Pulling a load

[J.M.]

Just went for a walk with the new smoothbore, tryin to get used to hiking around in the woods. Did'nt get a chance to fire the gun at anything. My question is what is the best thing to do when the day is done and you havent fired the gun? I decided to pull the cards and let the shot and powder out, but then wasnt sure how thorough of a cleaning it needed. I decided better safe than sorry and gave it the full scrubbing when I got home. Is this necessary? I know this will happen again, so I'd like to be prepared next time. Thanks for any advice!

 

[marcstephen]

J.M.

I would have done the same thing!!! I am very paranoid of corrosion in my barrel.
:results:

 

[roundball]

Just went for a walk with the new smoothbore, tryin to get used to hiking around in the woods. Did'nt get a chance to fire the gun at anything. My question is what is the best thing to do when the day is done and you havent fired the gun? I decided to pull the cards and let the shot and powder out, but then wasnt sure how thorough of a cleaning it needed. I decided better safe than sorry and gave it the full scrubbing when I got home. Is this necessary? I know this will happen again, so I'd like to be prepared next time. Thanks for any advice!

Residue is the culprit that causes problems you have to worry about...not fresh dry powder, so I don't go through my normal elaborate cleaning procedures each time.

When I pull loads at the end of any day's hunt where I haven't taken a shot...I damp patch/dry patch/lube patch the bore & breech so it's clean, dry, and lubed...done it for years, no problems.

If you have access to an air compressor, you'll think you've died and gone to heaven...when hunting season starts, I sit a 2 foot cardboard box in a corner of my work area and stuff it with old[url] towels...spin[/url] out the nipple or vent, and just bloop the entire load out into the towels with compressed air.

Also, there are a few different CO2 cartridge unloaders that are made for the same purpose

 

[Dave K]

Just wondering, how much PSI you get out of your compressor to clear the barrel? I have tried it without success.

 

[gordy]

I basically do the same as roundball and others here and just do a light cleaning.If the weather happened to be rainey or exceedingly damp,I give it the full treatment.

 

[roundball]

Just wondering, how much PSI you get out of your compressor to clear the barrel? I have tried it without success.

Actually I don't know...the compressor is set at 120PSI, but I never use anywhere that much pressure...I have one of those common trigger controlled nozzles with a tapered rubber cone on the end of it attached to the air hose 99% of the time...to do this I just barely crack the trigger a little...if I had to guess, I'd say a quarter to a third pressure is all it takes.

I think the key to it is total air volume...it doesn't work if I try to blow through the tiny hole in the vent (or nipple)..so I spin out the vent, insert the tapered rubber cone for a tight seal, and just bump the trigger enough to coax / bloop it out of the muzzle into the towel box.

 

[arcticap]

If I was hunting daily during M.L. deer season with Pyrodex P, I would cover my muzzle with a balloon and leave it that way until the end of the 2 week winter season if necessary without reloading. I have never experienced an ignition problem at the end of my season even if the load remained in the gun and I fired it off sometime afterward (at the range, etc...).
I also recall reading a thread where a person left their revolver loaded for a few months indoors without any ill effects.
If I didn't know when I was going to be hunting again, I might opt to unload as you did though.

 

[musketman]

J.M.

I would have done the same thing!!! I am very paranoid of corrosion in my barrel.
:results:

Black powder isn't really corrosive unless it's ignited, but it's better safe than sorry...