Wet weather

[pinemarten]

I have another concern regarding wet weather rifle care...
I usually clean my full stock gun by not taking the stock off because I really worry about getting the pins and everything back correctly. Some rain or wet snow can certainly seep in along the barrel stock interface. Does that mean I should be pulling the stock off to clean in that situation?

Dan

 

[Black Hand]

I'd suggest yes. Then fill the barrel channel with a layer of wax (I use beeswax toilet bowl gasket) and you won't need to worry about it again.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I do not. After a wet day out I soak a bit of card stock (business card, manila folder, etc.) in B-C Sheath or Barricade and run it along the barrel channels on each side.

I have a 2005 flintlock full-stock rifle I hunt with in regular and m/l season and I have never pulled the barrel off. I had a Bess used for deer & small game for 15 years and pulled it once (second year) and never thereafter.

 

[shootrj2003]

I would venture to say here that the difference in the two is ,in my limited chemical knowledge(I know enough to help/ or perhaps just enough to be dangerous!) aluminum oxide is basically already burnt ( oxide=oxidized= burnt or previously reacted with oxygen )where aluminum powder is unoxidized pure metal ,their characteristics,such as water repellency may or may not be different,their burning characteristics most probably are,as something already oxidized would be a hinderance to burning but may well be a water repellent.dang it I hope I don't sound uppity!

 

[pinemarten]

Stumpkiller... I am listening; you say you run Barricade down along the barrel between the stock and somehow rub it onto the steel of the barrel that you cant get to otherwise? I already take way too long cleaning my gun with endless fillings of the barrel with water, patches, W-D 40 , and Barricade and it takes me too long as it is! Taking the barrel off would make me not want to shoot as much for the trouble. Your basically letting the gun dry off a bit after being inside and hopefully any rain moisture will leave and oil can go in to protect future weather insults? Any more details on that? I get frustrated with these videos on cleaning the black powder gun in '5 minutes' or whatever...seems like it takes me about a good half hour or 45 min by the time I am done. I shoot bear greased patches and maybe the grease is harder to come clean?
Anyway, would love to hear more on keeping the stock on the gun (always worry about messing up the pins!) and any tricks in doing that will ease my OCD mind when it comes to cleaning!

Thanks,

Dan

 

[Stumpkiller]

What I do is bring the gun (rifle or smoothbore) in and dry it with a towel and set it on it's back. Usually on a cardboard box, to get to room/cellar temperature. After a bit (supper) I wipe any condensation off.

I pull the lock (and sideplate - mine are iron) and clean, dry lube that. Set it aside.

I then clean the bore with tap-warm water and a few drops detergent soap. I set the gun on towels with the vent down but the muzzle lower than the vent so the water runs out.

Once the bore is clean I wipe it with alcohol (91% Iso) and then oil it with Barricade.

Everything gets a good wiping with a dry cotton rag.

I'll then take card stock - business card or manila folder strips - and squirt them with Barricade and run them along the barrel seams. Then a dry run and repeat with an oiled card run.

Finally I put a bit of boiled linseed oil on a rag and wipe everything, metal and wood. EXCEPT the face of the frizzen. I never oil that. Just sandpaper if it appears rusty.

 

[M. De Land]

I always RIG grease the undermetal of all my guns modern or muzzle loader. None of them are rusted up under neath.
I now clean all my guns with Gunzilla, modern or black powder. It works equally well on either and has no water or petroleum in it. It cuts powder,lead and carbon fouling better than any thing else I have tried.
A bronze brush will speed up muzzle loader cleaning as it does a much better job in groove corners than a patch does and is there for faster overall.

 

[hanshi]

At the risk of going ff It also takes me a while to clean my muzzleloader. And 5 patches won't do it. If I'm lucky 10 might but then there's a few patches to dry, oil, etc. No five minute or ten minute cleaning has ever happened for me, either.

 

[pinemarten]

Well then....I am glad to hear that its not just my OCD LOL!!! I keep on getting some dark streaks on the patches so I keep on swabbing it. Usually I do about 3 soaks of a few minutes each with a plug in the vent, this includes running wet patches through between the soaks, then dry patches, then the WD-40 which I let sit 5 min, then dry patches, then alcohol, then more patches, then Barricade. All that takes time...maybe its way overkill..but I can't see in the dang barrel to know when 'enough is enough', so I use 'better safe than sorry' for now.

Dan

 

[pinemarten]

...I do still wonder sometimes if using the bear grease makes it sticker and tougher to clean than say spit patches. Also, makes me wonder if warmer water might be required to lift that grease. As of now, still using luke warm water to avoid the dreaded 'flash rusting'

Dan

 

[hanshi]

I think we may both belong to the same pitiful group of "swabbers".

 

[Grenadier1758]

...I do still wonder sometimes if using the bear grease makes it sticker and tougher to clean than say spit patches. Also, makes me wonder if warmer water might be required to lift that grease. As of now, still using luke warm water to avoid the dreaded 'flash rusting'

Dan

You need some detergent to get the grease out. Coarse tow will grab grease and fouling you can't get out with a cloth patch and jag. The soap dissolves the grease and the water helps to remove the dissolved grease.

 

[Black Hand]

...I do still wonder sometimes if using the bear grease makes it sticker and tougher to clean than say spit patches. Also, makes me wonder if warmer water might be required to lift that grease.

No, no and no.
You aren't using globs of grease, just a thin layer on a patch to lube the barrel. I've cleaned with spit or cold water in the field with no issues.