When it gets wet???

[happyhunter]

I have a TC Renegade with a hooked breach. When I go hunting in wet stuff I just take the barrel off and the whole thing dries out nicely.

What do you do with normal MLs that do not have hooked breeches? How do you dry off the area between the barrel and the stock?? I want my next ML to be a non-hooked breech style, more traditional.

 

[BrownBear]

I remove the whole barrel and tang. A royal PITA, but you can stave it off a bit if you seal all around the barrel channel, tang and sideplate with wax before going out. I say "a bit" because it can still run down the ramrod hole. That will stay sealed with wax till you need it.

A big BTW- Be sure to seal all inletting of the stock on any new muzzleloader with stock finish, in order to prevent rain or even humidity from being absorbed into the wood.

 

[rabjr]

Seal the barrel channel good like Brownbear suggests. Then use some sort of wax. I have my first batch of failed bear oil, it came out hard like Crisco, I added some beeswax to the can. Warm my barrels passing a torch over it quickly and using a rag with a generous amount of my concoction, I wipe it on the bottom of the barrel and let it harden before assembling the gun.

 

[gmww]

When I put finish on my stock, I put several coats in the barrel channel as well.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I use a piece of manila folder or a "reader's response card" out of a magazine to wick penetrating oil into the gap between the barrel and stock. I then paste-wax the barrel/stock and work it well into the seam.

Cherry Girl has a pinned barrel and been out in the rain many times. Got soaked last week. The way I figure it, if I never pull the barrel what does it matter what it looks like underneath?

Seriously, the builder boiled the barrel in bear oil before bedding it to add a protective layer and the channel was well varnished and sealed. I keep after her with penetrating oil and have no intention of ever pulling the barrel. On my Bess I pulled the barrel once in 15 years and it was fine at the five-year mark so I waxed it well and left it alone thereafer.

 

[rabjr]

I use a piece of manila folder or a "reader's response card" out of a magazine to wick penetrating oil into the gap between the barrel and stock. I then paste-wax the barrel/stock and work it well into the seam.

Cherry Girl has a pinned barrel and been out in the rain many times. Got soaked last week. The way I figure it, if I never pull the barrel what does it matter what it looks like underneath?

Seriously, the builder boiled the barrel in bear oil before bedding it to add a protective layer and the channel was well varnished and sealed. I keep after her with penetrating oil and have no intention of ever pulling the barrel. On my Bess I pulled the barrel once in 15 years and it was fine at the five-year mark so I waxed it well and left it alone thereafer.

Thats the way I see it, no need now to remove the barrel. I can clean them just fine without doing so. :thumbsup: