How often do you guys take apart and oil your locks?

[beyu]

I completely disassemble and clean my Charleville every time I shoot it — so the lock comes out too. I scrub it with a toothbrush and Dawn dish soap in water. I use q-tips in the hard to reach areas, but do not take the lock apart. I put a few dabs of gun grease on all the spots that I think need it before re-assembly. Maybe a few squirts of oil too just because.

 

[maillemaker]

I'm a pretty new flintlock shooter, but I find the easiest way to clean them is to pull the lock out and wash it in the utility sink with soapy water and a toothbrush.

Then I blast it dry with compressed air from my air compressor.

Then I hose down the internals with Kroil, and wipe down the lock. I suspect any lightweight oil will do.

 

[Zutt-man]

A fairly new flintlock owner here (2 years).

Is it really necessary to clean the lock after every outing? It’s not like the internal parts are exposed to much?

I usually take it off after the end of every year to make sure there’s no damage or crud, then add a little oil. Note: I only shoot a handful of times per year.

 

[cal.43]

As long as the gun does not get wet I do not see any reasons to take the lock out, but I´m a target shooter not a hunter.
I clean my locks if there will be changes in performance or when the gun is taken apart, for the rest a good oil and that´s it.
Ofcourse I´m not the typicalforums member I do not chasing another pig through the village, for cleaning, patchlube, what oil to use.

 

[maillemaker]

A fairly new flintlock owner here (2 years).

Is it really necessary to clean the lock after every outing? It’s not like the internal parts are exposed to much?

I usually take it off after the end of every year to make sure there’s no damage or crud, then add a little oil. Note: I only shoot a handful of times per year.

My Pedersoli Brown Bess and Pennsylvania locks get filthy after shooting. The pan is covered in fouling, the area around the bottom of the frizzen is dirty, the cock is dirty, and generally the whole outside of the lock is to some degree or other, dirty.

I find it super easy to undo the two lock screws and push the lock out and clean it in my utility sink.

This also gives easy access to the touch hole in the side of the barrel for sticking a toothpick in to plug in while cleaning the barrel.

Steve

 

[user 34300]

I recently used a solicitor to clean a cap and ball revolver. I did remove the trigger guard and grips. The hot soapy water dissolved the fouling and grease almost instantly. I then blew the water off, rinsed with alcohol, then WD, blew it off again and oiled.

I often disassemble my locks but I think the sonicator scheme will be better in the future.

 

[beyu]

s it really necessary to clean the lock after every outing? It’s not like the internal parts are exposed to much?

I usually take it off after the end of every year to make sure there’s no damage or crud, then add a little oil. Note: I only shoot a handful of times per year.

Seems to be. I always find a lot of black soot-like crud inside the lock each time I shoot it.

 

[TDM]

Once a lock is tuned and properly lubricated I do not disassemble it. But after shooting I do remove the lock to clean the externals and check the internals for any powder residue. And, pinned barrels stay in place for cleaning.

 

[D.Summers]

Maybe it doesn't need it, but I do take off my lock when I clean my gun! I polish the barrel and I scrub the lock! No worries, the gun, she's cleaned, stem to stern! It makes it easier to properly clean the gun!!

 

[Flathead85]

Brake cleaner is a good idea, gonna have to try it.

 

[Polecat_Tom]

I remove my lock when I clean my gun after shooting. I place it in a bucket of soapy water and scrub with a brush. Then wipe down with a rag. Lay it in the sun to dry or hit it with the heat gun if no sun. Spray the workings with WD40 then a drop or 2 of CLP.
But then, I also always remove my barrels to clean. So you may not want to do it my way.

 

[Kansas Kid]

I remove the lock each time and run the water slowly over pan and frizzen area and scrub lightly with toothbrush then wipe with paper towel and set in the sun to dry. Completely disassemble only if needed from visual inspection.

 

[brazosland]

Literally never.

Toothbrush and a little oil when cleaning the rifle. Grease on the small edges that touch each other and back on the gun.

 

[PathfinderNC]

Haven’t done that in 30 years. No need to.

 

[hanshi]

I always remove the lock and clean it after any shooting at all. But the lock is never taken apart. I use Q-tips and sometimes a toothbrush to clean it and then I put a drop of oil at the contact points. After cleaning I wipe the lock, stock and barrel with a treated rag.

 

[ADK Bigfoot]

Same here. Shoot, scrub, rinse (hot), dry, oil, re-install: repeat.

ADK Bigfoot

 

[Mad L]

I fully disassembled one of mine once, nothing was wrong with it, I justed wanted to do it in case ever have to. That was seven, eight years ago. Never considered disassembling any of the others.
But i do pull the locks (vent liners/nipples on the ones that have them), clean real good, use Q-tips, tow, pipe cleaners (prickly type), and of course a toothbrush. Then a good drying (I like to spray with alchohol and one last drying) then oil it all up (I use Barricade in the barrel and Hopps on the lock) and put it away.
I usually put mine barrel Down overnight befor reassembling then it's back on the Wall. Never had any oil leaking problems for I don't over oil. If it drips then I used too much.

As far as disassembling the lock: if it ain't broke then don't fix it.

 

[M. De Land]

Howdy! Like the title says, how often should I oil my lock?

I just took her all apart, cleaned the pieces with simple green cut with water, and reassembled her. I take it I should oil it then, but do I need to oil her say in between shoots to prevent rust?

Also, should I fully take apart my lock and clean it after every shoot? Is that necessary? Would that damage the springs by compressing them all the time?

Thank you!

EDIT: Does anybody have a video of a Thompson Center lock full disassembly I can watch to make sure I did everything correct? YouTube doesn't have any great results, especially for flintlocks.

On my flint guns I clean and re-lube the lock every time I shoot it as even a tight barrel/pan joint will in the course of a 40 shot match usually leak some powder pan flash fouling into the lock.
I do like to clean my full stock guns upside down in my shooting box cradle to keep fouled water out of the lock and barrel channel though when cleaning.
I keep the bottom of the barrel lubed with a film of RIg grease and remove that maybe once a season to make sure no corrosion is going on under neath.
That under barrel Rig grease to protect the barrel is why I'm a big believer in very good barrel channel sealing and glass bedding in and around the lock/tang area. It prevents oil and grease soaked wood after years of use.

 

[Sir Boniface Harrison]

As a relatively inexperienced BP shooter, I have not as yet taken out my lock - or indeed the lock on the old Parker Hale Enfield I had 30 years ago. Recently the lock on my newish investarm 'Hawken' (percussion) has decided it won't go on half - cock. So I reckon time for a clean AND sort this out. So - my questions are,

a) I assume the lock will not fall to bits as soon as I take it out?
b) Should it be obvious, on examination, why the half cock wont work, and is it easy to fix?

Any advice will be greatfully received! Thx.

 

[Kansas Kid]

Seems to be. I always find a lot of black soot-like crud inside the lock each time I shoot it.

You should not be getting powder or fouling past the lock and barrel joint. If you are it’s not fitting correctly and should be corrected.