Ed,
RE> Pedersoli's and the patent breech:
They make a nice well-finished weapon, but the $$$ cost is getting out of hand.
Pardon if I'm wrong (and experts in here correct me please), but I think all the Italian and Spanish caplock patent & chambered breeches are similar, Pedersoli, Traditions, CVA, etc. Usually either "snail" or "drum". I've learned to deal with them. It doesn't diminish my fun at all. Your Crockett uses a snail like the left view, and the "chamber" is is proportionally larger. My Traditions Shenandoah uses the "New CVA" drum style like on the right with the smaller chamber hole.
View attachment 323333
I use a small dia knurled jag like Grimford suggests to keep the channel clear, except I don't use a patch and I ground off the tip flat for a blind bottom fit. The knurl dia fits the hole pretty closely, like a reamer:
View attachment 323329
At the range, if I shoot my caplock continuously, I can get to about the 10-15th round before ignition is affected (but why push it?). Usually the drum channel from the nipple to the breech powder channel is the culprit. It loads up with a black crud "wall" first. Every time. Never had the breech powder channel choke up first - but it
will be coated. This is with Goex. First, I'll run a few patches down the bore. Then I remove the nipple and the drum cleanout screw, pick and clear the drum passaged of the carbon, then run the little jag down the breech. Then blow it all out with canned air. Good to go.
But, like I said, why push it? I just relax and do the cleaning regimen every 3-4th round or so. In the woods you could take a break and do it every 3rd squirrel I would think. I myself have no obsessive compulsive need to push un-cleaned loading to some astronomical limit like some people in here. There's no life or death need for rapid-firing crudded-up dirty weapons indefinitely any more, we're popping squirrels who don't shoot back LOL.
Sorry for the long-winded reply. Yellowhammer out.