to the patent chamber and gets the oil down where a regular jag misses.
A mop would probably work OK for cleaning this area.
If you get a brush be sure to get one specifically made for muzzleloaders as they are made to be reversed while in the bore. The ones made for centerfires are designed to be pushed all the way through before being withdrawn.