Howdy, everyone!
A hypothetical situation for the consideration of all y'all flintlock aces, and we most humbly beseech your generous guidance and reasoned opinions!
It’s a hot and humid September day in the Great Sovereign Confederate State of Georgia. On this day the Coastal Plain is draped in a heavy overcast; any breeze has been attenuated by limitless stands of sweetgum, cypress, and tupelo; and the occasional downpour has turned your riverbottom foray into a perpetual state of rain. Despite the adage that gentlemen don’t hunt with flintlocks in rainy weather, well, here you are. And good for you ”“ you’ve just shot a very nice buck ”“ at least, you’ve just hit a very nice buck ”“ and now, in the small shelter of a quickly-rigged tarp, you’re waiting out the 30 minutes it should take for him to compose himself privately and die.
Now, what do you do next? More specifically, what do you do immediately to keep your front-stuffer from rusting up while you wait?
Hmm, 30 whole minutes, after which you may still require a second shot. My guess is that you immediately swab out your barrel with a black powder solvent, follow that up with a dry patch or two, use a little more solvent to remove the crud in your pan, wipe the pan dry, then wipe the pan metal with a small rag impregnated with rust preventative, apply a vent pick, then another dry patch jagged down the bore. At last, you measure and pour your powder charge, follow that up with a PRB, then prime your pan and close your frizzen, and wait out the last 10 of that 30 minutes.
Now, four questions.
(1) If all this makes NO sense to you, OK, but under such circumstances, how would you care for your rifle?
On the other hand, if these actions seem reasonable, here are three additional questions:
(2) Which powder solvent do you think works best to remove fouling and neutralize the salts created by burned black powder?
(3) Have you used any solvents that do not work well?
(4) Consider the now-loaded bore: most or all powder residue has been removed or neutralized, the bore and vent have been cleared and dried, and a patched round ball has been seated atop its powder charge. From the ball to the muzzle, is sufficient lubrication now present in the rifling to protect the bore from rusting, at least until your next shot?
That’s all, Foax! The World awaits your wisdom, and submits its most profound appreciation and gratitude, in advance!
A hypothetical situation for the consideration of all y'all flintlock aces, and we most humbly beseech your generous guidance and reasoned opinions!
It’s a hot and humid September day in the Great Sovereign Confederate State of Georgia. On this day the Coastal Plain is draped in a heavy overcast; any breeze has been attenuated by limitless stands of sweetgum, cypress, and tupelo; and the occasional downpour has turned your riverbottom foray into a perpetual state of rain. Despite the adage that gentlemen don’t hunt with flintlocks in rainy weather, well, here you are. And good for you ”“ you’ve just shot a very nice buck ”“ at least, you’ve just hit a very nice buck ”“ and now, in the small shelter of a quickly-rigged tarp, you’re waiting out the 30 minutes it should take for him to compose himself privately and die.
Now, what do you do next? More specifically, what do you do immediately to keep your front-stuffer from rusting up while you wait?
Hmm, 30 whole minutes, after which you may still require a second shot. My guess is that you immediately swab out your barrel with a black powder solvent, follow that up with a dry patch or two, use a little more solvent to remove the crud in your pan, wipe the pan dry, then wipe the pan metal with a small rag impregnated with rust preventative, apply a vent pick, then another dry patch jagged down the bore. At last, you measure and pour your powder charge, follow that up with a PRB, then prime your pan and close your frizzen, and wait out the last 10 of that 30 minutes.
Now, four questions.
(1) If all this makes NO sense to you, OK, but under such circumstances, how would you care for your rifle?
On the other hand, if these actions seem reasonable, here are three additional questions:
(2) Which powder solvent do you think works best to remove fouling and neutralize the salts created by burned black powder?
(3) Have you used any solvents that do not work well?
(4) Consider the now-loaded bore: most or all powder residue has been removed or neutralized, the bore and vent have been cleared and dried, and a patched round ball has been seated atop its powder charge. From the ball to the muzzle, is sufficient lubrication now present in the rifling to protect the bore from rusting, at least until your next shot?
That’s all, Foax! The World awaits your wisdom, and submits its most profound appreciation and gratitude, in advance!
