Cleaning WITHOUT removing the barrel

[Delta Factor]

There have been some discussions here lately about proper cleaning procedures. Most indicate flushing hot, soapy water into the barrel from a bucket the breech is resting in.

This obviously requires removal of the barrel and possibly the breech plug. I don't have a half stock with wedges and a hooked breech. My guns are pinned-on full stock with a normal breech, and there's no way I'm removing the barrel every time to clean. I think I'd rather have a smidgen of rust in the breech than having a wobbly stock (or even risking breakage - I've seen it happen) from removing the pins so often.

From those of you who NEVER remove the barrel to clean, what's your method?

 

[SquirrelsaurusR]

I use this:

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=2729

You can get them in different thread sizes for nipples or touch hole liners.

 

[SquirrelsaurusR]

I've never tried this one, but it's supposed to work on flintlocks that don't have a liner in the touch hole:

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=7030

 

[silverfox]

Delta factor: You didn't say if you were talking about flint or percussion. The antique squirrel has put you on to some tools that work well. If percussion just go to your local hardware store and get some weedeater gasline about 18" long. It should be a firm fit on the nipple and weigh the other end with anything to hold it in the bucket or bottle of cleaner of your choice. Put a tight patch on the jag and start the pump process. You'll learn how hard you can pump without blowing the tube off. A little of this and then clean,dry, and lube the bore and you are done. Cheap and effective. I haven't tried the screw on clamp for the flint but it should work unless you have a vent with the screw driver slot running across it. Should still work if the seal covers the slot.
Fox :thumbsup:

 

[Stumpkiller]

When I use water in pinned barrels I clean with the vent pointing down on a towel (one the wife never sees) and the muzzle below everything else. I sit on my back steps with the gun on the porch angling down so the drips all end up on the lawn.

Prior to any patches I plug the vent with a folded patch and fill the barrel with hot, soapy water and let it soften the fouling for a minute (wear a glove - the barrel gets HOT!), then pour it out. After a few wet patches I repeat with hot, clean water.

If you're very careful, you can even do this without removing the lock, provided you can keep a towel against the vent.

 

[tg]

I only remove the barrel on a gun after a season of hunting in wet weather, a gun can be cleaned without any gadgets or removing the barrel, there are some threads somewhere telling of some ways of doing it, most are similar.

 

[Delta Factor]

The cleaning tubes look like they'd work pretty well. I'll have to look into the model for flintlocks.

So far, I've been simply using a ton of wet/dry patches until they come out reasonably clean. I've never seen any rust film on the muzzle end, and wet patches show no rust inside unless I push them all the way to the breech, then I get a little brown.

I wonder how much damage this will actually do. I can't imagine it'd effect accuracy. Would it be a safety issue (as in the breech plug threads rusting out), or cause misfires?

 

I build my guns with flat faced breechplugs, and other than using a scraper on the breechface and pluging the vent with a feather I clean exactly as Stunpy sugested.

I do pull the lock off because I like to watch the dirty water squirt across the porch!

Other than that, see statement below.

 

[loishd]

Delta I have been using the clamp type cleaner tube for about three years now and can honestly say it is a great tool. Saves a whole lot of time when cleaning. I will only use it after a heavy weekend of shooting mostly just patch her clean. I will give you another possible way. If you have one of those small yard pump sprayers you can attach a small nylon tube or copper tube to the spray end of the wand. Fill the container with hot soapy water, turn the barrel towards the ground and pressure wash the bore. {best done outside-the mrs won't care for the mess} :crackup:
This way all the large fowling runs out the bore and nothing will be left against the breech plug. :results: :m2c: Good luck and good shooting!

 

[aragorn]

I had the same concern about taking off my barrel from the stock and loosening the pins, so I plan to do it only once every couple of months or if I think I've let significant amounts of water into the cracks between the stock and barrel.

I finish at the range by swabbing the barrel with several damp patches (spit). I begin cleaning by taking off the lock and using a pipecleaner and toothbrush on the touchhole, which I then plug with a toothpick/whittled matchstick. I usually pour some hot water in then ram my brass brush several times down the barrel, then fill the barrel with more water, sloosh it round and dump in a bucket. I then fill it up again with hot water and detergent and let it sit while I clean the lock. I then return to the barrel and like you use a ton of alternating wet and dry patches, sometimes running the brass brush down again if there is some particularly resistant crud, then once it seems clean run dry patches down until finished. I take out the stick from the touchole as the barrel gets drier, keeping the touchhole down so that any water drips away and not into the stock cavity. Then once completely dry I lube inside the barrel using wonderlube on patches.

Hope this helps. I learned most of this from the forum when I began last year!

 

[Hoyt]

I ask the same question about barrel removal and pins, etc...bout half the people said take the barrel off it don't matter about the pins..bout half said just the opposite..so I bought the flusher and just don't use it...actually I take the barrel off sometimes and don't sometimes and use the flusher sometimes and don't sometimes...this method seems to work just fine.