Strange issue cleaning .50 cal

[Yewbender]

You can also use good ole TOW to scrub the bore clean. Then when done just clean with water or soapy water and dry to use again or put it in you flint n steel kit!

 

[[email protected]]

You can also use good ole TOW to scrub the bore clean. Then when done just clean with water or soapy water and dry to use again or put it in you flint n steel kit!

TOW?? You got me there.

 

[Sooty Scot]

serious cleaning, I use an undersized jag or undersized (locked wire) brush, wrapped in steel wool. It takes a bit of patience & frequent renewal of the steel wool, but has worked well for me.

 

[IanH]

I read about someone actually using a proper tow worm and tow for the first time recently, their experience made me experiment with it myself but all I had was some hemp rope so I combed out some fibers and gave it a whirl this past weekend. All I can say is I'm converted from Nylon brushes, mops, and patches/jags for any mechanical bore cleaning operations. I still use a jag and flannel patches for drying and wiping oil but typically use an undersized jag and double patches. In the past there have been a few times drying a bore with patches and had them stick, made me awfully curious about them ever coming out again without de-breeching and driving them all the way through. it's a pucker factor moment for sure when it happens. There's a lot of good advice in this thread.

 

[Yewbender]

BPnut, the tow i have is fibers from the Flax plant. It also can be used as wads in a smoothbore.

 

[[email protected]]

BPnut, the tow i have is fibers from the Flax plant. It also can be used as wads in a smoothbore.

I was reading a bit in the interim, and saw someone mention oakem, or oakum properly. I drove miles of cotton and oakum into the seams of wood boats for years as a shipwright/caulker.

 

[Grenadier1758]

TOW is the waste fibers obtained from the processing of flax into linen thread. It is coarse and makes a great scrubbing material for cleaning the bore of a muzzle loading firearm. Substitutes for TOW from flax can be fibers from hemp rope or twine, jute fibers from jute twine, manila fibers or sisal fibers.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

Don't know why folks use brushes in muzzle loaders. Never needed one for a front stuffer. Jag and flannel patch always did the job.

I know Italian guns often had a tight bore in the early days. I suspect they were making metric bores and calling them by US calibers. 11 mm was called 44, in the 1950's and 1960's.

 

[Bunk]

I read about someone actually using a proper tow worm and tow for the first time recently, their experience made me experiment with it myself but all I had was some hemp rope so I combed out some fibers and gave it a whirl this past weekend. All I can say is I'm converted from Nylon brushes, mops, and patches/jags for any mechanical bore cleaning operations. I still use a jag and flannel patches for drying and wiping oil but typically use an undersized jag and double patches. In the past there have been a few times drying a bore with patches and had them stick, made me awfully curious about them ever coming out again without de-breeching and driving them all the way through. it's a pucker factor moment for sure when it happens. There's a lot of good advice in this thread.

what ever works for you go for it.
However I am not sure of that steel wool idea. Bronze wool or green scotch brite something softer than the barrel steel.
But again a man should do what he thinks is best
Bunk

 

[Sooty Scot]

I read about someone actually using a proper tow worm and tow for the first time recently, their experience made me experiment with it myself but all I had was some hemp rope so I combed out some fibers and gave it a whirl this past weekend. All I can say is I'm converted from Nylon brushes, mops, and patches/jags for any mechanical bore cleaning operations. I still use a jag and flannel patches for drying and wiping oil but typically use an undersized jag and double patches. In the past there have been a few times drying a bore with patches and had them stick, made me awfully curious about them ever coming out again without de-breeching and driving them all the way through. it's a pucker factor moment for sure when it happens. There's a lot of good advice in this thread.

When a patch sticks, I pour a little alcohol down to lube it. So far, it works the charm. (90% rubbing or painter's denatured. It dries quickly, so it doesn't change my cleaning ritual.
( I keep the good stuff for lubing my gullet - after shooting, of course.)

 

[IanH]

what ever works for you go for it.
However I am not sure of that steel wool idea. Bronze wool or green scotch brite something softer than the barrel steel.
But again a man should do what he thinks is best
Bunk

Not steel wool, tow (flax fiber). I substituted hemp rope fibers because that's what I had.

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

Well this is a timely thread for a new owner of the OP rifle! And guess what? I had a very similar problem with mine, only I stuck the patched jag down bore and it too hung up upon retraction attempts.
So after much fooling around, trying to work it back and forth, hoping to get past the 'catch' point, unsuccessfully, I unscrewed the rod, a plastic rod for cleaning and range, so all thats down there is the patched jag, a bronze one of .50 cal size.
I then popped a couple of caps on it to see if it might jar loose, no luck there, so then resorted to what I had to do once years ago when I had this happen to a different rifle, blast it out!
Unscrewed the nipple, worked a few grains of BP into the hole, replaced the nipple, capped it and let her rip. It worked as it did before, the now damaged and useless jag sailed out with some alacrity, drove into the rubber matting on my shop floor, and bounced back to my feet, no real harm done anywhere.
To finish the cleaning I did as others and went to a smaller jag and was able to run it in and out with no more catchy BS at the breech.
I must invest in one of those air powered Saf T Unloaders for next time.
I love the smell of black powder in the shop!! Feels like,, oops!

I'm no longer brave enough to do something like that inside a building. I once pulled the bullet from a .50 BMG round and heated the primer with a propane torch thinking that the crimped primer would pop and stay in place so I could replace the bullet and have it look like a live shell. The primer came out, damaged my torch head and bounced around the shop until it lost momentum, shattering a pane of glass in the process. Never did find that primer. I am lucky it didn't pierce the propane bottle and or hit my hand or eye.

God watches over drinks and fools... when He isn't too busy with more important matters. I don't drink, so I guess I'm a fool.

Glad God found me important enough to watch over that day.

 

[French Colonial]

My advise is never put a patch on a jag down the bore. Use either a wet cotton mop or a smaller caliber brass brush with the patch wrapped around it. Same goes for a shotgun. At least that works for me.
have fun
Make smoke
Bunk

Seriously?

It would be interesting to see how many people, for how many years have been using a patch on a jag to clean their firearms.

 

[stikshooter]

what ever works for you go for it.
However I am not sure of that steel wool idea. Bronze wool or green scotch brite something softer than the barrel steel.
But again a man should do what he thinks is best
Bunk

Steel wool is part of barrel treatment recommended by famed gunsmith /world title holder of long range muzzys
Lee Shavers (GUN MAKER) if that helps settle your mind !!!/Ed

 

[Bunk]

Steel wool is part of barrel treatment recommended by famed gunsmith /world title holder of long range muzzys
Lee Shavers (GUN MAKER) if that helps settle your mind !!!/Ed

good by me if a smith of that reputation says it is OK who am I to argue?
Bunk

 

[Bunk]

Seriously?

It would be interesting to see how many people, for how many years have been using a patch on a jag to clean their firearms.

It would be interesting to see how many people over the years have stuck jag and patch in their bores.
Personally I go with the mop and patch on a brass bush.
But a man ought to do what he thinks best.
It is just my way not the only way
Hold center
Make smoke
Bunk

 

[French Colonial]

40+ years, thousands of shots, lots of cleaning and never had a patch and jag stuck, nor even close to stuck.

I have come very close to sticking a brush in a barrel but managed to get it to spin and the bristles laid over and it came out.

 

[Bunk]

40+ years, thousands of shots, lots of cleaning and never had a patch and jag stuck, nor even close to stuck.

I have come very close to sticking a brush in a barrel but managed to get it to spin and the bristles laid over and it came out.

Yes a bare brush can cause trouble but in my ,50 Green River rifle I use a .45 caliber brush with the patch wrapped around it and NO BRUSH showing. The patch is held by the brush after the wet mop has made a few passes. I do use a jag on the Sharps and Smith but you can see through them.
Like I say it is just my way not the only way not tthe best way just a suggestion.
Man ought to do what he thinks best
Bunk