Uncle Miltie
50 Cal.
I've tried all the tricks, potions, snake oil and secret stuff to clean my guns and found nothing better than regular old water.
In hot water?
- Thread starter waksupi
- Start date
Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:
Never have, never needed to, never had a problem.
Reason:
Our humidity here is seldom over single digit so only a Light coat of oil needed.
Run a wet patch down, work it up and down (chant some Voodoo Hoodoo) follow by a quick dry patch, put it on the wall or set it barrel up - Done.
However on the third Thursday of each month one must sacrifice a chicken while drinking whiskey.
I always clean at the range, keep a small empty plastic ovaltine canister, fill half full with water from the hose, remove the nipple, since I use hook breech Thompsons, remove the barrel, insert the breech into the jug of water, pump a patch up and down until water comes out the muzzle, remove the barrel from the water to drain, swab with a patch moistened with simple green / isopropyl alcohal mixture, untill patch comes out clean, then run a patch with CLP or oil of choice, after several strokes, take the patch and use it to oil the outside of the barrel, hammer and lock area, put the barrel back in the stock, re-install the nipple, and put the gun back in it's case, dump the dirty water from the ovaltine canister and go home. Works for me.
Oh yeah, what Grenadier1758 said!
I’ve been watching “Into The Wild Frontier” but I haven’t seen the episode yet where Colter, Bridger, Fitzpatrick and Manuel Lisa argue about hot or cold water for cleaning…should be a good one.
I imagine hot water was quite the luxury for those guys! Certainly not to be wasted on gun cleaning. In the snow much of the time, in areas such as Blackfoot territory where a thin trail or even the scent of smoke would be a death sentence, not only alerting them to your presence, but betraying your exact location.I’ve been watching “Into The Wild Frontier” but I haven’t seen the episode yet where Colter, Bridger, Fitzpatrick and Manuel Lisa argue about hot or cold water for cleaning…should be a good one.
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2021
- Messages
- 2,689
- Reaction score
- 5,002
- Location
- Far Away Downs Queensland Australia.
Ditto
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2021
- Messages
- 2,689
- Reaction score
- 5,002
- Location
- Far Away Downs Queensland Australia.
Pssst, do you "read" the deceased chicken augurs before or after drinking the Whiskey ?
Spatchcocked, rubbed, and smoked on hickory. And Amber liquid. No problem.
Most trappers were in a ‘brigade’, I doubt they kept a cold camp. The lone trapper living on jerky is mostly a myth.
RedDot
32 Cal
Just fiishef reading "Journal o a Trapper 1834-1843" by Osborne Russell. He spent about 9 years in the Rockies in parties of 15-50, especially over winter. But when trapping he was frequently alone for weeks. Unfortunately no discussions on cleaning were detailed. Was pretty constantly on the move when not in "Camp" it woud seem consistent cleaning with water was not dutifully performed. He Makes frequently mention of replacing his rifle from the Camp store, where I imagine a sorrowful rifle may have been traded in for restoration by an armorer. My first post thanks from the soggy side of WA.
That’s me when the fire bans are on.
Given they where often in virgin wilderness, in areas disputed or controlled by potentially hostile natives, often allied with political adversaries such as the French and Canadians, it would only make sense they operated much as the military does, out of a base camp, going out in small groups to set and monitor traplines. It would be very foolish and unsafe to ever go anywhere further than line of sight alone, and when in hostile territory, it would have been important for even the base camp to keep a very low profile and for patrols going out to monitor traplines be hyper-alert and avoid making any contact or giving away their or the base-camps position.
Same here, the pressure sprayer just speeds things up a bit.
Lube is a good idea as it keeps the fouling soft. For cleaning, up the soap a little if the lube is oil based (I use Dawn or laundry soap). The soap breaks down the guck and using warmer water can't hurt. I never use hot anymore. What I do at the range is run a wet cleaning patch up and down both sides. Then use a wet, not soaked patch, and leave it til home. Man, that minimal effort at the range seems to make home cleaning much easier. Don't forget to wipe the lock area down too.I've been using boiling water and always end up needing to brush, so I'll give that a try next time. Thanks for the recco.
But have to ask: I liberally goop the bore with BP lube before leaving the range to keep the fouling soft and I'm wondering if that makes any difference in using room temp water to clean?
My guess is many of Mountain men used cold water right out of a creek or lake to clean their ML’s.
Probably save the patch after.. re_use the same cleaning and oil patches all year.
Well hello, stranger.
Indeed, I reckon those old boys reused and scrimped on just about everything. After all, there were no stores or shops in the hood. Conserve on everything and make do with whatever you had was no doubt their motto.
I reuse patches all the time.
Similar threads
