What Part Of Clean It Now Don't You Understand?

[wiscoaster]

How long do you wait to clean your muzzleloader after shooting?

I liberally smear the bore, the lock, and the barrel around the lock and touch hole with my homemade beeswax mix patch/chamber lube and squirt some moose milk into the chamber through the touch hole when I'm done shooting, and before I case up and go home, and .... honestly (ducking behind cover) ... I've waited as long as five days to do the full and meticulous cleaning, and ... I've never had a problem with anything rusting!!

(Though I don't recommend doing it that way, I am saying there's room for a little flexibility here wait-wise if you just do a little pretreatment at the range when done shooting).

wiscoaster will be in his bunker

 

[alcessapiens]

Okay, so I spend considerable time, and resources, prepping a muzzleloader for sale. I send my prospective buyer a copy of Sam Fadala's book on The Complete Backpowder Handbook then take the fellow out shooting, instruct him on loading, and after shooting, field cleaning with solvent. I explain the detailed cleaning technique using soapy water. I'm thinking, "good job" until I get a communication asking about fouling, using Pyrodex. I go over the importance of cleaning and he responds "yeah I'll do that tomorrow." How many "tomorrows" has there been since I sold him a pristine bore gun?

How long do you wait to clean your muzzleloader after shooting?

at the range, thoroughly and completely. no excuse to leave it dirty. Range im a now has hot water right there in the bathroom, range before that i carried a little ww2 coleman and booled the water while i packed up

 

[EcoRover]

Okay, so I spend considerable time, and resources, prepping a muzzleloader for sale. I send my prospective buyer a copy of Sam Fadala's book on The Complete Backpowder Handbook then take the fellow out shooting, instruct him on loading, and after shooting, field cleaning with solvent. I explain the detailed cleaning technique using soapy water. I'm thinking, "good job" until I get a communication asking about fouling, using Pyrodex. I go over the importance of cleaning and he responds "yeah I'll do that tomorrow." How many "tomorrows" has there been since I sold him a pristine bore gun?

How long do you wait to clean your muzzleloader after shooting?

Sometimes after a long day of hunting and hauling and hanging, Deerslayer gets propped in the corner until morning. I am, however, sure to run a few spit patches right after shooting--maybe just wishful thinking on my part but I believe that halts or at least slows any corrosion.

 

[longcruise]

Had the M1 in basic training. Not to go into unmentionables, but to talk about cleaning. We cleaned them in GI trash cans of water with gasoline immersion heaters keeping it at a boil. Carbon? What carbon?

We took our M14s into the shower. Seriously, not joking.

 

[Mousegunguy]

We took our M14s into the shower. Seriously, not joking.

That’s how I do my hooked breach guns. In the shower in a bucket of hot soapy water, with a shot gun mop as a plunger. It blows the residue out the nipple hole.
After shootin’ I smell like black power smoke so me and the gun both need a good scrubbing.

 

[Patched]

With muzzleloaders…bedtime on the day it was shot is after the gun is cleaned…you just don’t want to give the rusting process even the slightest opening to start…

 

[bpd303]

late great ML shooter Harry Pope

One of my first smooth bores is a Pope stocked cap muzzleloader, my wife loves it and has shot it in competition at our semiannual muzzle shoots.

 

[flntlokr]

Usually same day, but I have shot every day for a week and only wiped off the outside around and on the lock. Dry area, so no problem; the bore gets swabbed with each shot as I load, so there is only1 shot worth of fouling down there. Never any rust.

 

[Rum River]

Our range is in the back yard - so no dirty muzzle loaders make it from there back into the house.
If fired while hunting they're cleaned the same day.

 

[ernbar]

Mine get cleaned usually after the range session if not by the next day. No issues with rust using Pyro or BP.

 

[Whughett]

I shoot revolvers and breech loading carbines. I use plenty of lube with both . As a result powder fouling is generally kept soft and its hygroscopic properties slowed down. As a result I’ve never seen rust even after several days have passed after a range session. I generally clean the day after but have on occasion forgotten for as long as a week. I don’t make a habit of that.

Failing to adequately lubricate the cleaned bore can lead to more rust than a dirty bore left uncleaned. I’ve seen this in revolver cylinder bores that I failed to lubricate after cleaning. I don’t make a habit of that either.

 

[Capnball]

Had the M1 in basic training. Not to go into unmentionables, but to talk about cleaning. We cleaned them in GI trash cans of water with gasoline immersion heaters keeping it at a boil. Carbon? What carbon?

In basic we had the hottest water you ever seen in our latrine. I used to take the lower receiver group and run it under water so hot it would evaporate before it could set up. Quick spritz of LSA and I was good to go. I might have been one of the few guys who actually took his trigger assembly apart to. Most guys would look at that and just say , "no, no, no, no they didn't teach me to do that."

 

[CaptainVane]

I only use T7, usually dunk in the soapy water within 2 hours after range. Once i waited to next morning. I like T7, I don’t have to worry if its a few days.

 

[ADK Bigfoot]

I am reminded of the great music teacher Suzuki:

I just substitute CLEAN for practice....

As soon as I get home, and before I do anything else, the gun deserves to be cleaned.

ADK Bigfoot

 

[SPQR70AD]

Had the M1 in basic training. Not to go into unmentionables, but to talk about cleaning. We cleaned them in GI trash cans of water with gasoline immersion heaters keeping it at a boil. Carbon? What carbon?

you must be 95

 

[fromrusk]

I clean as soon as I'm done shooting. I use both Pyrodex P and 3F black powder, and regardless of the powder I use, hot water in an ice cream pail is what I use to clean. After that, Bore Butter is used inside and out for protection. I've used this method for many years on 2 long guns and 4 different handguns, and all are pristine, inside and out. I read often on this forum how someone wouldn't use Bore Butter or Pyrodex or you name whatever product that they wouldn't allow within 10 feet of their property, but whatever you use, it's all in procedure, and attention to detail. When I have spare time, I'll take my guns out and just do a quick inspection and maybe a quick wipe down, even if I haven't been out shooting. I value my weapons, and I give them the attention they deserve.

 

[Reno]

I clean as best I can at the range before putting the guns up. Then a thorough cleaning when I get home and it is best to check the next day too

 

[SOLANCO]

Maintain your weapon as if there may be a hostile person instead of a paper target.

 

[Coinneach]

Okay, so I spend considerable time, and resources, prepping a muzzleloader for sale. I send my prospective buyer a copy of Sam Fadala's book on The Complete Backpowder Handbook then take the fellow out shooting, instruct him on loading, and after shooting, field cleaning with solvent. I explain the detailed cleaning technique using soapy water. I'm thinking, "good job" until I get a communication asking about fouling, using Pyrodex. I go over the importance of cleaning and he responds "yeah I'll do that tomorrow." How many "tomorrows" has there been since I sold him a pristine bore gun?

How long do you wait to clean your muzzleloader after shooting?

IMO there should be legislation against neglect and cruelty to all Muzzle loading firearms, irrelevant of what Breed they are !

 

[Coinneach]

at the range, thoroughly and completely. no excuse to leave it dirty. Range im a now has hot water right there in the bathroom, range before that i carried a little ww2 coleman and booled the water while i packed up

Yep that's been my habit as well, do it at the range or camp after Firings over.