I'm just starting to get into Black Powder firearms and I recently purchased a Pedersoli Plainsman in 45 cal. The problem is I am having an awful time cleaning it. When I load it I'm using what I believe to be a .440 ball and a .01 patch. Loading is very stiff but manageable. However, when I decide to clean my rifle after shooting I've had the ramrod get stuck and had a hard time getting it out even with a glove wrapped around the rod and using pliers. The first time I shot it when I rammed the ball and patch (spit patched) and removed the rod the ball came back almost to the top of the rifle with the rod. (remedied this by trimming the patch a bit.)Overall it just seems like its too tight. When cleaning I've tried both using the .01 patch and a piece of t-shirt scrap and both seemed too tight.I'm also using Murphy's mix to clean my barrel (equal parts Murphys oil soap, hydrogen peroxide, and rubbing alcohol.) Am i doing something wrong? Any Advice would be greatly appreciated.
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Problems With An Extremely Tight Bore
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I've had jags that were so tight with a patch that they were hard to get down the barrel but would load a patched ball fine. You could try turning a cleaning jag down to slightly smaller diameter to get them to take a patch down the barrel easier. Also, I have to make sure my first cleaning patches are pretty wet to get them down the barrel in a dirty barrel.
I use water and a few drops of soap in a bucket/coffee can to clean my barrels.
I use water and a few drops of soap in a bucket/coffee can to clean my barrels.
shane a gress
40 Cal
I have a roll of blue shop towels that I cut cleaning patches from. I use a few really wet to start cleaning with. They are cheap and I can use a lot of them. Then follow up with a couple cotton patches to finish. Plus the roll of towel are good for lots of other uses as well.
Use water and a little Murphys soap (10 drops per pint) and ditch the peroxide and alcohol. Soak the patch well and run it down and up and squeeze out, redampen and repeat.
Once it gets close use isopropyl alcohol (91%) to chase out the water. Hydrogen peroxide is 97% water and rubbing alcohol is 50% water. . . and water is good enough. A little soap helps carry off the salts and crud.
Once it gets close use isopropyl alcohol (91%) to chase out the water. Hydrogen peroxide is 97% water and rubbing alcohol is 50% water. . . and water is good enough. A little soap helps carry off the salts and crud.
Griz44Mag
70 Cal.
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That fix is easy, use a smaller jag.....
You must take the manufacturer's caliber designations with a bit of skepticism. All too often these are guidelines and your Pedersoli Plainsman in 45 caliber may actually be a 44. The only sure way to know what size jag to use and since your cleaning jag is so tight, I think you have a rifle that requires a 0.433 or 0.437" diameter ball. You probably need to put your jag in your electric drill and use a file or sandpaper to reduce the diameter to slightly less than the thickness of your cleaning patches.
The only thing wrong that I can guess is that your jag is better suited to a 45 caliber rifle and your rifle is really a 44. Yes, that slight difference is important.
Phil Coffins
69 Cal.
How you use the ramrod makes a difference. My cleaning is with water and I have no problems. But I can stick a cleaning jag first pass every time and bet a paycheck on that with complet confidence! Just wet a patch and run it down the bore in one pass, stuck for sure. To avoid this pore water down the bore and dump it out a few times then begin with wet patches and short strokes working your way down a few inches at a time. Stretchy cloth like tee shirt cloth for patches also can be a problem.
Thank you all for the replies, I forgot I had a pair of dial calipers so I found them and measured. The barrel does seem to be .440 from groove to groove, the ball was .432, the patch was confirmed .010, and ramrod was .420 so that might explain some of the problems I've been having. Again thanks for the advice and tips they are much appreciated.
Bighorserider
40 Cal
I have two allegedly 45 caliber pistols, and can only load a .440 ball in either of them be pounding it down. A .433 loads just fine.
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Try .45 Minie Balls in it?
They are , I believe a .433 diameter or something, they may shoot great out of that rifle.
They are , I believe a .433 diameter or something, they may shoot great out of that rifle.
Also try a tow worm. Tow or torn up rags spun on to worms clean as well as a jag.
So is this a pedersoli thing ? Because I have a similar problem with my .54 Cal Frontier Rifle. I have no problems with my other .54 investarms rifle but that Frontier rifle drives me to pull my hair out.
Chuck the jag up in a rechargeable drill and turn it down a little.
Lay a large file on the work bench and slowly run the jag along the surface.
You can use sand paper too, it just takes longer.
Most likely your patch material is bunching up as you start to pull the rod up, causing it to hang up.
If it's a flintlock, the touch hole liner could be protruding into the bore cavity too far as well.
For a .45 cal I would cut my patches 1 &1/4" square, no larger.
I clean with the same pillow ticking I shoot with, I've got enough extra junk too keep up with without two patching materials.
Good Luck! Lots of great advice already listed above.
Lay a large file on the work bench and slowly run the jag along the surface.
You can use sand paper too, it just takes longer.
Most likely your patch material is bunching up as you start to pull the rod up, causing it to hang up.
If it's a flintlock, the touch hole liner could be protruding into the bore cavity too far as well.
For a .45 cal I would cut my patches 1 &1/4" square, no larger.
I clean with the same pillow ticking I shoot with, I've got enough extra junk too keep up with without two patching materials.
Good Luck! Lots of great advice already listed above.
With cartridge breech loaders the manufacturers have to stick to an industry standard for barrels and chambers.
With muzzleloaders it is the shooters responsibility to ignore what is stamped on the barrel and discern for himself exactly what the gun or rifle requires.
With muzzleloaders it is the shooters responsibility to ignore what is stamped on the barrel and discern for himself exactly what the gun or rifle requires.
Tom Compton
54 Cal.
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.440 groove to groove? If the grooves are .010 that makes the caliber a .42. If the bore is rifled using a tungsten button the bore is near .43.
I have a .48 mess.480 and use a .45 calyjag. A .40 jag and a .433 ball could work well in a .42.
I have a .48 mess.480 and use a .45 calyjag. A .40 jag and a .433 ball could work well in a .42.
RHensley
Pilgrim
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If I use a button type cleaning jag the cleaning patch gets wedged and makes the cleaning very difficult but if i use a cleaning jag that there is a tappered part between the end and where it screws on to the rod then it cleans good. I've got a couple of the button jags that I've bought an adapter that is smaller than the jag and gives room for the cleaning patch. If it's a 3/8 ram rod and a 45 caliber jag this can happen.
That makes a lot of sense. I guess there is a reason the rods for smaller caliber are smaller in diameter. Even though a larger rod will fit the Bore. I guess that is why I have such a large collection of cleaning rods. This BP shooting can be challenging! I would chew at these problems like a dog at s bone till I figured it out. Lucky I have this forum, we’re I only need ask, and someone will have been there and done that, and found the solution.
RHensley
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I built a 40 caliber in the late 80's and used a 3/8 ram rod. I had to have a friend that was a machinist make a cleaning jag for me with a considerable tapper so I could clean it. The ram rod almost filled up the barrel. The one good thing was I didn't have to worry about it braking.
