Flinglock cleaning

[Pilgrim]

In the future you might want to specify What Make and Model is of your firearm.
I see from reading through the first several posts that some steps may or may not apply to What you are cleaning.
Example; Some tell you to pull your barrel. On most Percussions this would be normal, on many Flintlocks that would be maybe a once a year or less thing to do.

As for me, I have my own way, I live on the upper floor of an apartment and clean at the kitchen table - very little water, No Messes on the floor or table (I have a wife) and can clean four or five in an evening...never have had a rust problem, all my barrels are clean and shiny. I do probably use more patches then others, might take a little longer (20-30min each) and I like to use Q-tips and pipe cleaners (the bristles type). I also use tow from time to time.

Works for me, might not work for others.

Someone already called me out on the rifle type. In post 18, I corrected that. But it is a Kibler SMR in .32 caliber.

Respectfully

 

[Crown_Pointer]

Would any seasoned flintlock shooters share your process for cleaning a flintlock after a shooting session? Compared to me, anyone with one shooting and cleaning session is seasoned.

"Flinglock Cleaning"?! Is that where you tie a rope to your ML barrel, throw it in the lake and haul it out hoping it's clean? ;-D

Seriously though, for starting out the suggestions here are good however I eventually took a different path.
I used to use just water (and the hot water is good) but it didn't take me long to realize when I put the barrel into a bucket of hot water I was now trying to clean it with a brine solution. The answer, for me, was steam cleaning. It's the cat's ass and I've never looked back. I bought a Pedersoli Turbo steam cleaner and made a mobile stand for it (it also carries my cleaning rods, brushes, jags - see PDF). I additionally made a stand for a Parks Bicycle service clamp which I use to hold the barrel (muzzle slightly downward). I have since made RTV silicone jaw liners for the clamp to protect from the heat but originally I just used a piece of rad hose split in half. The plastic jaw liners that come with a Parks clamp will melt so you have to deal with this (via rad hose or silicone).

I've also made some "musket workbenches" (see picture) which I use to disassemble the gun (barrel off & lock removed) in quick order. While the Turbo cleaner is heating up. After dissassembly I put the barrel into the clamp - muzzle down. When the steamer is up to temp you slowly insert the long steam lance into the barrel while pressing the trigger. High pressure steam comes radially & axially out the lance tip as you insert it slowly up to the breach then slowly withdraw it. At first a river of black water will come running out as you do it. I hold it a bit at the breach so it's face is clean and watch the mini-mushroom cloud come out the flash hole so it's clean too. I want a spotless combustion area. With a second go the water will be clean. I do it a third time just for good measure. I also hit the barrel externally in the pan area to clean that face too. Remember that you are continually cleaning/flushing/rinsing with hot distilled dryish steam (not wet brine). When I run a patch in it comes out spotlessly white. WHISTLE CLEAN. While it's still toasty hot I will patch it good several times with bore butter. It melts but I know it's going into the pores of the metal as much as possible (butter on hot toast?). I leave the barrel there in the clamp to cool and move on to the lock.

After changing over to the short steam lance I put on the gloves and steam clean the lock, inside & out and in every nook and cranny (easy with pressure steam) then hit it good with the aerosol oil. It spreads and soaks in well because it's toasty. After that it's back to the musket workbench to put it all together again and give it a good external oil "massage". Anyway that's what I do.

The steam cleaner is a little pricey but it's very well made and IMHO you only pay for quality once. I made/designed the ancillary items (workbench, steamer stand) because it was fun, it would serve me well and, in the end, the cleaning is now easy & flawless. BTW the PDF doesn't show the gloves but they go on the wood paddles on stand column as can be seen in the photo.

Here's a movie (link below) I made of my steamer - 1st use before I made my stand (steamer is sitting on the Bobcat fender). Once the steamer is done you can put on whatever protectorant you prefer but you can see here it's going on clean steel. I use spay oil on the lock and (short term) bore butter in the barrel. Over winter I douse it with Ballistol for storage. No salts and no contact with oxygen!

 

[garypl]

"Flinglock Cleaning"?! Is that where you tie a rope to your ML barrel, throw it in the lake and haul it out hoping it's clean? ;-D

Seriously though, for starting out the suggestions here are good however I eventually took a different path.
I used to use just water (and the hot water is good) but it didn't take me long to realize when I put the barrel into a bucket of hot water I was now trying to clean it with a brine solution. The answer, for me, was steam cleaning. It's the cat's ass and I've never looked back. I bought a Pedersoli Turbo steam cleaner and made a mobile stand for it (it also carries my cleaning rods, brushes, jags - see PDF). I additionally made a stand for a Parks Bicycle service clamp which I use to hold the barrel (muzzle slightly downward). I have since made RTV silicone jaw liners for the clamp to protect from the heat but originally I just used a piece of rad hose split in half. The plastic jaw liners that come with a Parks clamp will melt so you have to deal with this (via rad hose or silicone).

I've also made some "musket workbenches" (see picture) which I use to disassemble the gun (barrel off & lock removed) in quick order. While the Turbo cleaner is heating up. After dissassembly I put the barrel into the clamp - muzzle down. When the steamer is up to temp you slowly insert the long steam lance into the barrel while pressing the trigger. High pressure steam comes radially & axially out the lance tip as you insert it slowly up to the breach then slowly withdraw it. At first a river of black water will come running out as you do it. I hold it a bit at the breach so it's face is clean and watch the mini-mushroom cloud come out the flash hole so it's clean too. I want a spotless combustion area. With a second go the water will be clean. I do it a third time just for good measure. I also hit the barrel externally in the pan area to clean that face too. Remember that you are continually cleaning/flushing/rinsing with hot distilled dryish steam (not wet brine). When I run a patch in it comes out spotlessly white. WHISTLE CLEAN. While it's still toasty hot I will patch it good several times with bore butter. It melts but I know it's going into the pores of the metal as much as possible (butter on hot toast?). I leave the barrel there in the clamp to cool and move on to the lock.

After changing over to the short steam lance I put on the gloves and steam clean the lock, inside & out and in every nook and cranny (easy with pressure steam) then hit it good with the aerosol oil. It spreads and soaks in well because it's toasty. After that it's back to the musket workbench to put it all together again and give it a good external oil "massage". Anyway that's what I do.

The steam cleaner is a little pricey but it's very well made and IMHO you only pay for quality once. I made/designed the ancillary items (workbench, steamer stand) because it was fun, it would serve me well and, in the end, the cleaning is now easy & flawless. BTW the PDF doesn't show the gloves but they go on the wood paddles on stand column as can be seen in the photo.

Here's a movie (link below) I made of my steamer - 1st use before I made my stand (steamer is sitting on the Bobcat fender). Once the steamer is done you can put on whatever protectorant you prefer but you can see here it's going on clean steel. I use spay oil on the lock and (short term) bore butter in the barrel. Over winter I douse it with Ballistol for storage. No salts and no contact with oxygen!

That is a slick setup!

 

[SOLANCO]

Do not use a compressor to blow dry cold metal. There is some moisture in that air. WD40 may displace it. Or not.
Blow dry warm/hot metal. Add Ballistol or your preferred protectant. Done.

 

[duca]

Omg are u kidding me… see how much the Pedersoli Turbo steam cleaner is??
YIKES!! I get the job done with just a bucket of plan water and my cleaning rod

 

[garypl]

Omg are u kidding me… see how much the Pedersoli Turbo steam cleaner is??
YIKES!! I get the job done with just a bucket of plan water and my cleaning rod

How much was it?

 

[smoothshooter]

In addition to tennguns quote above, read all of his post. Follow his exampe and you won't go wrong. About the only difference in what he said and my approach is I scrub the lock works with soapy water and an old toothbrush then rinse with hot water (so it dries fast), lube and reinstall when rest of gun is clean. Easy peasy but very important to do.

Using a toothbrush or parts store acid or stiff artist’s brush will pay big dividends.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

Petroleum and black powder make sludge. No one wants that.
By using petroleum based products in your barrel, you are making so you have to swap your barrel, or stop shooting because you can not push the ramrod down the barrel any more.
Ive seen this for decades.

The best way to clean your rifle is to use products that do not change the chemical structure of the powder and gum the works up.

There are home made formulas like stumpy's here on this forum. There are also store bought products like what we use. (Thompson Center 1000+ Products)

Heck, even soap and water is the way a lot of folks still clean their barrels. Decades ago I would remove the barrel, take it into the shower and clean it there.

Keep your modern day knowledge away from the machinery of 250 years ago. Once you master this. Doing it the easy way becomes the norm.

 

[Crown_Pointer]

Omg are u kidding me… see how much the Pedersoli Turbo steam cleaner is??
YIKES!! I get the job done with just a bucket of plan water and my cleaning rod

OMG, far worse is the cost of my custom rifles, pistols & muskets. I gave up trying to save money in this hobby on my … 6th? gun. I used to use water too but, having done both, my vote is for steam. That’s all I’m saying. I was just showing the option.

My lance shoots steam right out the end and several jets at forward radial angles (a steam “fountain”). The black river that initially comes water-falling out the downward angled barrel change to clear in seconds is nice but feeling the tiny recoil when it blasts the end of the combustion chamber and how it sends a pressured cleaning mushroom-cloud out the touch hole brings a smile to my face. The same for it blasting clean every nook and cranny of my lock. Also, the way subsequent oil wicks all over (& into) a hot dry lock is nice. I just couldn’t get the same result before. Not only that, it makes cleaning fun and who doesn’t want that in their hobby!

Previously I also restored an antique car and I’ve cleaned parts by scrubbing them with gasoline/Varsol but when I got access to the steam cleaner at the dealership my brother worked at I was immediately sold on the merits of steam cleaning. I can see why the dealership got one.

To visualize, you could clean your front walk with a brush & bucket of water, or you could try a pressure cleaner, or, best of all, beyond that is a hot high pressure steam cleaner…. but, they all can be used to get the job done.

 

[Crown_Pointer]

,,,snip

BTW I forgot to mention the reason the wheel-lock barrel being cleaned is ty-wraped to the board in the movie was it had just been "proofed" in a set-up with an oversize (2x if I recall) load.

 

[buckleymarka56]

Would any seasoned flintlock shooters share your process for cleaning a flintlock after a shooting session? Compared to me, anyone with one shooting and cleaning session is seasoned.

After the first trail day of shooting my 50 cal colonial flintlock, I took the lock off. Put the rest in a vise with padded leather jaws to hold the gun, plugged the flash hole with a toothpick, swabbed the barrel with a brush and hit soapy water swabbed and brushed it until the patches were clean. Sprayed Remington down the barrel and ran a oiled patch to coat it.
Washed off and dried the lock. And pit it back on.
Took about 30 minutes.

Am I doing that right.?
My percussion guns I strip down.
I'm not taking the kibler apart. To m any pins. Lol

 

[Uncle Miltie]

I've been shooting flintlock rifles for 35 years, mostly .36 and .32 calibers. I clean with regular tap water (unheated) and flannel patches I cut myself. I run a few damp patches down the bore until it is mostly clean. Then I use a breech scraper to clean the face of the plug: scrape and remove the fouling until it comes out clean. A couple more damp patches, then a few dry ones, oil and it is done. I like Birchwood Casey Barricade because it is a moisture displacing oil and has served me well for many years. I clean the lock on the rifle with folded patches and pipe cleaners, then wipe down with oil. I never remove the lock unless it is for lubricating the internals as constant removal and re-installation will wear away the fit between wood and metal. I don't need to clean fouling from the lock internals because the fit between the lock and barrel is tight. If you have a rifle where that is not the case a thin gasket can be made of aluminum foil or vey thin metal which will seal it quite nicely.

It takes me about 15 minutes to clean a rifle in this manner.

 

[stikshooter]

Would any seasoned flintlock shooters share your process for cleaning a flintlock after a shooting session? Compared to me, anyone with one shooting and cleaning session is seasoned.

Get one of these bore flusher kits n no barrel removal an hold off on lock removal , this keeps the cleaning /flush to a fast minimum and a dry stock/Ed

 

[stikshooter]

After the first trail day of shooting my 50 cal colonial flintlock, I took the lock off. Put the rest in a vise with padded leather jaws to hold the gun, plugged the flash hole with a toothpick, swabbed the barrel with a brush and hit soapy water swabbed and brushed it until the patches were clean. Sprayed Remington down the barrel and ran a oiled patch to coat it.
Washed off and dried the lock. And pit it back on.
Took about 30 minutes.

Am I doing that right.?
My percussion guns I strip down.
I'm not taking the kibler apart. To m any pins. Lol

See my answer /Ed

 

[Cruzatte]

Would any seasoned flintlock shooters share your process for cleaning a flintlock after a shooting session? Compared to me, anyone with one shooting and cleaning session is seasoned.

1. Dismount the lock from the stock
2. Plug touch hole with a round toothpick
3. Fill barrel with tap water containing a drop or two of dishwashing soap
4. Let this soak while I
5. Clean the lock under running water with an old toothbrush
6. Empty out the soapy water from the barrel & remove toothpick
7. Wrap a hank of tow around a gun worm attached to the cleaning rod, scrub out bore
8. Repeat #7 as needed until tow comes out clean.
9. Examine my progress with a clean, white flannel 2" X 2" cleaning patch moistened with your choice of cleaning solution. (I use home brewed moose milk)
10. Dry the barrel. Inspect dry patch
11. Repeat #9 & #10 as needed until clean
12. Run a dampened cleaning patch with WD-40. Inspect patch
13. Oil bore. I use Barricade
14. Dry the lock, oil moving parts, reinstall.
15. Have an adult beverage, light up a cigar, or your pipe, and enjoy yourself. You're done cleaning your flintlock rifle or smoothbore.

 

[buckleymarka56]

1. Dismount the lock from the stock
2. Plug touch hole with a round toothpick
3. Fill barrel with tap water containing a drop or two of dishwashing soap
4. Let this soak while I
5. Clean the lock under running water with an old toothbrush
6. Empty out the soapy water from the barrel & remove toothpick
7. Wrap a hank of tow around a gun worm attached to the cleaning rod, scrub out bore
8. Repeat #7 as needed until tow comes out clean.
9. Examine my progress with a clean, white flannel 2" X 2" cleaning patch moistened with your choice of cleaning solution. (I use home brewed moose milk)
10. Dry the barrel. Inspect dry patch
11. Repeat #9 & #10 as needed until clean
12. Run a dampened cleaning patch with WD-40. Inspect patch
13. Oil bore. I use Barricade
14. Dry the lock, oil moving parts, reinstall.
15. Have an adult beverage, light up a cigar, or your pipe, and enjoy yourself. You're done cleaning your flintlock rifle or smoothbore.

Pretty mush what I did. Only I didn't fill the bore I just had a bucket of soapy water ( dawn) under it. Ran a brush through it. Some wet patches. Brush. Patchs until they come back clean.
Scrub the lock with a soft tooth brush dry everything, and back together .
I used Remington oil down the barrel than on a patch.
Took off the butt ate and ingraved with an electric pen. My name, month and year and my Texas dl #....no one will ever know.