Interesting Cleaning instructions.

[Halftail]

The instructions on this paper that came with a Drum Drilling Jig says"to Remove Nipple and Clean out screw for cleaning every time".
I don't remove the cleanout screw but the nipple always comes out.What's your opinion on this one? :hmm:

 

[gmww]

I do both myself. The screw removal allows me to run a pipe cleaner in and out.

 

[Old Salt]

On the Lyman percussion lock the cleanout screw sort of locks the nipple in place. I always remove both during cleaning.

Old Salt

 

I do not remove the nipples on my Hawkens everytime I clean them, nor do I remove the barrel from the stock. There's no need to. It creates too much wear and tear. Do you remove the barrel from the stock of a J.P. Beck or Jacob Dickert rifle each time you clean it?

As a former U.S. Air Force Weapons Instructor and Armorer, I can attest from first hand experience that the more you strip down in order to detail clean, the faster parts wear out! Unless you want to be playing with rethreading taps, leave the niplle alone for awhile. You don't need to remove it every time you clean your rifle.

 

[Halftail]

Flyboy you said....

. Do you remove the barrel from the stock of a J.P. Beck or Jacob Dickert rifle each time you clean it?

No I don't remove the barrell from my Chambers york but I do pull the nipple everytime.Can't clean it good while it's still in the drum.I usually yank the lock off of it also.I like to give my bp arms a complete cleaning every time.

 

[jtmattison]

I alway's remove both to clean.
I apply anti-sieze grease to the threads before re-installing.
I'll risk a little wear on the parts to make sure they are perfectly clean and I will be able to remove them when I want to.
I'd hate to see how hard it would be to get a nipple out that hasn't ever been removed for cleaning.

HD

 

[roundball]

I don't remove the cleanout screw but the nipple always comes out.What's your opinion on this one?

Same here...my caplocks have 1/4" x 28" stainless nipples and my Flintlocks have 1/4" x 28" stainless vents.

I pump flush through each of them first, then remove them, then pump flush through the threaded seats.

After everything is bone dry, I lube the threaded seats and the nipples/vent threads with Natural Lube 1000, reinstall finger tight

 

[marwat06]

I remove bothon my, CVA Bobcat and Lyman Plains Pistol. On my rifles the screw threads are gunted up with residue. Clean it and lube it with Bore Butter.

 

[MikeChapin]

I remove the cleanout screws and nipples when I clean my percussion rifles. The cleanout hole allows me to get a pipe cleaner onto the breech face or firing chanber for cleanout and lubing. I coat the threads with bore butter or some other heavy lube before screwing them back in. My two percussions have had this regimen for over twenty years with no problems.

 

[Charles/NM]

Taking the nipple out of the drum or snail will not wear out the threads, at least not in one lifetime. Their threads are tapered and don't wear like straight threads you find in modern weapons. I always use Never-Sieze on nipple threads.
Similarly, removing the barrel from a wedge pin secured rifle causes such little wear that it isn't noticeable for many, many years. I have been taking my T/C Hawken apart to clean it for 30 years and have suffered no nipple thread wear and have only had to adjust the wedge pin once in all those years. Fear not, take it apart for complete cleaning.

 

[spotlink]

I remove the nipple and the barrel from the stock. I see no wear. I never tighten screws too hard, just an easy hand tighten. It's a lot easier to clean when everything is split up. All I use is hot water and bore butter and everything is nice and clean, no rust ever.
:youcrazy:

 

[Snuffy]

I remove the nipple every time I clean the gun. My cleanout screw has seized shut. The screwdriver slot is enlarged and worn. Been going on for a few years now. Water flushes, pipe cleaners and q-tips still keep the area below the nipple clear.

I am happy and the gun appears happy. The only one not happy is that darn dirty drum. :shake: I do not see a bath coming for that drum anytime soon. When I see or hear the gun complaining about it, I will fix it. :yakyak:

 

[paulvallandigham]

If you can't get that screw out with a back out, or reverse thread bit, then you may have to drill it out, bore and retap it for a larger diameter threaded screw. In the long run this will probably work better for you, as the larger screw will be easier to remove, and you can use any of several compounds to keep the threads from rusting or freezing in the drum again.

 

[Slake]

I've never taken the screw out of any of mine. I remove the nipple and do my clean out through that hole, pick the nipple, run a torch tip cleaner through it a few times and I'm back in business. I doubt my drum screws would even come out, occassionally I pick down through the nipple hole just to make sure I don't have any build up down in there and I'm good

 

[Zonie]

When cleaning my rifles I seldom if ever remove the "clean out screw".
I always remove the nipple and find a pipe cleaner is rather easy to use to clean out the flame channel between the nipple and the bore.

I would never consider trying to rework a gun with a "frozen" clean out screw. The possibility of frinkleing up a nice gun, just to replace a nonessential part is not worth it IMO.

Actually, many percussion guns do not even have a "clean out screw". One which I'm looking at is the Parker-Hale Enfield.

 

[Slake]

ya havta take the nipple out anyway to get a good clean on it.....that gains enough access to make sure all's clean...the drum screw should be left there...Most of my guns are used and the screw was always buggered up already....I guess I learned to live without removin it

 

I might remove my nipples a couple of times a year. I then rub some antisieze on the threads and go back at it. I've never encountered any problems.