Cleaning

[frogwalking]

I have just decided I have been doing this cleaning thing wrong for the  last 40 years or so.  I pretty near always take the rifle/fowler apart, remove the barrel and lock, put the  barrel in a bucket of hot soapy water and go at it.   That is no problem for a Hawken or some such with big old barrel wedges and a hook breech. With a long rifle or fowler with thin fore end and pinned barrel, it can be a toss up of wheather is is more damaging to the firearm to disassemble it so frequently, or to not clean it as thoroughly; maybe using blacksolve or some such commercial bore solvent.  Just wipe the powder fowling off the lock and oil.   Of courrse, I am only talking flinters and genuine black powder.

This thought  is connected to the forearm  thickness of a future fowler in my own deranged mind.  Everyone loves the forearm  paper thin and it seems to me to be an accident just waiting to happen as such a piece is very fragile when taken apart for cleaning.  Someone posted a busted forearm a few weeks ago.  If it had a little wood on it, may not have shattered.  I know, not PC.  I really am more concerned about function here.

SO how do you clean your ML?

[northmn]

The thread cold water flushing pretty much covered the alchemy.  However with a long rifle, I may take it apart once a year.   After a new build it is wise to maybe pull it apart sooner to check things and look for trouble spots, but an old veteran does not need to be dissassembled that much.  I stick a round toothpick in the touchhole and fill the barrel with solvent and let it set abit.  OK to lean it so that any leakage goes out the top.  Dump the solvent out and remove the toothpick, cradle it upside down and start swabing.  Sometimes it may take a few more wet patches, depending.  Always check the barrel the next day to see if any rust appears or that everything dried.

DP

[Darkhorse]

When I inlet a stock I get it good and tight. Step back and "WOW! What a tight inlet that is!"
Then I take a chisel and start scraping. I want it easy enough to remove the barrel so it won't crack that pretty thin wood, and still look good. I brown my rifles and when the stock is stained and the barrel browned you can't tell that the inlets been opened up.

[Pete G.]

I use windshield washing fluid to clean. I will plug the vent and pour a little down the barrel while I retrieve my target frame. Pour that out, remove the plug and put a patch in the pan with the cover closed and run a patch wet with the WS fluid up and down the bore a few times. A couple of dry patches to soak up what is left in the bore, followed by a patch saturated with Break Free. The patch in the pan is now wet enough to wipe the lock clean, followed by a wipedown with the last oily patch from the bore. If it works down here in our 95 degrees @ 95% humidity it should work almost anywhere.

[timM]

I had discontinued the use of water as a cleaning agent in my BP rifles many years ago.  I have used Hoppes 9 ever since with no regret.  I use a proper fitting jag with either cotton or flannel patches.  When the bore is clean I coat it with RIG.  I too can't help but inspect the bore the next day, and still do.   I don't remember ever having to re-clean.  I am very confident with my cleaning procedure, petroleum products and all.   

My shooting interest is only satisfied with very accurate rifles and the maintenance of that accuracy.

I have enjoyed following the “cold water” cleaning topic.  I had also noticed “Flash Rusting” with the use of boiling water as a bore flush.  I also attribute the demise of a really good barrel to the use of boiling water.  I believe I noticed a slow growth in slight porosity to the interior of the barrel over a period of time.  Respectfully, tim

[wvmtnman]

Prior to leaving the range I run a few wet patches down the bore.  I use a 2/3 water 1/3 Ballistol mixture.  The Ballistol oil cuts black powder residue plus has the added advantage of not allowing the bore to rust on the trip home.
     When I get home I do a better cleaning.  At home I pretty much use the process that northmn explained, except I use room temperature water for the first few flushes then use the water Ballistol mix for a couple more flushes then use that water/ballistol mixture on patches until the patches come out clean. Follow up with a few dry patches followed by a patch with WD-40.  I have use this for 10 years or so and have never had any rust or build up in the bore. 
                                                                             Brian

[Daryl]

We strip of the locks and barrels to clean - every week, no matter if it's hooked with wedges, wedges with tang screw and solid breech, or pined and screwed. So far, in quite number of years, we've yet to hurt the guns.  Each to his own. I prefer to prevent any possible damage to the bore by cleaning it properly.