Do any of your use a brush to clean your gun?

[roundball]

"...a tooth pick in the vent on my flinters so they hold water and fill the bore with water.let it set for 5 min. ,pour out, fill half way , put thumb over muzzel shake and pour out. No need for brush..."

You may not use a bore butter type lube but others might and I think its worth mentioning that bore butter lubes can build up if a bore is only cleaned with normal temperature water.

Somebody posted years ago the analogy of bore butter residue to sticky egg residue on a breakfast plate:
Hold the plate under a cold water faucet and nothing happens...but hold it under the hot water faucet and the sticky egg residue melts and slides right off the plate.

So it might be worth considering for anyone who uses a bore butter lube and does not use hot soapy water to clean, then a good bronze bore brush might make a lot of sense as part of the cleaning regimen...a couple dozen brush strokes only takes maybe 30 seconds.

 

[dwarvenchef]

As I'm addicted to hooked breaches cleaning it a snap, 5 gallon bucked of hot (HOT) soapy water and a tight patch, plunge till it runs clear. Pull out wipe it down quick and run dry patches till dry.

I'm playing with a beeswax mix to season the bore with... have to look that up and see what a search turns up...

 

[roundball]

"...I'm addicted to hooked breaches cleaning it a snap, 5 gallon bucked of hot (HOT) soapy water..."

I am as well...biggest disappointment in getting a Virginia was the pinned barrel...had to learn my way around that but IMO, nothing beats the convenience of a hooked breech...seconds to disassemble, easier to clean, swap interchangeable barrels in seconds, smaller easier package to pack and ship, etc

 

[bwhoffman]

I use 3 brushes.

I have the bore brushes,the old ones go all the way down into the breech plug if need be. And wrap them all with and over sized patch to help with the suction.

I also use old tooth brushes and a smaller nylon bristled horse brush I snitched from the barn to scrub the outside breech areas, drums and snails.

I do of course use patches like most folks also!


Bore brushes are fairly reasonably priced from the various venders and I go thru 4 or 5 a year each gun. The trick is learning how and when to change direction!

 

[Vaino]

If "Oxyoke 1000" is a "borebutter", I haven't experienced any problems w/ it and have used it for 20 yrs. I do use a hot water rinse but have also just applied it in a cold bbl w/o complications. "Oxyoke 1000" is waxy lube amd I don't like any type of oil in my guns and have never had any rust in the bores or on any other part of my guns. I use "Oxyoke 1000" on the entire gun including the wood and it's also good for dry hands. Hope this doesn't sound like a commercial....Fred

 

[roundball]

If "Oxyoke 1000" is a "borebutter", I haven't experienced any problems w/ it and have used it for 20 yrs. I do use a hot water rinse but have also just applied it in a cold bbl w/o complications.

No arguement out of me...18 years so far.
And to be sure my post was clear, 'applying' it was not the point...ensuring that it all comes out afterwards and does not build up is my understanding of the hot water benefit for cleaning

 

[Flinter987]

Thanks guys - some real good advice! I think I'll pick a few brushes up. I also like the idea of plugging the touchhole/nipple to keep the water in there longer when your tryin to clean it - why didn't I think of that before!!!!
Thanks again!
Flinter

 

[Vaino]

Whether the water is hot or cold, the "Oxyoke" cleans up fine, even after 6 mos. storage. I do use a brush though....Fred

 

[dwarvenchef]

I was lax for the past 10+ years and didn't touch my BP stuff :redface: I didn't even have it in my mind untill I got into Dutch Oven cooking and started reading some Chuckwagon history... Man all that pent up muzzleloading interest and desire SLAMMED into me :shocked2: No more shall I suspend that desire...

Anyway I got out my rifles and started cleaning them. Got to love that Oxyoke 1000, bores where still shiny dusty at first but after one patch

 

[paulvallandigham]

I use a bronze bore brush in the barrel, and an old toothbrush to clean the action and around nipples, and vent holes. I find them indisspensible to doing a proper cleaning of all my BP guns. Oh, I have done a quick cleaning with just patches, soap and water, but to get down into the corners of the rifling, and to get the caked on residue off the barrel, around the nipple, or TH, a brush simply does the job faster, and more completely.

The only way to clean the inside of your action without a brush is to take it completely apart, OR, to soak the lock in soap and water, then rinse out the soap, and use a high pressure air hose to blow the water out of all the nooks and crannies, you other wise can't reach.

Do you have a compressor? I don't.

Use a good penetrating oil( Liquid Wrench, Kroil, Break Free, etc.) or WD40- a water displacing oil) on the lock- and particularly the threaded holes in the lock for the lock bolts, to keep rust OUT of the threads!