Ram rod doesn't go to breach

[amcmullen]

is this normal? I just bought a TC Hawken and noticed the ramrod doesnt go all the way to touch hole. it stops about one inch in front of the touch hole. I blew in the barrel to make sure it wasnt loaded then put a light in the touch hole and looked down the barrel and could see a tooth pick i put through the touch hole. I do see what looks like the barrel is stepped down into a smaller chamber. If this is the case how can the barrel be properly cleaned. can anyone explain this please.

 

[excess650]

It has a "patent breech" and is just exactly what you saw. Cleaning by siphoning water into the touch hole and forcing it out will get it clean. Some guys resort to an undersize brush with patch wrapped around to clean. I prefer to flush as much as possible through the flash channel and out the vent.

 

[amcmullen]

thank you, i was getting nervous that something bad was going on.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

FWIW my Mowrey 50-cal Plains rifle has a patent breech, just over .22 size, as a 22LR brush doesn't clean it too well. At a gun show I bought a used T/C funky-shaped brass jag (looked ribbed) for only a buck. The brass part had a smaller diameter and a larger one, with a small curve transition joining them. It was about 7/8" long.

I filed it from round to be like a flat bar, where if you looked at it from the nose, the metal was maybe 3/32" wide. I then marked the tip with a sharpie marker and put it down against the bore of the patent breech area.

Where the marker was scraped away told me what diameter I needed it to be, leaving a wider shoulder (at the far end of the tool, away from the tip) to scrape the bottom of the barrel recess area. I brought it to that diameter, keeping it as tight a slip fit as I could.

One the tip reached the bottom, I added more marker to the tip and filed off the high spots so that I ended up with a DIY custom-fit scraper that fit the patent breech bore area PERFECTLY!

It's a sweet tool!

 

[Billnpatti]

excess650 is spot on with his advice. If you need any specifics on how to properly clean your rifle, send me a PM and I will give you my cleaning method that has kept my rifles in like new condition for over 40 years.

 

[MSW]

FWIW my Mowrey 50-cal Plains rifle has a patent breech, just over .22 size, as a 22LR brush doesn't clean it too well. At a gun show I bought a used T/C funky-shaped brass jag (looked ribbed) for only a buck. The brass part had a smaller diameter and a larger one, with a small curve transition joining them. It was about 7/8" long.

I filed it from round to be like a flat bar, where if you looked at it from the nose, the metal was maybe 3/32" wide. I then marked the tip with a sharpie marker and put it down against the bore of the patent breech area.

Where the marker was scraped away told me what diameter I needed it to be, leaving a wider shoulder (at the far end of the tool, away from the tip) to scrape the bottom of the barrel recess area. I brought it to that diameter, keeping it as tight a slip fit as I could.

One the tip reached the bottom, I added more marker to the tip and filed off the high spots so that I ended up with a DIY custom-fit scraper that fit the patent breech bore area PERFECTLY!

It's a sweet tool!

cool idea - I gotta keep an eye out for one and give that a try ...

Thanks!

 

[gland]

excess650 is spot on with his advice. If you need any specifics on how to properly clean your rifle, send me a PM and I will give you my cleaning method that has kept my rifles in like new condition for over 40 years.

Comeon B&P Post the method. :shake: I'm sure someone out there has a dirty secret in their closet! :stir: :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

sweed :thumbsup:

 

[Semisane]

Get a 1/4" x 36" hardwood dowel from the hardware store. Round one end and cut a slot in it with a hacksaw blade. Use a small patch. Insert it into the chambered breech with a twisting motion, and withdraw it the same way.

The patch won't come off (at least it hasn't for me in hundreds of cleanings of my Great Plains and several Renegades and TC Hawkens. Clean the chamber with soapy water when you clean the bore, and with a very light oil patch after the barrel is dry. Use an alcohol patch to remove oil from the chamber before loading the clean bore.

 

[yardhunter]

Been reading all about how to clean these rascals.

Just starting into flints”¦..I love this awesome idea with the dowel rod...”¦thanks for sharing.

 

[Stumpkiller]

It stops about one inch in front of the touch hole. . . . . I do see what looks like the barrel is stepped down into a smaller chamber. If this is the case how can the barrel be properly cleaned. can anyone explain this please.

T/C sold a stepped (long) jag that fit the patent breech. You need to find oe of those.

 

[bpd303]

I have an old .22 caliber jag/slotted tip from a Marbles cleaning rod kit which works like a charm.