How you clean pan & frizzen?

[Rifleman1776]

Smoothie or rifle, I swab the bore between every shot with a spit dampened (not soaked) patch. I then use that same patch to wipe off the pan and frizzen before loading for next shot. In humid conditions it might be best to do nothing to pan and frizzen. Dampness and burnt bp residue are attractants that make mud.

 

[Wirehair]

I don't mind when people over complicate answers to simple questions. It gives me a chance to evaluate solutions ranging from simple to complex. I just choose the method that fits my situation, which ranges from bench shooting to hunting. I welcome all responses and appreciate the effort.

 

[8Ball]

Few weeks ago at the range it was so humid that every guys had their pans caked like as it was sprayed with Shake'n Bake. Pedersoli, Chambers, L&R all badly caked after one shot. There's no magic about humidity...

 

[wiscoaster]

Squirt moose milk and scrub with small baby-size toothbrush, then Q-tips, then canned air, then more Q-tips.

 

[reddogge]

Do you find that the softer bristle brush adequately cleans the pan?
I've tried lots of different things except a brush. I don't like using a cleaning patch because they are a pain to dig out of my bag with cold fingers. Plus I can never really get to all the nooks and crannies with my fat fingers.

I'm talking really cleaning the pan. As in, it is a very humid day and you just shot, now you reloaded but need a clean pan because you don't know how soon you'll be taking the next shot.

The bristles on this one are pretty stiff, horsehair maybe. Mine's ratty looking since it's 40+ years old. On cleaning patches in the bag, I take a handful, place it on a block of wood, and put a hole through the middle of the pile with my awl. Then thread a leather thong through them and knot one end. When you need one just pull the thong out of the bag and slip one off.

 

[Snooterpup]

Usually too humid,,, even when frigid cold,,, here to not wipe the pan clean after a shot. At the range I use an alcohol swab, in the field if I don't feel the need to be reloaded quickly I use the same, otherwise any bit of cloth, shirt tail, corner of sleeve, piece of rag tucked in my belt or tied to my shot pouch strap for the purpose.....
Having a bit of rag, even one of those small commercially available red "shop rags" handy is generally a good thing I find. Pan needs wiping, hands get dirty, knife blade needs wiping....

The only time I use a pan brush is when sweeping out dry unused priming powder when unloading if I didn't take a shot while out. I haven't found them sufficiently stiff and abrasive enough to do a good job cleaning burnt powder residue.
Fresh, commercially made, black powder (3f and coarser) doesn't absorb moisture from the air,,,, burnt powder residue does,,, a clean pan while in the field is a good thing.

I’ve found that mirror polishing the pan cavity and the bottom of the frizzen reduces fouling sticking to those surfaces. Rough cast surfaces catch and hold fouling better.

 

[Commodore Swab]

Few weeks ago at the range it was so humid that every guys had their pans caked like as it was sprayed with Shake'n Bake. Pedersoli, Chambers, L&R all badly caked after one shot. There's no magic about humidity...

Searles raid in st Augustin used to be crazy, maybe 40 or 50 shots in fairly rapid order while marching. It would really make a poor gun stand out.

 

[Rob M.]

We need to have an emoji for threads where people are trying very hard to just over complicate shooting a ML.

Every time someone comes up with these we could just post the emoji, I propose this one.


There was a time in our history when people actually lived and died depending upon whether their ML went off when it was supposed to or not and they did not wipe between shots with or without windshield wiper fluid or carry plastic bottles with alcohol wipes to wipe their frizzen.

If you try for simplicity, you might be surprised that you do not need half the stuff in your pouch and what your dragging to the range.

Rant over.

LMAO !! Well said . Funny , and dont get me wrong , every instance is different , I dont think I'm an expert by any stretch of the imagination , but ...three days ago I'm sighting in. ie bending barrel , of a new trade gun . I shot that thing 35 times at least . I didnt need to clean the frizzen or pan once or swab the bore once , I had to knap the flints a couple times , I'm out of new 7/8 flints was using my homemade crappy 3/4 chert flints a bunch , LOL ... but that last ball loaded down the 42" barrel as easy as the first did and the powder in the pan went off each time my cr@ppy flints would make a spark ! LOL ... Summer time is always the same ...

 

[EcoRover]

Once you fire your gun , or sometimes in damp /humid conditions , I have changed priming powder once in an hour or two , as insurance the flint gun willfire perfectly. For a pan brush , cut a tooth brush handle to about 2 " , so it is a handy length in yur shot pouch. I always wipe the pan out with some dry cloth after the tooth brush , unless all is dry to start with. At the range , it's just the brush.

spot on: old toothbrushes are an indispensable cleaning tool.

 

[Brokennock]

I’ve found that mirror polishing the pan cavity and the bottom of the frizzen reduces fouling sticking to those surfaces. Rough cast surfaces catch and hold fouling better.

Same.

 

[Anvilboy]

None of you mentioned cleaning the flat bottom side of the frizzen. I have found that in humid conditions, that area can get really gummy and if left alone, will bring dampness to the prime.

 

[Old Sparky]

I keep a small cloth wet with Windex it works perfectly and dries instantly. If you don't wipe it it will attract moisture and ruin your next prime

 

[BP Addict]

I mostly hunt targets but have always kept a damp cleaning patch on hand and wipe the flint, frizzen, and pan after every shot. Alcohol is one of the ingredients in my cleaner so fast drying.

Walt

 

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Testing after 100 shots without cleaning. Clean after shooting provided you have a good lock.
View attachment 277555

You aren't understanding the post. This is about hunting. If you hunt in humid climates, fouling in the pan will draw out moisture and contaminate your priming powder.

 

[david w]

I use old cut up T-shirts. I also have a small bottle of Ballistol mixed 5:1 for when it gets humid. The pan can turn into a soupy mess if not cleaned between shots.

 

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

The dilemma I seem to encounter is, cleaning the pan/frizzen seems to work best with a damp patch. Brushing it with a dry brush - I don't know I suppose I'll have to give it a go.

I suppose I could carry a larger rag. Normally I have a few pre-cut patches in my bag but I hate digging them out; they tend to find their way to the bottom & I can't just go by feel (cold fingers). A brush would be easier to fish out of the bag, but I am not confident it would adequately clean the fouling.

I will try a larger rag dedicated to the purpose; hopefully I can get a grasp on it without having to see what I'm doing. Not sure how sticking a spit-dampened rag full of powder fouling back into the bag will go. Shouldn't cause any big problems.

 

[Brokennock]

I will try a larger rag dedicated to the purpose; hopefully I can get a grasp on it without having to see what I'm doing. Not sure how sticking a spit-dampened rag full of powder fouling back into the bag will go. Shouldn't cause any big problems

Try tying it off to the bag strap where it meets the bag. Poke a hole in one corner, pas a string through, tie around strap. Or around your belt.

 

[wiscoaster]

.... Brushing it with a dry brush - I don't know ....

Brush soaked in moose milk. I keep a large spray bottle of it at home and carry a tiny little needle-dropper bottle of it in my range kit. Never go shooting without moose milk. Even once got a next-bench guy's jammed AR running again with it.

 

[Pete G]

spot on: old toothbrushes are an indispensable cleaning tool.

Especially electric toothbrushes
(goes along with the canned air recommended above)

 

[WonkyEye]

I'm relatively new, only been doing this for about a year and a half. Maybe my lock is ****, maybe I'm overcomplicating, maybe I'm carrying extra crap. I've spent a total of 4 rainy wet days hunting in the woods, not a lot of experience. First, 3 days didn't involve any shooting except at the end of the day, throughout the day I did check the prime and periodically wipe it out, wipe off the frizzen, and reprime.

Last day I hunted I actually did take a shot and missed mid day. Like the other days it was raining and generally nasty out. I had trouble getting the pan clean, I got most of the fouling, but some of it just wouldn't wipe out. Trying to keep the prime dry was difficult after that, I probably brushed it out and re-primed every 30 mins because it would crust up.

I've since started carrying a couple extra things. I added a brass brush to my kit, just a Dremel cup brush glued into a handle. It scrapes off that hard fouling and gets in the little nooks my fingers are too fat to. I also added a tiny .5 oz plastic dropper bottle with heet fuel antifreeze.

I've been doing woods walks usually about 30- 35 shots over 3 hours. Most of the time, I dont need it, but on wet days, the pan gets extra gunky, and the underside of the frizzen gets real nasty too. The brass brush is good enough to keep me shooting, but I've made a point of trying out the alcohol to see if it will work for hunting and it does, real well, it gets the pan, bottom of the frizzen, the flint, and even the face of the touch hole squeaky clean and it dries fast, even in wet weather.