T/C cleanout

[d.thomson]

I have perchased a T/C hawken 50 Pecusion and have noticed that the cleanout screw is siezed in it .I have aplied some penetrating oil on it and I was thinking of applying heat, small butane tourch. If i stip it I gess I can drill and tap. could someone let me know the best way of going about it, if I even need to worry about the cleanout, thanks in advance Dave T.

 

[Pork Chop]

There is no need to remove the cleanout screw. I would not bother with it.

 

[Blizzard of '93]

Hopefully you do not mean the BREECH PLUG as 'clean-out screw'. If so DON'T ATTEMPT TO REMOVE IT. If you meant the flash channel plug screw that is in the end of the nipple drum, then leave it in if it is seized up until you have oppurunity to have someone familiar with BP guns to check it. When cleaning use hot soapy water soak or I just tryed hot windsheild washer fluid (works great - better than hot water), plug the nipple with a toothpick and let the barrel soak for awhile, then dump and repeat, then use a patch wet with cleaner to wipe until clean, then dry and use preservative. Remove the nipple if you think the flash channel is fouled and use a needle to scrape and also clean the nipple.

 

[spud]

does that t/c have a drum or a snail type bolster

 

[d.thomson]

no its the cleanout just below the nipple. I can blow air through the nipple so I gess if its not broke dont fix it thanks for the feed back Dave T.

 

[d.thomson]

sorry im about to show my ignorance I dont know the diffrence bettwen a snail and a... but thanks for the help and not :rotf: to mutch Dave T.

 

[hobbles]

Afternoon fisher king
This is a snail clean out screw on a GM barrel, T/C barrels don't have one,
(that I know of)
snail screw

 

[Zonie]

The "clean out screw" is just a way of plugging up the flame channel from the nipple to the main powder charge. It doesn't have to be removed to clean the flame channel if you pump water in and out of the barrel with the cleaning patch/jag while cleaning the gun.
Another simple way to clean it out is to use a pipe cleaner inserted down thru the hole that the nipple screws into.

zonie

 

[roundball]

Afternoon fisher king
This is a snail clean out screw on a GM barrel, T/C barrels don't have one,
(that I know of)
snail screw

TC's early caplocks had cleanout screws in the snail...but TC redesigned it off the snail as it was not needed to clean anything, always seized up unless kept cleaned & lubed every time...and the screws would break off a seized one when trying to remove them and the broken screw head then looked bad...basically a worthless and troublesome feature...I think they were discontinued at least 15+ years ago

 

[hobbles]

Mornin Zonie, roundball
I flush the heck out of my barrel with soap and water and will still get black out of it when I run a pipe cleaner threw the snail hole,,

 

[Blizzard of '93]

The snail screw (drum screw) is notorious to seize unless kept well-greased. Next time you remove yours grease or anti-seize it well. I replaced mine with a stainless steel in one .50, and brass in my .50 Hawken pistol and other .50 rifle. I always remove it and run pipe cleaner in-out after I shoot more than a few times (when cleaning after shooting).
Have you ever tryed hot windshield washer fluid to clean barrel with - works better than hot soapy water.

 

[hobbles]

Mornin Blizzard of '93
I have used windshield washer fluid for a few months, (never hot tho) then went back to soap and water, The fluid is good tho.. I do pull my snail screw about every 3 or 5 time when I clean also, then use saddle soap or gun oil on it when I put it back in, dependin on what I'm doin at the time, I have read on here before bout it seizing up