Stubborn Crud Ring

[nit wit]

Getting ready for the Ancient Ones big Gun Show in February so I went to the piles. Picked out a nice .45 cal T/C Hawken. Nice rifle but I can't seem to alleviate a crud ring at the breech! Last resort I will take out the breech plug. Of course I'm looking for the miracle recipe!
Thanks
Nit Wit

 

[Rifleman1776]

A good soaking will help. A little cleaner (I use Dawn dishwasher liquid) in a few inches of water in a bucket, let set breech down in that overnight then try to scrub out with Brillo or a material like Scrub Daddy in the morning. Debreeching should only be as a very-very last resort, and only be someone with experience doing this.

 

[Melnic]

sure its crud and not something more serious like corrosion? got a USB borescope?

 

[nit wit]

I am familiar and experienced at removing T/C breech plugs. I don't have a bore scope so the plug will probably have to come out. I was hoping for a crud buster, the upper bore is very nice!
Nit Wit

 

[nhmoose]

Bet it becomes a pit ring when gone.
\
I would soak it in Kroil for a few days then brush with a copper brush before pulling the breech.

 

[BrownBear]

I wouldn't even consider pulling the breech plug. Get yourself a 45 caliber breech scraper and custom fit it to the rifle. Just mark the edges with a Sharpie, drop it in the bore and spin it a little. Retrieve it and file a bit on the shiny spots. Remark with the Sharpie and repeat. In no time at all you can have a custom fit scraper that will deal with the crud ring in no time.

 

[Idaholewis]

A good loop through Bore Brush Wrapped in Copper Chore Boy (make sure it’s the genuine all copper stuff) Will make short work of it. I have a feeling you have a Much bigger problem, Like nhmoose stated above. Breech Plug Removal should be a Last Resort, But with proper Tools and knowledge of doing the Job i would be inclined to Pull it just so i could get a better look at this “Crud Ring”

 

[Idaholewis]

As for Bore brushes, You want a good “Loop Through” Brush, AVOID the Press fitted Brushes, They are an accident waiting to happen in a Muzzleloader, Been LOTS of these Press fitted Brushes pulled apart inside Muzzleloader Bores

These should NEVER be used in a Muzzleloader, i would AVOID these at all cost!

Here is a GOOD Bore Brush, Instead of being press fitted, the actual brush is looped back through a Ferrel, These are ROCK SOLID and will not pull apart

 

[Ketchakah]

THIS... Is an EXTREMELY good post. Something few consider.

 

[SDSmlf]

As for Bore brushes, You want a good “Loop Through” Brush, AVOID the Press fitted Brushes, They are an accident waiting to happen in a Muzzleloader, Been LOTS of these Press fitted Brushes pulled apart inside Muzzleloader Bores

These should NEVER be used in a Muzzleloader, i would AVOID these at all cost!

Here is a GOOD Bore Brush, Instead of being press fitted, the actual brush is looped back through a Ferrel, These are ROCK SOLID and will not pull apart

Agree with Lewis on brush ends. Big fan of ‘Pro-Shot’ brushes. Looped design, come in standard muzzleloader calibers, and have a 10-32 thread on them to fit most ramrods. Just be sure and give them a slight clockwise twist before pulling them out of the barrel to avoid getting them stuck, a reoccurring topic on this and other muzzloading forums.

 

[eggwelder]

have an Ardessa .45 that had a terrible crud ring. i turned down a .50 jag barely fit the bore with a oily patch. i used my steel range rod that is threaded for that jag on one end. rammed it down past the crud, locked the end of the range rod in the vice and yanked it off. little by little it started to break up, and eventually came out in small chunks. it was from pyrodex use, according to the previous owner.
it is all gone, no pitting or other damage. worked for me, your mileage may vary.

 

[waarp8nt]

I agree with nhmoose and Idaholewis on this matter, the plug should be removed as a last resort. I have removed T/C breech plugs, but do not consider it part of routine maintenance. I have used the Kroil / brush system with a stainless steel sponge instead of copper on a really stubborn barrel. Wal-Mart has 3M stainless sponges about 2x as many for about 1/3 The price of brownells. Below is a link to brownells "Salvaging a rusty smokepole barrel".

https://www.brownells.com/aspx/learn/learndetail.aspx?lid=10705

 

[Sinner]

If you know anyone with mercury laying around.... it works like magic at removing all kinds of crud from a barrel. DON'T heat it, and make sure there are no open sores on your hands. You pour some in, plug the muzzle, and then slowly tip the barrel back and forth while twisting it. All kinds of fouling will amalgamate to the mercury and pour out with it.