How long does it take you to clean your rifle/smoothbore?

[griffiga]

Takes me 30 minutes the day of shooting and then a few minutes a couple of days later to go over it again and run a fresh oil patch down the barrel. If I do not shoot the guns after that within 2-3 weeks I get them out and give a quick look over and run a lightly oiled patch down the barrel. I try to look over each of my cleaned guns modern and primitive once every month to make sure there are no signs of corrosion.

My routine is pretty much like Bassdog1's. When I set down to watch a movie at night, I will often grab a gun and run a few patches down the bore lightly oiled to make sure it's clean and no rust developing. On a commercial, I may grab another.

 

[NorthFork]

Honestly? Too long. Anywhere from 30 min to 1hr. It sucks and I don't like it. All that said, I do it because of my love for blackpowder arms and cleaning them is part of the experience.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Thank you for the responses. I seem to be getting quite a bit of powder residue behind the lock, not bad, but more than at first. Any trick to getting it sealed up better?

Seal it with a mix of olive oil and beeswax. Simples.

 

[Walkingeagle]

Yup, I’ve also sealed them up with rendered deer tallow.
Walk

 

[Jason Jablonski]

I press a little beeswax between the lock and the barrel to fill any gap. Done right and you'll never know it was there.

Thanks! I was wondering if that would work. I'll give it a try.

 

[Max Bowers]

If I’m in a rush, it’s a two beer job. If I take my time, it’s a 3 beer job. Accordingly, I like to take my time - 30 minutes per rifle to render it spotlessly clean while completely slaking my thirst.

 

[Carbon 6]

Thanks! I was wondering if that would work. I'll give it a try.

I work it between my fingers for about 10 minutes, the heat from my hands softens it and makes it pliable. Then it is like putty.

 

[Frontier's]

Considering my rifles are my babies and I spent a lot of $$ on the rifles and everything that goes with them, I take my time cleaning them. Its not a race, its about properly caring for them before putting them up till next time.

 

[Bearkiller]

Yep I agree with Frontier's I take as long as it takes to get them clean and oiled.

 

[firestick]

Takes me all year. I am constantly fiddling with them and wiping them down or running an oiled mop down the bore.

 

[flntlokr]

Just wondering how long you guys spend cleaning your flintlocks after each shooting session. -Larry

ten minutes or less. Before cleaning the inside, I remove and wash the lock, using a toothbrush to get into the corners. Also wash off the barrel exterior around the lock. I pull the vent liner ( put them in all of my flinters) and screw in an adaptor with a hose to a pop bottle of soapy water. Pump with a patched jag for a minute or so, change to clean hot water, pump some more. Wipe and dry until patches come out clean, then squirt some G96 down the bore, and spread it with a clean patch. When I have wiped the g96 in the barrel, I use that patch to wipe down all of the exterior metal, including the lock. put the odd drop of oil on the friction surfaces of the lock, put it all back together, wipe down all of the wood (including the ram rod), may or may not apply a bit of oil. Store muzzle down to allow any oil or whatever in the barrel to drain out. (Nothing like a gob of oil-soaked powder to screw up your first shot). I NEVER load a flinter without poofing off a small load of powder first, because it's such a pain in the a__ to fix a soaked load. No point stuffing a ball down a gun that won't fire. The picture is of a ball discharger which allows you to use a bicycle pump to push out a stuck ball. With the valve removed, and a piece of tubing attached, it works for flushing the gun. They will work the same on a cap gun if the nipple threads match.

 

[ohio ramrod]

Just wondering how long you guys spend cleaning your flintlocks after each shooting session. -Larry

As my oldest boy said:"leave it to dad to find a hobby that takes you 1/2 hour to do and two hours to clean up after!"

 

[beardedhorse]

In hunting camp I have to get the water boiling so it takes longer than the half hour so many report. Depends on whether it is smoothbore or rifle and length of barrel. Also how cold it is inside the tent or under the fly. I like the barrel to be hot enough to dry any left over water before running an oiled patch or Ballistol down the barrel and pipe clean and q-tip around or in the touch hole liner. Lock is removed and thoroughly cleaned, stock wiped and dried and ramrod cleaned, too. Fuss with knapping flint or replacing it with a new one.

 

[bisleyjohn]

Never timed it, don’t plan to. It takes what it takes and, going on the principle that ‘near enough is never enough’ it’s clean when it’s clean. All my precious sporting prevision equipment gets fully and properly cleaned after use, oiled and checked regularly. They deserve my best attention.

 

[Intosomthin]

ten minutes or less. Before cleaning the inside, I remove and wash the lock, using a toothbrush to get into the corners. Also wash off the barrel exterior around the lock. I pull the vent liner ( put them in all of my flinters) and screw in an adaptor with a hose to a pop bottle of soapy water. Pump with a patched jag for a minute or so, change to clean hot water, pump some more. Wipe and dry until patches come out clean, then squirt some G96 down the bore, and spread it with a clean patch. When I have wiped the g96 in the barrel, I use that patch to wipe down all of the exterior metal, including the lock. put the odd drop of oil on the friction surfaces of the lock, put it all back together, wipe down all of the wood (including the ram rod), may or may not apply a bit of oil. Store muzzle down to allow any oil or whatever in the barrel to drain out. (Nothing like a gob of oil-soaked powder to screw up your first shot). I NEVER load a flinter without poofing off a small load of powder first, because it's such a pain in the a__ to fix a soaked load. No point stuffing a ball down a gun that won't fire. The picture is of a ball discharger which allows you to use a bicycle pump to push out a stuck ball. With the valve removed, and a piece of tubing attached, it works for flushing the gun. They will work the same on a cap gun if the nipple threads match.

Yup, precisely absolutely way i do it... even firing a sqib load before loading...

 

[FiremanBrad]

My 4H shooters have their Lyman GPR’s cleaned inside of 3 patches!

 

[tenngun]

I got to say cleaning is not a chore for me. It’s just part of shooting.
I often take two guns to the range. So I clean both at once. While cleaning I’m out in the woods or at an event. It’s early America for a bit out there. Even if it’s on my back porch and I’m in my jeans.

 

[Ricb]

I enjoy the cleaning process, so I take my time. It takes about 45 minutes for me to clean my two rifles that have easily removed barrels. That includes removing the locks to clean and lube the innerds. My pinned barreled “brown Bess” takes a bit longer since I take great care to keep water from getting under the barrel. I also take time to be sure the corners of the breech are completely clean of fowling.

 

[Mike Payne]

About 30 for me some times longer.

 

[smo]

It seems like I always clean my gun until it clean.....

Like others said , I figure it’s just part of the fun!