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I've never heard of anyone taking the barrel out every single time they clean, maybe once a year ill take it out. I don't see any reason to remove the barrel every time but what do I know
I think you are pretty well informed. You are also dedicated, if you have actually read through all 55 previous posts!
Regarding barrel removal, I would agree with brother Grenadier that if the barrel is pinned to the stock, as with many traditional longrifles, it's best to leave it in place, although the only real risk is chipping the wood around the pin holes, which can be avoided with reasonable care. Cleaning a flintlock with the barrel in place is not difficult, but dirty water leaking out the touchhole can damage the stock finish or get under the barrel, between the wood and the metal, and cause some corrosion. I have found that a toothpick works as a touchhole plug, but it is not entirely reliable. One forum member suggested a small rare earth magnet over a little piece of Saran Wrap as a touchhole cover. I have not tried it, but it sounds like a good idea.
Your Charleville, however, has barrel bands. Removing the barrel is easyon a gun with barrel bands. You don't need to do it every time you clean the gun, if you are shooting it reasonably frequently, but now and then, and especially if the gun is going to be stored for a while, it's a good idea to remove the barrel and clean it thoroughly.
Remove the ramrod. Turn out the side nails (lock bolts) most of the way but not all the way. Lay the musket on a bench and push the heads of the lock bolts with your thumbs to push the lock out of it's mortise. Turn the lock bolts the rest of the way out and remove the lock. Remove the tang bolt. Then start with the barrel band nearest the muzzle. Depress the band spring and wiggle the band loose and off the gun. Repeat for the middle and lower bands. Then gently lift the barrel out of the stock. Be careful here... if it is a tight fit and you lift it by the muzzle, you may bend the tang. Muskets are pretty robust, though, and with reasonable care you should be fine. Once the barrel is out, you can put the breech in a can of hot water and "pump" the water up and down with your cleaning rod, with a jag and patch. This is absolutely the best way to clean the barrel. Turn the barrel muzzle down and let it drain, then wipe it out with a dry patch. Leave it muzzle down and let the residual heat finish drying whatever moisture may be left while you wipe down and lubricate the lock, inside and out. Make sure the barrel is dry, inside and out, and coat it with the surface protectant of your choice. I use LSA. (
Egad! That's a petroleum product! Has Bob lost his mind?)
Reassemble in reverse order, and you should be good to go.
Again, you certainly
don't need to disassemble the lock every time you clean, but it's good to learn how to disassemble and reassemble the lock so you are comfortable doing it. That's a topic for another thread. However, you do need to take pains to get the fouling out of all the little nooks and crannies in your lock.
I don't know if you are a competition or recreational shooter or a reenactor. Reenactors in general (forum members excluded, of course) have a terrible reputation for gun care. Any gunsmith will tell you this. Proper cleaning is not difficult or particularly time consuming, and it can be part of the fun. There is no excuse for a rusty gun.
This is the bore of my own Charleville:
Best regards,
Notchy Bob
