For the Want of a Wire Coat Hanger

[Buckskinquin]

Happened to my Hatfield, same patent breech design I believe. Ended up shooting it out after trickling 4F behind it. Either way good luck! I started buying better brushes to clean the danged nabbit breech design!

 

[sportster73hp]

I found this amusing. I clicked on it hoping to see what was used before wire, you know HC /PC. Oh well “ Hey google !”.

 

[springfield art]

I always have a wire coat hanger or two in the truck. I have "strung up" more than a few tail pipes or exhaust systems for other unfortunate drivers.

ADK Bigfoot

The wire IS pretty dang strong, now that you mention such uses.

 

[Mad L]

Shoot it out.
I have shot brass brushes out for others. It does take a bit and some patience to jam powder through the vent but it works.
For a brush just keep poking it in until you can't fit any more....BUT, if you already poured Oil down...well that might now be a problem - now you need to flush it with alchohol and wait for it to dry.

Just pack as much powder in as possible, you will Not harm the barrel as it is not sealed like a patch and ball - but it will come out.

WARNING!
DO NOT PICK THE BRUSH UP (that is IF you find it) ....don't ask why I say this, just Dont..Don't..DONT

It stays HOT for a long time!

 

[Coinneach]

For future reference, if you're going to use a brush use one with the brush locked to the threaded head. Anything is possible but this style has a extremely low risk of getting stuck when used with a quality steel range rod.

Yep I learned that lesson years ago.

 

[Coinneach]

True that! Except for the fact that wire coat hangers were free, said the guy who never throws anything out that might have a use down the line AND a barn to keep it all in (but may have some difficulty finding it ). BTW I'm not cheap, I'm frugal!

Our grandparents and parents rarely threw anything out that could be used or adapted for use at a later time, how many of us have regretted discarding something later ?

My attitude is anything I store away costs me nothing, let them sneer at we hoarders now the hard times are hitting once more.

Anyone else prowl in Charity shops ?
I cant' drive past them without dropping in and looking for what will come in handy, a couple of weeks ago I bought 2 Lambs wool double bed blankets for AUS$10.0 each ! Both Australian made and like new, this week I found a wooden hinged box for $5.0 thats perfect for storing Candles, and yeah I keep a good stock of Candles here and Lanterns.

 

[Frontier's]

Luckily for me, this barrel is absolute trash! Found a pulled ramrod end in a barrel yesterday. Never messed with the gun because the bore was in such terrible shape. Oh the things you find!

 

[mushka]

this thread got me to thinking about the time when I was a boy., about 1960 or so, I used a clothes hanger as a welding rod to weld a bent bolt handle back onto the bold of a 91 mauser. It worked for the ten years I had it after that. Also got me to search my closets for hangers and I found I still had only five of them. All the rest were plastic or wood. I put the metal hangers is a place where I knew they would be if I needed one again. 'this is a neat thread.

 

[fltaft]

I wouldn’t be surprised if over 50% of those of us on this forum are hoarders. My own dear mother (God rest her soul) called me a hoarder and I don’t deny that.

When I have watched the hoarder TV show, I can relate to many of the comments made by the hoarders. Among them, I just might need it someday, I plan on selling that (though I have never sold anything that I acquired with the intention of selling), I can’t get rid of that, it belonged to my (insert loved one here), it was a bargain, I couldn’t pass it up, etc.

I don’t have a barn to store hoarded objects in but I do have a house, a garage and a shed, all of which are packed with more stuff than I will ever use. The 50+ coat hangers that I mentioned in a previous post sat wire tied together in two bunches, sitting on my kitchen floor for at least two years before I finally put them in the recycle bin. So far I haven’t regretted getting rid of them but I’m sure someday I will. This thread has caused me to wonder if I made a mistake by getting rid of them. Thanks…Not!

With regard to my barn, I must confess that I started using that AFTER my house, shop and hen house were full of the precious finds that I saved from oblivion. My tractor is getting very nervous, but she's an old war horse and one of my treasured possessions too.

 

[Crown_Pointer]

Like many, if not, most of you, we have gotten rid of all of our wire coat hangers over the years. This has been a mistake. I regularly find myself in need of a long, stiff, but flexible, piece of wire that will hold a tight bend. Today is one of those days. I bought a Pedersoli Kentucky flintlock that had been used in some movie or another. They shot blank loads of some sub, the one that leaves a heavy grey residue, but a shiny bore underneath. So, I'm scrubbing this barrel out with a tight bronze brush and making good progress. Wanted to really get breech scrubbed, so rod went into cordless drill, something I have done many times. This time, the brush head pulled out of the threaded base. Small brushes won't grab it. Patch puller won't grab it. But you know what would grab it? A straightened wire coat hanger with a small hook bent on the end. This makes me crazy, as the bore is cleaning up nicely. A little more work with the Scotchbrite pad strips and it will be good to go. IF I can get that brush head out!

Pick yourself up a spring puller, they're cheap. Cut the handle off and weld a CRS rod between. Now you have a real tool with a hardened hook capable of serious pull for this and any future job that may come along.

Between this, and that patent breach/touch-hole issue I'm sure glad I got a steam cleaner - multi jets of hot steam propelled like compressed air hit all the blind spots and send mushroom clouds shooting out the touch hole with no effort at all.

 

[Eterry]

Like many, if not, most of you, we have gotten rid of all of our wire coat hangers over the years. This has been a mistake. I regularly find myself in need of a long, stiff, but flexible, piece of wire that will hold a tight bend. Today is one of those days. I bought a Pedersoli Kentucky flintlock that had been used in some movie or another. They shot blank loads of some sub, the one that leaves a heavy grey residue, but a shiny bore underneath. So, I'm scrubbing this barrel out with a tight bronze brush and making good progress. Wanted to really get breech scrubbed, so rod went into cordless drill, something I have done many times. This time, the brush head pulled out of the threaded base. Small brushes won't grab it. Patch puller won't grab it. But you know what would grab it? A straightened wire coat hanger with a small hook bent on the end. This makes me crazy, as the bore is cleaning up nicely. A little more work with the Scotchbrite pad strips and it will be good to go. IF I can get that brush head out!

I didn't read all the replies, but just go to your local dry cleaners and ask nicely for a hangar or 2.

 

[fltaft]

this thread got me to thinking about the time when I was a boy., about 1960 or so, I used a clothes hanger as a welding rod to weld a bent bolt handle back onto the bold of a 91 mauser. It worked for the ten years I had it after that. Also got me to search my closets for hangers and I found I still had only five of them. All the rest were plastic or wood. I put the metal hangers is a place where I knew they would be if I needed one again. 'this is a neat thread.

I agree completely! A word of wisdom from my mom, "Watch the pennies, the dollars can take care of themselves!"

 

[1stnamebassist]

I used to use them as divining rods when surveying to find existing underground water lines. Years ago I even saw the water company on Sanibel Island using them to mark out the existing water lines. When the two L shaped hangers crossed he would paint a line on the ground at that location.

 

[Old-Duckman]

Anyone else prowl in Charity shops ?

No, but I'm a local online auction addict. I've gotten some great deals and some losers but I haven't stopped yet.

 

[morehops52]

I have a lot of wire coat hangers that my clothes came on from the cleaners. I'm sure any dry cleaning shop would give or sell you one. Just don't expect them to be as robust as ones from the 70's.

 

[Whiteoak15]

Luckily for me, this barrel is absolute trash! Found a pulled ramrod end in a barrel yesterday. Never messed with the gun because the bore was in such terrible shape. Oh the things you find!
View attachment 339452

Speaking of things you find, I stopped in to a gun shop that only speaks AR and AK and there in a barrel I saw a BP barrel sticking up. It was a Pedersoli Target Hawken .54 in immaculate condition except for a bore that was two miles of bad road. The price tag was $99 and I talked them down to $75. Bob Hoyt did his magic to .58 and I'm going to give it its maiden run this week. I'll post when I know how and what it likes.

 

[Sudsy]

Not to mention as "rabbit ears" if you have over-the-air TV!

I'm 62 years old and sitting here thinking "Damn! How old are these guys??!!" LOL

 

[shorthair]

Wire feed welding wire

 

[towgunner11h]

All you need is a big ball of string- jam it down the barrel, holding onto the loose end. The ball of string will geab onto the brush, and you can pull it out. Works like a charm.

 

[towgunner11h]

Grab- not geab.