Cleaning Frontier Firearms

[Santa Fe]

I’ve been pondering this question for sometime so what would the frontiersman do with a loaded rifle that was dirty? If he was in a fight with some hostiles and had been firing his weapon and reloaded it after firing what would he do leave it dirty and load it? I can’t imagine those guys wasting powder and ball Firing the weapon just so they can clean it and reload it. But if they don’t clean it Corrosion eat the barrel up What do y’all think? Did they really take the time and trouble to clean the rifles properly out on the frontier

 

[westrayer]

Proper maintenance of any tool is essential. Especially when you might only have one available, and replacement is far away. I would think that at least run a patch or two down the barrel up to the loaded chamber.

 

[wiscoaster]

It's a wonderment to me they kept their weapons clean without Dawn and Ballistol.

 

[Hatchet-Jack]

It's baffling that they could even shoot without an entire box of shooting supplies

They cleaned their weapons. Remember every able bodied man was required to be in the militia. They were trained to maintain their firelocks.

Don't assume we know more than they did. They were out there living it daily!

 

[Grenadier1758]

We do know and they knew that cold water would easily remove fouling. They would use their tow worm on the ramrod with a wad of dampened tow to remove the fouling. Damp, not wet, to prevent the water from spoiling the powder. Dry with some dry tow on the worm then a wipe with oil. Later when there was no immediate need for a ready round to fire, the ball would be pulled and the powder saved for the next load. The used ball would be melted down in the next lead pot when casting lead ball.

 

[smoothshooter]

I’ve been pondering this question for sometime so what would the frontiersman do with a loaded rifle that was dirty? If he was in a fight with some hostiles and had been firing his weapon and reloaded it after firing what would he do leave it dirty and load it? I can’t imagine those guys wasting powder and ball Firing the weapon just so they can clean it and reload it. But if they don’t clean it Corrosion eat the barrel up What do y’all think? Did they really take the time and trouble to clean the rifles properly out on the frontier

Taking time to clean, yes and no. Mostly no.
I know from personal experience that a rifle bore can remain uncleaned for several days in a row without rusting if there is enough grease or oil residue mixed with burnt powder fouling in the bore from previous shots.
In the rare circumstance that a ball puller was available, it may have been used.
to pull the load. Infrequent cleaning over time created big demand for freshing out services.
I base some of my opinion mostly on conjecture and human nature ( which doesn’t change ) as very little of the written word covering such a mundane subject would have been put to writing to begin with. Almost none of what WAS written has survived.

 

[smoothshooter]

It's baffling that they could even shoot without an entire box of shooting supplies

They cleaned their weapons. Remember every able bodied man was required to be in the militia. They were trained to maintain their firelocks.

Don't assume we know more than they did. They were out there living it daily!

Militia officers complained constantly about the poor condition of many of the men’s guns caused by abuse and neglect.

 

[smoothshooter]

It's baffling that they could even shoot without an entire box of shooting supplies

They cleaned their weapons. Remember every able bodied man was required to be in the militia. They were trained to maintain their firelocks.

Don't assume we know more than they did. They were out there living it daily!

Messing with a gun was not a part of the daily or weekly routine of most guys.
Only a very, very small percentage of them carried or shot a gun several days a week.

 

[Omahkapi'si]

Probably cleaned as needed or when thought of. Those guys didn’t plan to “go shooting” like we do so likely didn’t have a cleaning routine like we do. Unless military, those guys probably cleaned often.
Just guessing.

 

[Hatchet-Jack]

Messing with a gun was not a part of the daily or weekly routine of most guys.
Only a very, very small percentage of them carried or shot a gun several days a week.

The OP's scenario is about an Indian fighting "Frontiersman" with a gun not most guys.

 

[Omahkapi'si]

In that case better keep your gun ready to go…

 

[Nobody85]

I guess what they would do depends on the individual. Just as you have different responses to this question, so too would there have been different actions taken then. As far as their rifles? I’ve seen their rifles, and either they didn’t clean them that well or someone down the line didn’t. Hard pressed to find an original piece that isn’t rust ridden. They exist I guess

 

[TechMoron]

In talking about cleaning methods a common mantra is "that's how the old timers did it so it's good enough for me". Putting the shoe on the other foot, I've seen countless references to how they often had to have the barrels "freshed" and a new mold cut.