Powder well scrapers

[Forster]

I was wondering how many of you use a powder well scraper? I shot a few weeks ago with a group of friends and at the end of the day we do a basic cleaning befor we head home and do a through cleaning. Anyway I pulled out my powder well scraper and cleaned the mud out of the well. I was the only one who had one and I thought most guys used one but I thought wrong. I always manage to pull a fair amount of crud out of the breach with it and use it as standard practice.
So...I was wondering how many of you here on the forum use a powder well scraper? Thanks,Jim

 

[Ridge]

If it's what I'm thinking it is, I have one for each rifle and never use them. I use the little straight brush to clean my breech.

Damn things wear out fast though.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I've got a couple and use them only occasionally. More often I run in my double point tow worm to scrape the corners. The blade style scrapers chase the crud around the breech face . . . but what in their design allows them to pull the crud back out? Do you use a patch over them? :hmm:

By tucking a corner of the cleaning patch under the jag's screw shoulder I can twist it against the breech face and I think that removes enough for casual cleaning. Maybe every sixth shooting session I use the scraper.

 

[roundball]

"...I was wondering how many of you use a powder well scraper?..."

Fortunately I don't have to...all my barrels have patent breeches and get no fouling in[url] them...in[/url] addition, they are also hooked breeches and I clean them in a large bucket of steaming hot soapy water...nothing ever builds up in them anywhere

 

[Stumpkiller]

I was going to add that. :haha: My percussion rifles all have patent breeches.

My T/C 12 ga. smoothbore barrel does not. :winking:

 

[NORD]

How does that patenented breech work? I have never heard of it before...

 

[roundball]

How does that patenented breech work? I have never heard of it before...

If you googled it up I'm sure you'd find a better explanation, but it was initially designed way back in the 1700-1800s by a guy called 'Nock' if my memory serves me well.

At any rate, it's an internal design of the breech plug intended to promote faster ignition, and keep fouling from plugging the vent area.

TC (& Lyman, etc) use a modified version of Nock's patent breech...they don't really have a distinctive "ante-chamber" like Nock's design seems to have had, but rather, the top of the breech plug hads a tapered hole in the middle only about 2/3 the diamenter of the bore, that extends down 1/4" or so...a cleaning jag stops on top of the patent breech by contacting the edge all around the inside of the bore, preventing fouling from being pushed down into it.

Then that hole rapidly tapers smaller to a channel about the size of a .22-.25cal bore brush...the vent intersects this tapered tunnel.

I can't say it improves ignition because the only rifles I have all have patent breechs so I have no comparison, but I can say that ignition is outstanding and nothing I even think about wanting to improve.

However, I can speak to the cleanliness of a patent breech...I NEVER get fouling down there and I shoot a lot...ie: soon after buying a couple of vent picks that I was told I would surely need, I've never had to use them, finally quit carrying them, assume they're at the bottom of my shooting box.

I know people should "never say never", but as honestly as I can say so right now, I'd never own a muzzleloader without a patent breech...if for no other reason than the lack of fouling so there is clear, consistent ignition each and every time.

 

[Forster]

I use a TC#7092 powder well/breech plug scraper. All three of my rifles are TC's. The scraper is cut to conform to the end of all TC breech plug powder wells as the breech is concaved. A normal cleaning jag won't reach the bottom of the well. The fit is tight enough that once you drop it down and give it a couple of turns mostly everything comes up with the scraper and even if it dosen't it loosens everything to the point where it will wash away when you clean your barrel. I may go to extremes cleanning but you will never find a speck of rust or pitting in any of my barrels even after 14 years of use. I guess this all goes back to when I was a kid. My dad was a 20 year military man and he was anal when it came to cleaning firearms. He taught me to shoot and how to care for my guns and I guess it was something that was ingrained in me as a youth and have practiced ever since. I guess I got a little off track here , sorry...Jim

 

[davy]

Worth a thousand words as they say! :hatsoff:

Davy

 

[Landngroove]

I've got a couple and use them only occasionally. More often I run in my double point tow worm to scrape the corners. The blade style scrapers chase the crud around the breech face . . . but what in their design allows them to pull the crud back out? Do you use a patch over them? :hmm:

I have used a patch over my breach plug scraper. Don't really know for sure if you are supposed to. Actually, I've used it both ways, with and without a patch. As all of my ML's have patent breach plugs, and I also use a bucket of hot soapy water, I really don't get much, if any fouling on the breach plug scraper, if I use it after cleaning with the water.

 

[roundball]

Worth a thousand words as they say! :hatsoff:

Davy

Davy, good idea...I've also seen that image before in an article somewhere

 

[NORD]

Thank you for the info! Learn something every day! :hatsoff: