Muzzleleoader Cleanup question

[RAGGED EDGE]

Follow Svashtar's post and you won't get into trouble. I've been shooting bp and the subs since 1976 in mostly flintlock long guns that the barrels were never removed from. I'm a BIG believer in Ballistol.

 

[Orange Dust]

@Orange Dust. I also use bore butter, but I was referring to oiling the out side of the barrel

I use it inside and out. Great rust preventitive

 

[culloden23]

Everybody has a system with all sorts of combinations of percentages of different chemicals. I've never used Windex, because the ammonia doesn't do anything more than plain water will do.

Here's what I've been doing for the last 40 years: mix up some super hot water and add a little bit of Dawn or other liquid soap in a short bucket.

Take off the barrel. For best water flow take out the nipple if it's a percussion cap gun, or the touch hole on a flintlock, but you can also leave them in if you want. On a flintlock touch hole or a rifle with a larger musket cap nipple it doesn't matter as much, but it will be harder and take longer to push the water back through a smaller standard #11 nipple, so I always remove them.

Put the rifle breech down in the water (none of my BP rifles have removable breech plugs, which would make this even easier), and get a cleaning rod with a couple of thick patches on it.

Run the patches down to the bottom of the barrel, and suck the water mixture back up the barrel and back down a few times. You can pour the rest of the boiling water down the bore using a funnel if you want to chase it from the muzzle.

Pull the (hot!) barrel out of the bucket and wipe it down. It will dry super fast. Run a patch soaked with Ballistol or bore butter through the barrel (or Rem Oil or CLP or whatever you have). Wipe the outside of the barrel with whatever you used in the bore as well. You're done. I can clean 3 rifles in 10 minutes.

In the field I keep a little bottle of Ballistol and water and some patches to clean the worst of the fouling out of the bore. Some guys mix the Ballistol up to 10:1 with water, but I approximate 2 or 3:1 which I think works better.

No need for special concoctions IMNSHO. Hot water and a shot of liquid soap. I guess hot water and Murphy's would also work fine. If you don't have any soap, hot water alone will do a good job. I use this for Goex, 777, and Pyrodex, and the bores are pristine. Just be sure to treat the barrels after cleaning with hot water to prevent rust.

I have used this method for about 50 years because it works great and is very easy. However about 25 years ago I improved it by using Oxi Clean instead of dish soap. The Oxi Clean attacks the powder residue chemically turning the black odorous mess in your bucket to a tan almost odorless liquid. The chemical action loosens the residue like magic. 4 or 5 passes and you are done scrubbing. Rinse in hot water, dry and oil.

 

[TBell]

Hey all,
I just got this T/C Impact inline and the manual says to scrub the muzzle in a water bath. Won't most pressurized gun cleaners/solvents work as well as water? thanks

especially with in-line, I used to get an old (large mouth) laundry detergent jug, and hot hot water and dish soap. After removing the pug, you stick the muzzle in the jug, stick ram rod with brush down the breech and then up and down with the rod. The brush with one patch on the end would work like a piston. Sucking the hot soapy water up the bore then back out, with the brush and patch scrubbing the bore and soapy water Washing powder Residue out of the barrel.

Then change the water out with clean hot water and repeat a couple of times. Swab with alcohol let dry then swab with light machine oil, done.

 

[Deleted member 107796]

Thanks for all the great input. I just got back from the range after shooting some 295gn aero tip power belts and 90/100gn Triple7. I did experience what 26Reloader mentions about the increased resistance with follow up shots, but it me made carry out a discharging/bullet removal, what was a good experience and no problem. Got home and cleaned with water/alcohol/dawn, followed up by an alcohol patch and some bore buttah. I'm now a front stuffing nut. Thanks again

 

[Travis H]

Why

All the muzzleloader solvents I am aware of are water based. TC's is for sure. Back when we actually used black powder I used to clean them in the bath tub. Got scolded by mama every time too. I was better at cleaning guns than the bath tub LOL. Do not use smokeless powder solvents on a muzzleloader unless it is a smokeless one. Follow the instructions on the solvent bottle. BTW if you run a patch with solvent right after you finish shooting it, while it is still warm, it will be much easier to clean when you get home. Clean as soon as possible and the job will be easier.

Why cant you use a smokeless cleaner like Hoppes no9?

 

[ENCORE]

Thanks for all the great input. I just got back from the range after shooting some 295gn aero tip power belts and 90/100gn Triple7. I did experience what 26Reloader mentions about the increased resistance with follow up shots, but it me made carry out a discharging/bullet removal, what was a good experience and no problem. Got home and cleaned with water/alcohol/dawn, followed up by an alcohol patch and some bore buttah. I'm now a front stuffing nut. Thanks again

If you're going to use T7, there's a product called Butch's Black Powder Bore Shine that works perfectly with T7. Swabbing between shots is necessary to keep out the crud ring. A slightly damp patch of Butch's, ran up and down the barrel once, turn it over and in and out. Load and shoot.
I shot over 4 CASES of T7, not boxes, each year for over 5 years and with extremely heavy charges. When you shoot that many rounds each year, you find something that works.
That bore buttah…………. throw it out. Any of the lubricants already mentioned is better.

 

[Deleted member 107796]

Actually, it's T/C T17 Natural Lube 1000 Plus from the kit I got and not Bore Butter.
Shooting the T7 FF as my first powder, was not bad at all. They put a really sweet pad on this T/C Impact so all is well.

 

[ENCORE]

Actually, it's T/C T17 Natural Lube 1000 Plus from the kit I got and not Bore Butter.
Shooting the T7 FF as my first powder, was not bad at all. They put a really sweet pad on this T/C Impact so all is well.

I still would not use the 1000. A much better lubricant that displaces moisture should be used. Many a barrel has been ruined buy using paste type products. If there is even the most micro amount of moisture under that paste lubricant, it'll pit the barrel. There are just so many other quality lubricants.
Choose wisely...…….

 

[Hoosier Dad]

Clean you muzzleloader like you would any other firearm. There's no need to use any special muzzleloader cleaning solutions. Companies make a lot of money from this stuff that is completely useless. I've seen bore butter ruin several muzzleloaders. It used to be marketed as a natural barrel seasoning. A modern muzzleloader barrel does not need to be seasoned since it's not a cast iron skillet. Hoppes or butches works well to clean the barrel. Keep running your patches through until they come out clean and then hit it with a good oil. I've had good luck with CLP. After the muzzleloader season this year I tried wipeout on a couple of muzzleloaders and it worked great.

 

[stripercrazy]

i agree with encore, bore butter is not good for rust, use oil. alot of TC bore's got pitted from it , if you shoot every month it don't matter but if you shoot once a year use something better......ed

 

[stripercrazy]

I only use water/soap to clean my side locks......its the best way to clean the flash channel in a side lock......i don'tsee the need in a inline you can take the breachplug out and clean it ...just my 2 cents

 

[david g ranes]

I only use water/soap to clean my side locks......its the best way to clean the flash channel in a side lock......i don'tsee the need in a inline you can take the breachplug out and clean it ...just my 2 cents

A friend of mine takes his black powder rifle apart spends a dollar or two at the car wash wand takes home oils it up ready to go couldn't believe it when he told me. David

 

[ajkellerusmc]

To dirty it back up take 75 parts charcoal, 10 parts sulfur and 15 parts salt peter or a BP substitute!!!

I use the junk in the white bottle in the muzzeloading section, one wet patch plus 3 dry patches between shots and as many wet patches as it takes after shooting to get it whistle clean before storing. Bore butter works on my TC stainless barrels for long term storage. before shooting again I use starting fluid on a few patches and one or two dry patches. Starting fluid is an awesome degreaser and it evaporates quickly. I use it on everything! Guns, tools, auto parts etc...