ignorant question so bear with me please

[doulos]

Ive been lurking here a while and really enjoying the reading. I only own one sidelock muzzleloader but am interested in possibly a kit. My dumb question is this. I looked at pictures of a Issac haines rifle on TOTW and Chambers website and I cant figure out how the barrel is held in place. Im only familiar with and have held rifles with barrel keys like Hawken style T/Cs or Lymans

 

[bwhoffman]

small brass pins, usually not easily removed. you learn a new way to clean. Barrel does not come off.

...the only stupid question is the one not asked!

welcome aboard!
Brett

 

[doulos]

Thanks, How much harder is that style of gun to clean and could you describe your method?

 

[bouncer]

Is the rifle a cap or flint lock...there is some difference in cleaning methods...and probably as many different methods as there are shooters. Anyway, if it is a cap lock, first remove the nipple, and there is a device that you can buy with a fixture on one end that screws into the hole left in the breech after nipple removal attached to a small hose that can be inserted into a bucket or container of hot soapy water. Placing a cleaning patch on your ramrod run the patch all the way to the breech forcing the air out of the barrel as you pull upward on the cleaning rod this causes a vacuum drawing water up the barrel. Do this several times flush all the water from the barrel, run several patches with cleaning solvent, I use Dove dishwashing soap diluted way down with water until you get clean patches. Dry and oil barrel, reassemble and you're ready to go. With a flinter, remove the lock, place a toothpick into the touchole, pour very hot, not boiling, water down the barrel, let sit for 10-15 minutes, pour the water out and proceed to run cleaning patches through the barrel until clean.... hope this helps.

bouncer :thumbsup:

 

[blacksmithman64]

Welcome to the forum! I have an I Haines from Golden Age Arms (RIP) with steel pins.I only remove the barrel once a year for the "spring cleaning" just use a small punch to knock the pins out. Any other time I just use hot water, it won't affect the wood as long as you have it sealed right.Solvents were messing up my finish, and in my opinion are a waste of money.BUT THATS JUST ME, GUYS!! I also dry it out good and run real bear grease patches through it for rust preventative.

 

[cowpoke1955]

Brett is right. The only stupid question is the one you don't ask. Everyone is is willing to help. Like brett said, welcome aboard :hatsoff: .

 

[tg]

You can plug the vent or nipple with a toothpick , pour so cold water or your favorite solution down the bore slosh it around a bit then take a damp cleanimng patch on the cleaning rod jag and pull the toothpick and push the stuff in the barrel down into a 5 gallon bucket( a little caution and a wrap of rag around the wrist will prevent spillage on the wood, then just alternate wet and dry patches till clean and dry then lube, the hot water thing is an old wify tale, cold will work just as well and not be sucseptable to what some call flash rusting you don't need a lot of special doodads or gizmos to clean a longrifle with barrel in place, pipe cleaners are nice to get the vent or nipple. maybe ten minutes or so is all it takes.

 

[J.D.]

am interested in possibly a kit. My dumb question is this. I looked at pictures of a Issac haines rifle on TOTW and Chambers website and I cant figure out how the barrel is held in place. Im only familiar with and have held rifles with barrel keys like Hawken style T/Cs or Lymans

There are no dumb questions, other than the one that isn't ask.

Others ahve answered your question about pinning the barrel, so I won't go there.

However, "kits" from TOW, Chambers and others are little more than parts kits that require a lot of work before the parts are ready to assemble to the stock.

I would suggest renting a DVD set "Building the Chambers kit Rifle" so you will know what you are getting into before you jump into one of these kits.


The DVD set can be rented here:
[url] http://smartflix.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=119_33[/url]

Scroll down the "Building the Chambers Kit Rifle"

If this is something you want to do, then I suggest that you buy the DVD set AND the book "Recreating the American Longrifle", or "The Gunsmith of Grenvill County".

The procedure and techniques of building a rifle from a kit are the same, no matter whose kit you buy, so the DVD set will be beneficial no matter which way you go.

 

[doulos]

Thanks for all the answers guys. Im just in the research stage now for kits. if I build one my first will probably be a Lyman Great Plains rifle to see if I have the desire to takle something more difficult. I would definitely try a kit like that before I tackled a TOTW kit or a Chambers. I was interested in the Chambers because of the light weights he listed for these guns with swamped barrels. And also for all the good words you fellas have about his kits. I also would buy every DVD and book available to assist the building process.
MY only traditional style (not really accurate to any time period) is a Traditions Pioneer that I started muzzleloading with more than 20 years ago. Its a .54 with a 1-66 and its pretty accurate too. My first time out with it I killed a large 7 pointer. Ive hunted for years with those "other style" muzzleloaders. But after killing so many deer with them theres no excitement in it anymore. I yearning to go back and try the patch and ball again and make things simpler.

 

[akbrownbear]

These folks are right. You'd be surprised how many wonder that same issue but were too shy to ask. I am one of them who wondered this for a while....... Thanks for asking so we all get the answer. :bow: