Shotgun cleaning and shooting assessories

[tamara]

Hi guys! I decided to go with the Pedersoli double 12ga from Cabela's.

I was planning on purchasing the following:
- Powder flask
- Volumetric adjustable powder/shot measure
- A capper
- CCI #11 caps
- Pyrodex FFG
- Thin overpowder cards
- Pre-lubed "Wonder wad" 1/2" wads
- Overshot cards
- Blackpowder solvent
- Gun oil
- Cleaning patches
- #7.5 - 9 shot

Does that sound like everything I need to get started?

I have a cleaning kit for my modern shotguns which includes a cleaning rod with a copper brush, and the slotted cleaning rod attachment that you pull a patch halfway through. Would this be adequate for a ML shotgun, or should I get one of those round grooved brass cleaning jags?

What type of oil should I use after cleaning / for storage? This gun has chromed barrels, if that makes any difference. :hmm:

 

[Dave K]

I still use the brass jags for cleaning. Though a patch around the brush really works well also.I prefer a plastic brush since I feel it is easier on the bore, but opinions will vary. Don't forget a bore guide as well. I use Ballistol, but any good gun oil should do fine. Just make sure you check the bores with a cleaning patch everyday for a couple of days after cleaning. If you can't find dippers for powder and shot measuring, use the adjustable measure you are buying and then duplicate the loads you find best, by cutting a 12ga. or 20ga. hull to the correct lenght for measuring shot and powder. You will find the bigger dia. works a little better. You can probably find shot allot cheaper locally. Personally I prefer 7 1/2 shot, for clay and doves, #6 shot for rabbits and pheasants. JMHO

 

[mmahlock]

I'd dump the pyrodex and get real BP. I'd also add a metal range rod long enough to get to the bottom of the barrel a button jag for loading and regular jag for cleaning. Also a patch worm for when you loose a cleaning patch down the bore. A nipple wrench is also indispensable as is antiseaze grease for the threads. If the barrels come off the stock you can pull them and put the breach in a tub and flush them if not you'll also need a cleaning hose assembly that screws into the nipple thead.

 

[pmwest]

Here are some of my personal preferences. I like to keep my loading simple. This helps when hunting or target shooting when I am shooting a lot. This would apply to dove hunts or sporting clays. My favorite load is 70 gr pyrodex rs, a single .135” nitro card, 1 1/8 oz 7 ½ lead topped with a thin overshot card. This patterns extremely well in my gun but the only way for you to know what you gun likes best is to shoot at a lot of paper.

For measuring shot and powder I like the lee adjustable shot dipper. I pour the powder and shot into teacups and then dip from there. After I develop my best loading, I pre-measure everything to carry in the field.

As far as cleaning equipment, the rod from your shotgun cleaning kit is ideal. I use a stainless steel tornado brush and 2 ½” -3” patches. I use the brush as a cleaning jag, put the patch over the muzzle and push it down the bore with the brush. The brush does a fair job of removing leading from the bore but I would keep a bronze bore brush around for really stubborn messes.

For gun oil I haven’t found anything that I like better than WD40. In most cases I use warm water for cleanup and spray and wipe everything with WD40 inside and out.

 

[madstone]

I love about 70 grns and 1 1/8 oz. Be sure to deal with the corners where bbl meets breechface. I use a flat scaper of brass. BP makes the shotshell mops messy and nasty but they can be hand washed w hot soapy h2o.
Bronze brushes have to have sharp tips to scour out the lead. They "lead-up" or something after a few cleanings. Maybe my solvent damages the bronze??
As one who earns his daily bread cleaning and repairing/restoring guns I must share MHO. Most of the Ml's I see are damaged by poor maintanance/cleaning around the flashole/drum area and failure to pamper the bore. I use solid 1 piece ss rods and some antigue wooden sgmented mops. Watch that WD40. It's great? to displace the hot soapy water but also removes all the lubricants. Lightly oil wipe the parts what don't touch each other (They's parts "in there" that need a little grease, too. These is shiny) :yakyak:
I used to run really hot water in "mother's" tub but persuasion and cleaning the battub to suit her was tough :rotf: I'd use a 12 gg mop to swish the soapy hot water up the bores. Keep the water really hot and run more hot water to flush out the soap. After a few loads run a really new-ish clean bronze britle brush (The danger is hanging up the bristles as you reverse to pull out the brush. They are asked to flex and compress but not reverse and dig in point first as in ML's. Try reversing it FIRST at the muzzle. If it hangs up here you can easily grasp it. Not so after you break your ramrod? Try twisting the brush, but so's you are tightening the threads)
I use a slow electric drill and brush w 0000 steel wool embedded for bad leading. Go slow and remember you might be the lead's new home! No pun intended as I ain't that smart! :thumbsup:

 

[dek]

:hmm: I agree with Madstone's advice and would only add these sugestions; after I clean a gun in HOT water and cleaners I quickly dry the metal and mop the bore with a swabb that is saturated with patroleum jelly before the metal cools. This will melt the jelly and coat the metal also getting into all of the cracks and cranies and with a preservative that will not evaporate like WD-40 and 3-in-one oils. I also wipe the outside of the barrels with a rag saturated with the patroleum jelly. I use an old wash rag and keep it in an empty nut can with the lid. WD-40 and 3-in-one type oils are lubricants and not preservatives. On bore brushes, you may try one bore size smaller or a well used bore brush. Getting one stuck in a muzzel loader is not good :cursing: :cursing: Also, I would mirror the advice about real black powder. I have found no advantage to using Pirodex. It is just as much of a problem to clean-up and as I use mostly Flint locks I have no real use for it. Besides that it just dosen't smell right. I wish you luck and good hunting. If you can allow for the cleanup time required and keep the gun clean between shoots you will get into a really fun way to hunt and shoot : :v

 

[Ohio Rusty]

I relly like using pipe cleaners for cleaning out the nipple. I'll also bent the end of the end of the pipe cleaner 90 degrees after I stick it thru the touch hole in my flintlock guns. That way the bent piece of pipe cleaner inside the vent cleans any crud off the inside of the face of the vent that a patch and brush would never touch. I also like the pipe cleaners with the built in bristles. They are also great for putting the finishing oils in tight spots, like the inside of the lock parts and the inside of the nipple. Sounds like you have everything else.
Ohio Rusty

 

[Rusty Old Gunns]

I put Nipples on mine that use Musket Caps(Got them at Dixie).

Makes reloading in the field so much easier, (I add a Civil War type Cap Pouch to my belt with about 25 caps in it. Easy to get to, and you don't have to go looking through the grass if you drop a few in the corse of the day.

So much easier than those Teeney Weeney 11's and a capper.

Plus you can poke them clear with a nipple pick of you have to.

 

I'd use hot soapy water instead of the BP solvent, and use the money ya save for more powder and shot. Also it's cheaper to make your own cleaning patches, as you use a lot when cleaning. Buy a couple yards of flannel at Walmart and use one of thse rotary cutters with a cutting board, and straight edge to cut 2" squares for cleanning. Ya might think about some #5 shot if yer thinking about pheasant or turkey. Just my thoughts. Bill

 

[paulvallandigham]

Tamara: I would suggest you use the thicker 1/8 " card wads for over the powder. Use the pre-lubed cushion wads next, and then run a overshot card, or wafer, down on top the cushion wad, to make a dry, hard surface for the base of your shot column. Use a second card on top of the shot. Get a Tedd Cash capper to hold those #11 caps, and you won't lose them, or have any trouble capping those nipples.

Don't use WD 40 oil for anything. Its ok to use for quick fixes, but it evaporates, and leaves a gummy residue that can play hobbs with your gun. Use a good quality gun oil, like Rem Oil, to oil the threads on your nipples before putting them back in, and to oil the interal parts of your locks. Get a cotton swab, a bore brush, and a cleaning jag for a full length, steel, or aluminum alloy cleaning rod for the gun. The rod should come with a muzzle protector/ rod guide. This is a nylon funnel shaped piece that centers the rod in the muzzle and keeps the rod from contacting the barrel as you clean. You can clean with hot water when the barrel is really filthy, or filled with crud from a lot of firing, but once you get the black gunk out, cool the barrel with tepid water, about room temperature. Then dry the barrel. Cooling the barrel will keep it from rusting. You say the inside of the barrel is chromed? That is good, as you should not need to use any oil on the inside of the barrel to maintain it. Wipe it dry and polish the inside bright with patches.

On the outside, you can either use a good gun solvent to remove oils, and fingerprints, followed by your gun oil on a patch to coat the surfaces for storage, or you could buy Ox Yoke Wonder Lube in a container, and use this to protect the metal parts. You can protect the wood of the stock with a good furniture wax of your choice.
If you are going to take this hunting in the rain, you should remove the barrels from the stock, and see that the wood under the barrels is either sealed with stock finish, or at least given several coats of wax. Any paste wax will do, and you can also use those furniture waxes that come in spray cans.

By all means, get a nipple wrench. And, if you can find one to fit, buy a scraper to fit to the end of your cleaning rod to scrape out crud on the breechplug face at the back of your barrels. It doesn't sound like you intend to shoot round ball in this gun, so you don't need a ball puller.

If you use Pyrodex for your charge, you will need to get two solvents, one for the plastic residue that will be on the inside of your barrel, and the other to dissolve the residue of the powder. You cannot leave a gun with pyrodex residue uncleaned for long without suffering corrosion. It has to be cleaned just like BP. That is why I join in recommending to you that you use 2F black powder in the gun, and forget pyrodex.

For a load, stick with 2 3/4 drams(a dram equals 27.5 grains) of 2F, and an ounce and 1/8 of the shot of your choice. If that seems to kick you, drop the amount of shot to 1 ounce. This is a nice load that shoots well in most 12 ga. guns, and breaks targets cleanly at reasonable ranges.

 

[Grenadier1758]

I would recommend that you get a ball puller. You may find it necessary to use it to pull the shot cards.

 

[hornetk4]

I sounds like you've done your homework the only thing I would add is some bigger sized shot I like 2 4 5 or even some 000 .

 

[hornetk4]

I forgot to add I have the same 12 gage gun and I would be really suprised if you are not very happy with it it's become my favorite gun . Be careful and have fun