Potentially OCD Question

[Coueswhitetail]

This could be a dumb question that has the answer in it, but with a hooked breach muzzle loader, when cleaning using water, how do you ensure that there is no residual water/dampness left around the rear of the breech or in the flash hole?

 

[B P Maniac Shooter]

This could be a dumb question that has the answer in it, but with a hooked breach muzzle loader, when cleaning using water, how do you ensure that there is no residual water/dampness left around the rear of the breech or in the flash hole?

I lay the barrel on the floor with a hair dryer running a few inches away pointing towards the muzzle.
It will get so hot you won't be able to pick it up.

 

[Woody Morgan]

Compressed air in the flash hole then a dry patch.

wm

 

[Don Steele]

I've been pouring one cup of boiling water down the muzzle of my T/C Hawken barrels for 45 years. For cleaning those barrels I remove the nipple on the caplock, the touch hole liner on the flint. (Note: I do not remove the tough hole liner on my other traditional flintlocks for routine cleaning). You will need an oven mitt or towel...the barrel will get too hot to handle. Over the years I've read a lot of comments about boiling water causing "flash rust". I have not had that problem. Those old T/C barrels remain in excellent condition. I believe the reason for my success has been that I don't pour the water and put it away. My procedure is to follow the boiling water IMMEDIATELY with a Ballistol saturated patch ( or two), then dry patch. If I'm not planning to shoot them again within the week...Barricade or G96 for longer term storage.
This is my experience ( not opinion). Yours may be different.

 

[jdesro]

Compressed air in the flash hole then a dry patch.

wm

Same here. Warm water, then blast flash hole and breech plug area with compressed air, follow up with dry patches. Should be no moisture left at all after this. Oil inside/outside of barrel when finished. Reassemble. Done.

 

[Grenadier1758]

I use a water displacement liquid such as rubbing alcohol or WD-40. I run a pipe cleaner through the touch hole and then a dry patch down the bore. Ballistol for the final emulsification of water and oils then a very wet patch with Barricade. I could probably skip either the Ballistol or the Barricade wipe, but that's the routine I have gotten into.

 

[Omahkapi'si]

Yup flush with alcohol. Then dry.

 

[TFoley]

Lots of folks, me included, don't have a shop, let alone a handy supply of compressed air. So let's have some advice for us poor folks.

 

[Omahkapi'si]

That’s me too. Clean with hot water. Flush with alcohol to displace. Dry patch it. Use a .22 cal brush/patch to get the patent breech dry. Use hair dryer to be sure. Lube with Ballistol. About 20 min routine. Check next day. Sleep well.

 

[ord sgt]

With my T/C Hawken, I put the breech end in a bucket of very hot water. Get a patch wet and pump the hot water through the barrel until the metal gets too hot to hold. Remove the cleaning rod, drain any residual water and let the built up heat dry the barrel. Use several dry patches to remove any left over fouling and water. This will also force air through the flash channel. Finally apply your choice of rust preventative and reassemble the rifle.

 

[thompson50]

That’s me too. Clean with hot water. Flush with alcohol to displace. Dry patch it. Use a .22 cal brush/patch to get the patent breech dry. Use hair dryer to be sure. Lube with Ballistol. About 20 min routine. Check next day. Sleep well.

A 38.cal bore brush fits my TC 50 cal patent breech perfect. FYI

 

[Crow-Feather]

I also use very hot water. For 40+ years and it always does evaporate. Hot barrel also melts bore butter so that it gets in all the nooks and crannies. Just like an English muffin.

 

[Crow-Feather]

This could be a dumb question that has the answer in it, but with a hooked breach muzzle loader, when cleaning using water, how do you ensure that there is no residual water/dampness left around the rear of the breech or in the flash hole?

There never is a dumb question. The "dumb" is reserved for people that don't ask the questions. How else can I find out that all my fellow posters are doing it wrong and get a chance to tell them the correct way to do it.

 

[Col. Batguano]

Scalding water has been problematic for me in the past in that it seems to create flash rust until the barrel cools to room temperature. I stay with lukewarm water. Alcohol will displace water so is a good "next to last" thing to do before the oil coating.

 

[hanshi]

Yes, I dry it to the extent possible then use denatured alcohol. I've even been known to pull out an old hair dryer for the coup de grace on any lingering dampness.

 

[EC121]

Go to

Lots of folks, me included, don't have a shop, let alone a handy supply of compressed air. So let's have some advice for us poor folks.

Go to the store and buy a can of keyboard cleaner(dry compressed air). It is not only quieter than a compressor, it will fit on a shelf. Also works for blowing the water out of a lock. You do remove your lock and wash it don't you.

 

[Flinty Scot]

Alternating very hot/boiling water with cleaning patches, clears the fouling well for me.
Once I get clean patches (several) coming back up, I'll swab with a patch wet with 90% rubbing alcohol or Everclear. Concentrated alcohol readily absorbs any lingering water.
I'll follow that with a dry patch or two, then run a snugly fitting felt swab, saturated with bear grease or lamb tallow down, to coat the bore. No rust; no problems.
An alcohol patch, followed by a dry one, clears it for shooting.

 

[TFoley]

Go to Go to the store and buy a can of keyboard cleaner(dry compressed air). It is not only quieter than a compressor, it will fit on a shelf. Also works for blowing the water out of a lock. You do remove your lock and wash it don't you.

Well, yes, we DO have that here in UK, but at the price it is I use it for its original purpose. I only have percussion locks on my rifles, or 'kinda' percussion locks on my two S*i*e*s, I remove them once a year.

 

[jcs266]

I do the same... Submerge the breach end in a bucket of the hottest tap water i can get with several shots of Dawn dish soap...

Remove the nipple, pump that jag with a patch about a dozen times and it flushes everything out quite well. Follow this again with clear fresh water. Then a couple dry patches.

Then pour a couple ounces of alcohol in the barrel (plug the drum and muzzle with fingers), swish the alcohol back n forth several times and then let it run out through the drum to remove water from the breach end and drum threads.

Another dry patch or two. Then a patch soaked with Ballistol.

Lube the nipple threads and reinstall it.

Wipe down all the exterior metal areas With Ballistol.

Reassemble.

 

[Walkingeagle]

I don’t use boiling water, only hot tap water (if available). On a hunt I will use bottled water or even saliva to remove most of the residue then the cleaning once back at home/camp.
Walk