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Just to clear fouled barrel.
- Thread starter jd945043
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If I'm understanding the question correctly, I would say no. Minie bullets are intended for rifled arms. If the fouling is that bad, I would think you would experience some difficulty loading the bullet, and then shooting it out of the smoothbore would just lay down more fouling behind it. No telling where that bullet would go or how it would fly, either. It would be a waste of an ounce and a half of lead.
If the barrel is fouled enough to interfere with loading and shooting, it needs to be cleaned, or at least wiped. If you are on the range and unable to complete a thorough cleaning, and fouling has been allowed to form an excessively heavy accumulation, I would suggest a wiper (worm) wrapped with tow and wet with solvent, or a nylon bore brush wet with solvent run up and down the bore a few times. If your range allows it, lay the gun across your left shoulder with the muzzle pointed down while manipulating the rod and brushing so any loose debris will fall or be pulled out the muzzle instead of going into the breech. Gravity is your friend. Follow this with dry patches until you have removed any moisture. Pick your nipple or touch-hole, and maybe pop a cap if it is a percussion gun, and you should be good for more shooting.
Good luck!
Best regards,
Notchy Bob
I agree with @Notchy Bob. If the gun is fouled, then the best resort is to clean it. Cold water will work. Nothing exotic is needed.
hanshi
Cannon
Agreed. Sometimes fun requires a little bit of work afterwards.
Absolutely. Water is a very good blackpowder solvent. I've used it on the range.
Notchy Bob
Never a good idea to try to "clean" a gun by shooting it. At best it is ineffective, at worst... maybe a bulged barrel. My father's unmentionable gun was fired with corrosive ammo and left in a basement for a year before it came home. (Loaned to a relative.) He "cleaned" it by shooting it. I cringe every time I think of that.
Loan out your wife before you loan out your gun. Your wife can take care of herself, your gun can't.
Loan out your wife before you loan out your gun. Your wife can take care of herself, your gun can't.
I agree w/ Notchy , only difference is I like warm to hot tap water.
I add a little soap to that recipe.
I cleaned my rifle today with cold soapy water and still got a dirty patch. Changed my water to hot and the barrel came clean in a few strokes.
smoothshooter
50 Cal.
Water is good.
70% isopropyl alcohol is better. Gets grease and oil residue out well and evaporates on it’s own in a minute or two so you don’t have to run a couple of dry patches down the bore to dry things out down there.
Must be 70%. Not 90%. The latter evaporates too quickly.
A patch soaked with saliva is excellent for a quick swab down the bore to get you by for a few more shots.
Last edited:
smoothshooter
50 Cal.
Things I have learned NEVER to loan out, even to close friends:
canvas tents
black powder guns
any kind of tool that has to do with the cutting, splitting, or chopping of wood
good knives that I like
Daryl Crawford
50 Cal.
I agree with previous comments that indicate you may need to clean the bore between shots.
I also wonder if you might need to be using a different lube if the fouling is so hard.
I also wonder if you might need to be using a different lube if the fouling is so hard.
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I know water was mentioned which is a great way to clean, another I found and I know others have as well, is 3 equal parts 90% alcohol, Murphy’s oil and peroxide.. I like it especially when I’m out shooting and can’t give my gun the care I would like to at home. You can runs some patches of that down the barrel to clean it followed with some dry patches. I even use it at the end, plug the touch hole pour some down the barrel and let it sit on the breech for about 30 seconds to a minute and it breaks things up as well. The nice part is there is no water to rust anything just in case I don’t get everything mopped up. Again might no be for everyone but works well for me.
Actually, the hydrogen peroxide is over 90% water. Hydrogen peroxide is H2O2, which is water with an extra oxygen atom, and once in contact with fouling, it is an excellent oxidizer. Be sure to use a good rust inhibiting lube after using MAP.
@ibothell shouldn't be bypassing the wiping with an oil and rust inhibitor.
@ibothell shouldn't be bypassing the wiping with an oil and rust inhibitor.
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Thank you for the extra bit of info! Makes sense now why it works so well. I always enjoy learning some thing from this site! and I agree about the oil I always oil after cleaning with the solution wouldn’t have it any other way!
All I use is warm water. Not to say it is the best way but it was how it was done back in the day, and it is the way I have been taught by lots of members here. I have been told that really hot water can cause flash rust. Alcohol or soap works great but I have found I have never needed more than warm water. Sometimes a particular gun is just finnicky. When this happens I mess around with different sized jags, double patches etc.
Edit: and of course a rust protector as the last step! Mine is always ballistol. Good luck!
Edit: and of course a rust protector as the last step! Mine is always ballistol. Good luck!
