Rifle cleaning info needed

[John V.]

I have a Traditions Pennsylvania .50cal percussion rifle. My problem is that the barrel is not easily removed from the stock for cleaning like rifles with barrel wedges. Mine has brass pins and trying to remove them to remove the barrel for cleaning will ruin the stock. I have bought a nipple with plastic tube for use in cleaning from Dixie Gun Works. Do these things work very well? Does anyone have experience with a better method that maybe does not include soap and hot water and the afore mentioned set-up yet will still get the rifle clean? ANY advise is appreciated. :hmm:

 

[Col. Batguano]

I drive the pins out of my stock and pull the barrel to clean it every time I shoot it. I probably have done that over 50 times with each gun (and that's a lot of them) now, and at least 2 dozen times during the build process and they still fit snug. Just make sure to use a punch that's equal to or smaller than the pins themselves. 1/16" is pretty standard.

A lot of guys do what you'e doing though. I do it the way I do it because I want to keep any chance of water getting in to the barrel channel under the barrel and doing its' thing to a minimum.

 

[FishDFly]

I have bought a nipple with plastic tube for use in cleaning from Dixie Gun Works. Do these things work very well? Does anyone have experience with a better method that maybe does not include soap and hot water and the afore mentioned set-up yet will still get the rifle clean? ANY advise is appreciated.




System works, dump the hot water, tepid water and dish washing soap.

 

[ccmountainman]

I have found the best is plain rubbing alcohol.
Block the nipple,pour an ounce or so ib the bore, let set couple minutes. Pour out bore brush if needed then wet and then dry swabs.
Remove nipple and clean out screw,clean the channel.
Blow through channel confirm clear,
Replace nipple. And. Clean out screw.
Lube if needed.
Been doing it this way 35plus years,as clean as it will ever get.
The RA, evaporates fast.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Just clean the bore with your favorite solution and a wet patch. Remove the lock and wipe up excess that runs down stock. Just don't use too much solution. Not hard. Have done this many thousands of time.

 

[Pete G]

Plug the nipple with a piece of rubber between the hammer and nipple and pour some windshield washer solution down the barrel. Cover the muzzle with your thumb and slosh it back a forth a few times. After a few minutes pour it out and run a few patches down the bore. Follow up with a patch saturated with your favorite CLP.

 

[stantdm]

Richard I use a plastic tube and clamp on my flintlock. It works okay on a rifle that has pins as removing the pins will, over time, enlarge the holes to where the pins are loose. I put one end of the tube in a coffee can full of soapy water and pump it back and forth. I wrap a hand towel around the barrel just below the muzzle and hold on to it so water doesn't run down the barrel and into the ram rod thimble. I let water in there once and it swelled the wood so much the ram rod would not go into the hole. It required wrapping sandpaper on a smaller dowel and using a drill to enlarge it to the proper size.

It certainly isn't as easy as cleaning a percussion gun with keys that allow the barrel to be easily removed but it works okay.

I have not tried the alcohol method but may.

 

[Dewey]

I use soap and warm water, myself.
I think the alcohol might be good to use afterward to help remove moisture.

You might look thru this thread:

Thread discusses many cleaning methods

And there is this:

Muzzleloader cleaning