My Hatfield 32 cal rifle is dang hard to reload on about the third shot. Is it necessary to run a cleaning jag through it to remove the fouling or does someone have a different solution?
Suggestions on cleaning a 32 cal Flinter between shots?
- Thread starter Tinker
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I run a alcohol soaked patch down the bore after every third shot or so to make loading easier. The small bores are harder to load once the bore gets fouled, I believe they are harder to load because there is less lube on the patched ball to move the fouling after a previous shot. Just my opinion.
Grimord...Alcohol? I like older Bourbons and the thought of using it as a cleaner would be foreign to me. But if a shot between shots works...why not.
Best way I have found to keep a 32 running is to use a wet patch (your choice of moose milk or windshield washing fluid for example), almost sloppy wet, with a dry felt wad over the powder to keep the relatively light powder charge dry. I use 3/8” diameter 1/8” thick hard felt (Duro-Felt).
MacRob46
45 Cal.
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I have a .38 cal. Southern Mountain Rifle. I lube the patches with Lube 103, which I have been unable to find recently. A generous coat of this lube keeps my rifle functioning indefinitely with no loss of accuracy. When I run out of 103 don't know what I will do!
Pete G
76 Cal.
Buy a bottle of Hoppe's No. 9+.
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I also use Hoppe's No. 9+ on a patch to clean my 32 after every 4-5 shots. At the range spit patch seems to keep things running longer. Hunting is different, but if I'm getting a bunch of shots I'm either missing a lot or being attacked by squirrels and rabbits.
I use the alcohol on a patch because it drys very fast, so there is little chance of contaminating the next powder charge. BTW, I use "denatured" alcohol, no "rubbing" alcohol. The denatured stuff has no water in it, the rubbing, or isopropyl alcohol has a percentage of water. therefore it does not dry (evaporate) as fast.
My Pedersoli Frontier .32, which is basically the same gun as your Hatfield, likes a patch wet with Hoppe's #9 BP lube and solvent. I can generally take several shots without swiping, then a patch wet with the same solvent followed by one soaked in denatured alcohol gets me back up and running again. I don't bother with the felt wads because nothing is going to be in the gun all that long. If I'm hunting, I use less solvent on the patches, since the load may be in there for a while. As KS. Jake says, "if I'm getting a bunch of shots I'm either missing a lot or being attacked by squirrels and rabbits."
Moose milk between shots for me.
Doc
Doc
The patch on a ball or jag is a larger percentage of the bore width in a .32 than in a .50 or .54. That explains why the fit of the ball+ patch or the jag+patch gets so tight. If I run a cleaning patch down my .32 bore, I almost always have to reach for my rod puller. A rod puller is a must-have tool, anyway imho. Best get one.
I never have loading issues, regardless of the caliber from .62 down to .32. The reason is that I run a wet cleaning patch followed by a dry cleaning patch after each and every shot. That way the bore is in the exact same condition from shot to shot. I also wipe the flint and pan after each and every shot, and use my vent pick for each prime.
Consistent loads with consistent patches and consistent cleaning leads to consistent accuracy. And in the event of a "dry ball" loading, the ball is much easier to pull from a clean barrel. It only takes seconds to swipe the pan and flint, run the wet patch down the bore, and then follow with a dry patch. The results are worth the effort.
ADK Bigfoot
Consistent loads with consistent patches and consistent cleaning leads to consistent accuracy. And in the event of a "dry ball" loading, the ball is much easier to pull from a clean barrel. It only takes seconds to swipe the pan and flint, run the wet patch down the bore, and then follow with a dry patch. The results are worth the effort.
ADK Bigfoot
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It is a patch and lube issue. You should be able to shoot all day WITHOUT running a cleaning patch between shots.
Rice barrel, .32 cal ball, .020 patch, 30g fffg, lubed with moose milk, shoot all day. However, will need a patch run if you wait too long between shots and let the fowling get hard.
Rice barrel, .32 cal ball, .020 patch, 30g fffg, lubed with moose milk, shoot all day. However, will need a patch run if you wait too long between shots and let the fowling get hard.
I use a patch wet (but not dripping) with Mr Flintlock lube in my .32 Crockett.
Average 10 shots before I swab and dry.
Average 10 shots before I swab and dry.
With the 12 grain load that I use I have found accuracy goes away if I let a wet patch sit on the powder for any length of time. You can also hear the report change from shot to shot the longer the wet patch sits on the powder. Only have to foul a few grains of powder with that small charge and things go sour quick.
The slightly oversized hard felt wad does two things. It tends to scrap the fouling down to the powder charge before you load the wet patch and roundball, and then it keeps the patch moisture away from powder.
I also have a Pedersoli in flint (have the lock and drum to convert to percussion, but don’t use it). Have recently shot it (actually buddy’s boys were shooting it) somewhere around 40 or 50 shots without swabbing, using felt wad and sloppy wet patch. Only quit because it was time to go.
Find the Hoppies 9 BP to be good stuff, although windshield washer fluid (-40° blue stuff) works as good and is a lot less messy if shooting a lot. Plus a gallon is only a few dollars. My only problem is getting it in NC. All they have here is -20°, so I have to buy in up north. As long as the head cook and cleaning crew doesn’t decide to put it in her vehicle’s windshield washer reservoir, a gallon lasts a long time.
If I am target shooting I use Hoppes on my patches and just spit patch between shots. If I am hunting I use mink oil and spit patch the same way. My accuracy is the same with both lubes. I have shot several round without the spit patch but my accuracy is not quite as consistent.
We get caught up on quick reloading, and folks have stories where a quick second shot was needed.
In general do you cost much time by swabbing between shots?
I practiced hard to get three shots a minute with a loading board and a powder measure combined with my short starter.
So now it takes me a couple of min, it’s ok.
In general do you cost much time by swabbing between shots?
I practiced hard to get three shots a minute with a loading board and a powder measure combined with my short starter.
So now it takes me a couple of min, it’s ok.
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