Final days cleaning

[joeboleo1]

Just got a percussion rifle with a large Siler lock. How do most of you do your final clean up after a days shooting as far as the clean out screw goes. This is a full stock rifle that is pinned so I don't remove the barrel. Do you always remove the screw while cleaning? Same goes for the nipple --- always remove it? I usually clean with patches and can "flush" some solvent thru the nipple. However, I have also then taken the clean out screw out and cleaned with a pipe cleaner there. Just was concerned about constantly removing the screw, although I guess that is what it is there for. Appreciate any input.

 

[Blizzard of '93]

you are doing OK, I always remove the drum screw and do the pipe cleaner trick also. after you use hot water in the bore to rinse it out you might give windshield wiper fluid a try for cleaning. it does good for wipe-down too. really cuts the crud.

 

[Emet Huntsman]

get a piece of rubber tubing that will fit tightly over the nipple and long enough to hang in a bucket of water. Using your cleaning rod and a fairly tight patch around the jag, pump water in and out through the hose/nipple combo. I have used this method and it does a great job of cleaning the drum and nipple.

 

[paulvallandigham]

The small orifice in the nipple will usually not allow you to pump much of anything through it, but plain water. For that reason I always removed the nipple before cleaning the barrel, and drum or bolster. On the gun I had that used a drum, I removed the nipple and the clean out screw when cleaning the barrel, so that I got both areas clean. I used an old toothbrush to clean all the threads, and then dried and oiled the threads in the drum and on both the nipple and cleanout screw before replacing them. The oil makes it possible to easily remove these two items( nipple and clean-out screw) the next time the gun is fired and needs to be cleaned. If I had the product, I would use an anti-seize product on those threads instead of oil. This is a product made to keep threaded items from locking up together, or " seizing", not anti-freeze for your radiator! Some of the synthetic lubes( not oils) also work well for this purpose, I am told.

 

[Dave K]

I do as The Parsons does and have for many years. That way everything is cleaned at the same time. Yes, I have removed the nipple for some reason or another, but it is always clean. I can't remember the last time I removed the screw on the drum. I may have done it once back in the 70's. If I do not have a hose with me, I will plug the nipple with a tooth pick and fill the barrel with water. I make sure to keep the nipple lower than the stock, incase my tooth pick plug leaks. Then I take a patched jag, remove the tooth pick and use the water pressure created by cleaning rod pushing on the patched jag. The water and crud just jets out of the nipple. Works good for me.

 

[silverfox]

I get my tubing from the local weedeater dealer. Their gas line is just right for the job. Take your nipple and check to see that it will fit.
To go along with Paul take and old nipple and drill it out a bit and your flush job should clean everything out quite well. Do put a small weight to the end that goes in the bucket to keep it from flying around.
Fox :hatsoff:

 

[renovato]

I always remove the nipple, but almost never remove the "clean out" screw. It's not really designed as a clean out screw but as a plug after the flash channel drilling operation. I guess there's no harm in removing it for cleaning, but it just adds one more step to the process that doesn't seem to give any returns.

If I can pull the barrel, I set it in a bucket of soapy water for cleaning. If not, I use a cleanout adapter and drop the tube into the bucket of soapy water. That's the easiest method I've found so far. The water sloshing in and out of the nipple hole under pressure scrubs the drum/bolster internals pretty good, because when I have removed the screw, it was clean inside.

 

[RADeO]

To go along with Paul take and old nipple and drill it out a bit and your flush job should clean everything out quite well.

I too use this method and have done so for many years. Works VERY well with the weighted tubing. :thumbsup:

For those who prefer to plug the nipple, stand the rifle up and fill the barrel with solvent and allow it to soak, another way of plugging the nipple is to cap it with a neoprene vacuum line cap from an auto parts store. They are cheap, come in various sizes, and a small one will will stretch to fit most any nipple. I prefer to use them for field cleaning and always have a few in my shooting box. :hatsoff:

 

[Rat Trapper]

I always remove the nipple and clean it. If you do not remove the clean out screw it won't take long and you will no longer be able to remove it. When you remove it make sure you put some breech plug grease on it before you put it back in. doesn't hurt to put some on the threads of the nipple too, but keep it out of the hole in the nipple.

 

Paul,
The anti seize grease is a good idea,I believe. I had a problem with grudged up nipple on the squirrel rifle one time. Later bought some T.C. anti sieze grease and use it on every thing with threads that MAY at any given time MAY have to be pulled. I think it wil keep these items cleaner and easier to deal with should any problem arise.

Jay

 

[joeboleo1]

Thanks to everyone for their input. I do use anti-seize on the threads ---- definitely a great idea.

 

[laufer]

vodka too