Cleaning Question

[Nikkisdad]

When using Windex make sure it is with vinegar not ammonia have used it for years no problems.

 

[Captndan]

FYI wd40 is good for cleaning grease off your hands and nothing else.

 

[Grenadier1758]

I prefer to remove the nipple when I clean my hooked breech rifles. You get a much stronger flushing action through the chambered breech and all the twists and turns of the flash channel.

 

[user 48679]

IME (I've owned two), that A&H Mountain Rifle is worth at least twice what you stole it for...

 

[SOLANCO]

You have a nipple wrench on the way, so I would just wait for it to arrive. If the bore has been in whatever condition for some time, it isn’t going to suddenly rot in the next few days.

While you wait for your nipple wrench, may want to start a wish list, particularly if this is your first muzzleloader, not just your first traditional muzzleloader. Others mentioned a range rod with a bore protector. Track of the Wolf or Rice Barrel are good sources for one. You will need a cleaning and possibly a loading jag, and a short starter is very helpful. In order to get the gun dirty, you will need blackpowder (subs are an option, but have a tendency to attract drama in my opinion), an adjustable volumetric powder measure, 100% cotton patch material, roundballs, percussion caps (likely #11) and a few other items. Spit will work for patch lube. There are many good sources for these and other accoutrements. From personal experience, at some point less stuff becomes more. Just a few unsolicited suggestions.

" at some point less stuff becomes more " Priceless.

 

[Snooterpup]

Good luck with the cleaning! Looks to be a beautiful rifle. I'd have sprained my wrist by getting the wallet out too fast to buy that one.

 

[Celt5494]

Why would you do that with an easily removed hooked breech barrel?

You have a good point. My intent was to give options in case he did not want to remove the barrel.

 

[Coueswhitetail]

Thanks for all the helpful information! You guys are a wealth of knowledge. Good to know that there likely isnt rust just some old cleaner or grease. I'm going to hold off on cleaning until I get the wrench. I snagged a box of the old 410 gr. Hornady great plains bullets as I understand these heavy, long conicals will perform well in my 1/28. Should I start at around 80 gr of FF and work up in 5 gr. increments until around 100 in testing its accuracy?

 

[Notchy Bob]

Coueswhitetail,

First of all, congratulations for getting such a great rifle, at an astonishingly good price! Just goes to show, deals are out there, if you are in the right place at the right time. The photograph of your A&H Mountain Rifle shows a real beauty. I fiddled around and failed to get one when they were readily available. I don't see nice used ones, like yours, come up for sale very often.

I don't have a lot to offer here, but will respectfully submit a couple of thoughts...

Kansas Jake, in post #11, made some very good comments. I agree with everything he said. The nipple should come out very easily, with tools you already have. If it doesn't, I would remove the barrel from the stock, squirt a good dose of penetrating oil on the nipple, and let it soak in while you wait for your properly fitted nipple wrench to arrive. When you replace the nipple, a little smear of anti-seize compound should go on the threads first, then you just snug it up. No need to over-tighten.

I use hot water and Dawn dish detergent for cleaning, using the "breech in a bucket" technique. I use distilled water and heat it up with Mr. Coffee. The carafe (glass coffee pot) makes a perfect dispenser, and Mr. Coffee will keep the water hot until you are ready to use it.

The black deposit in the barrel could be almost anything, although residue from a percussion cap is a good guess. I bought an un-fired T/C Seneca rifle some years ago, that had been kept and used only as a wall-hanger. You wouldn't believe the grime that came out of that barrel, but it cleaned up nicely. Also, some of the highly-touted "bore butters" on the market will oxidize over time, and if you swab a barrel which has been stored for a while with bore butter in it, the patch will come out with a deposit that looks exactly like bright, red rust. No need to panic, because it may just be old bore butter, in which case the rifle may be fine.

As a post script, for anybody who is interested, I was looking at Doc White's Muzzleloading web page a few days ago, and saw that he has somehow acquired a quantity of old Austin & Halleck barrels, which he is selling at a very good price. Might be worth a look, for those who own these rifles. It could be a good way to pick up a spare barrel.

Thanks for starting this interesting thread!

Notchy Bob

 

[Coueswhitetail]

Would you mind posting a link to that page? I would love to pick one up with a slower twist for PRB. Thanks!

 

[renegadehunter]

With no rust showing on the cleaning patch I would bet that the black on the patch is simply some kind of bore preservative / rust preventative.
When I run a patch down the bore of my rifle to strip the rust preventative back out before going shooting it always comes out with black marks.
I wouldn't be worried at all and would just wait for the nipple wrench to arrive.

 

[hanshi]

If the nipple doesn't want to come out clean the barrel by sticking the barrel breech end in a bucket of water and "pump" the bore clean. In my experience once it's clean the nipple comes out a little more easily.

 

[wb78963]

In any case get a nipple wrench of excellent quality (like from TOW) and soak the breech in kerosene or Kroil for a week or so. Then and only then with a modest amount of heat get it out.
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