Flintlock Flush Cleaning tools

[Muleskinner]

I have been looking at some of the flush type cleaning tools available and am wondering  how they work for cleaning a flintlock,I am looking at them online at one of the more popular sites that have muzzleloading cleaning supplies.......do they leak? do they do a good job of cleaning?is there a better choice?, thanks

[Dennis Glazener]

I have heard they work great and do not leak. I have used a similar set-up on percussion rifles (years ago before I tried flintlocks!) and they worked great, really keeps things clean and simple.

The reason that I have not gotten one for my flintlocks is that you need to pull the locks to use them. I don't want and don't intend to pull my flintlocks everytime I clean the barrel.

I keep thinking I will see if I can make one that can be used without pulling the lock. Just haven't tried it as of yet.
Dennis
 

[Hank*in*WV]

I've been using one for years. Luv em. There's a little o-ring on them to stop leaking. If you don't get the tool on square, they can leak. I clean mine upside down (horizontally) in a home made rack. This way, if it does leak, it won't go between  the wood and barrel.

[roundball]

I have been looking at some of the flush type cleaning tools available and am wondering  how they work for cleaning a flintlock,I am looking at them online at one of the more popular sites that have muzzleloading cleaning supplies.......do they leak? do they do a good job of cleaning?is there a better choice?, thanks

I've tried both types:

The clamp-on type..........with the O-ring which will occasionally leak drip for one reason or another, then you forced to build a cradle apparatus to keep the water from getting into the lock mortise...and invariably I got dirty water back out of the muzzle on the garage floor;

The screw in type.........which screws into the vent liner seat after removing the liner...worked better for me than the clamp on type but still needed the cradle apparatus for the occasional drip and I didn't like all the extra wear & tear on the vent seat threads if I adopted that approach;

Finally, due to the excellent help from some ALR members, I was quickly able to learn how to easily and carefully remove my barrels to clean them it buckets of hot soapy water which I always prefer to do:

Push out the pins & remove the tang bolt (about 90 seconds)
Clean/dry/lube the barrel;
Reinstall in reverse order (about 120 seconds)

Have done that 15-20 times each to a Dickert and two Virginia's so far. 

[SCLoyalist]

On one of my flinters, the flush tube fit well and didn't leak.   On another, it did leak  because the stock came up too high on the off-lock side and interfered with the o-ring fitting square over the vent.   

I've gone to plugging the vent hole tightly with a toothpick and filling the barrel with water for about 10 - 20 minutes before starting with cleaning patches.  Seems to clean up with about the same amount of effort and with equally good results as the flush cleaner gave.

[Don Getz]

Dennis, Dennis, Dennis.............I don't think I read you correctly.   You said you do not usually remove the lock when you
clean your flintlock?    Shame on you, you should do it every time.   It's the only way you can get everything clean and keep that lock working well............Don

[Daryl]

Dennis, Dennis, Dennis.............I don't think I read you correctly.   You said you do not usually remove the lock when you
clean your flintlock?    Shame on you, you should do it every time.   It's the only way you can get everything clean and keep that lock working well............Don

+ 1
The unit Track sells works fairly well.  Has to be on right- test for leaks anyway. Sometimes it's difficult to get it perfectly centered over the vent for a good seal - especially with slotted removeable vents.

[Harnic]

Sorry Dennis, but I have to agree with Don on that one.  I remove , thoroughly clean & lubricate my lock EVERY time I clean my rifle.

Back on topic, I built a fullstock flint Hawken, so I have the benefit of a hooked breech, no adapter needed. 

[Fred_Dwyer]

Hi from a new guy. I seen one of these used as a cleaning tool. If it doesn't quite fit you can use a candle (gently) and draw out a new tip on the tube. Fill it with moose milk or monkey spunk or (heavens forbid) water; slowly pump a patch up/down with your cleaning jag. The bottle catches the nasty black water.


And if you don't like that they do make a nice oiler!

[Kermit]

I've got one. It works. It hasn't leaked for me. That said, here's what TVM has on their website:

Supplies needed: Fouling scraper, patches, Type F Transmission Fluid, Minwax finishing wax, a quality
gun oil, and toothpick.
1. Apply minwax to stock. Do not wipe off at this time.
2. Run fouling scraper down barrel and turn to the right a couple of times. Empty fouling from barrel.
3. Place toothpick in vent liner. Pour warm soapy water down barrel and let sit about 5 minutes.
4. Empty water from barrel. Remove toothpick and start running patches down barrel. When the
patches come out clean and dry, then run a patch with a good gun oil down the barrel.
5. Remove the 2 lock bolts and gently work the lock from the stock. Wipe both sides of the lock and
replace.
6. Now buff the wax from the stock.
7. Apply the Type F Transmission Fluid to all outside surfaces (wood and metal), but not inside the barrel
or back of lock.

I do step 5 first. And like Hank, I clean upside down and as close to horizontal as practical.

[George Sutton]

I've tried those cleaning devices and always seem to make a mess. I always use a toothpick in the vent hole and pour water down the barrel. I also never remove my locks when cleaning.

I fit a piece of .010 brass shim stock between the lock and the barrel under the vent hole and tighten down the screws this keeps the $#@* out of the lock mortise.

Centershot

[billd]

I have the one Wayne Dunlap sells.  Works great. 

Bill

[volatpluvia]

Such work you guys go to!
All my flinters had a flat faced breech, so this does not work for patent breeches.  I just wet patches with Alcohol/Murphy's oil soap and run them down the barrel until they come out clean.  Usually not much time or effort.  Then I run the breech plug scraper down there and scrape the face of the breech plug.  If I am putting the gonne away for a while I will wet a patch and put it in front of the scraper.  then I have to pull it with the patch puller.  But it is not messy and it does a good job.  Then dry and oil.
I always pulled the locks and cleaned them and the side of the barrel.
Nothing to it.  And I didn't ruin the bores of any gonnes either.
volatpluvia

[roundball]

Such work you guys go to!
All my flinters had a flat faced breech, so this does not work for patent breeches. 

Truth be known that's probably as good a way as any...and to be honest, the Patent Breech design is not an issue as there's no flat face for fouling to build up on...they're pretty much self cleaning...I've never had any buildup at all.

I do however, keep a cleaning rod set up with a .270cal rifle brush and use it to run a patch down into the vertical powder chamber of the PB to ensure that's dry, then do the same thing with a lubed patch.
Then a Q-tip in through the horizontal channel of the PB with the vent removed...so I could use your approach as well.

Except.....that I use Natural Lube 1000...both to lube-patch wipe the bore before loading, and in all my shooting patches.
I am of the belief that bore butter can/will gradually build up in a bore, and nothing seems (to me) to keep such a bore clean of bore butter buildup than using steaming hot soapy water.
And as a throw-back to years of cleaning T/C hooked breech barrels, I ended up at the same place with my pinned barrels.

My worry whenever I start thinking about using some other approach is...I know this is one way that works for me and "what if" I try something different and screw up a bore...I guess for now, its the old "if it ain't broke don't fix it" thing for me...   

[Daryl]

Problems arrise with a patent breech is cleaned from the muzzle as there is no way to clean out the powder channel. If cleaned that way with a patent breech, damp fouling sits in the channel all the time - never gets cleaned, ie' flushed out.

Vol - patent breeches are the easiest to clean of any gun - as-are normally pinned barrels. Pull the pins, or wedges, drop the breech into the container of cold water and flush it in and out. Dry with abotu 4 to 6 dry patches and you are done. Total time about 10 minutes- if you really take your time and poke along. 

Complete cleaning, drying and oiling is probably faster(if this is a race) than using just patches from the muzzle.  I don't use anything for lube that builds up in the bore so I can use cold water effectively - I can't see any reason to use a lube that fouls, as those that leave no buildup shoot  cleanly, shoot accurately and don't require wiping any time while shooting. They also don't require steaming hot water to clean- any tap water can be used and get it just as clean - no rust- ever and no flash rusting either, that seems to happen in softer ML steel barrels.

[wmrike]

I can't stand it - anybody have any idea why Type F is indicated?

[DEADDAWG]

Type F transmission fluid is the old Ford spec. fluid. It has a wax base and protects the stock and exterior metal parts. Don't put it inside your barrel, it's a bear to clean out.

[roundball]

I can't stand it - anybody have any idea why Type F is indicated?

When my .58cal Virginia arrived a couple years ago, I was kind of shocked that "transmission fluid" was recommended at all, given the world of muzzleloading and attempting to get another step closer to our ancestors by having the Virginia built in the first place...haven't ever used transmission fluid on my guns / can't imagine I will...

[LynnC]

My preferred method is remove bbl and pump flush with breech in water.

That said, I made a clamp on flush thru the vent thing for my southern mtn rifle with over the comb tang.  When I was building it I dropped the bbl and bent the tang :O
I straightened it and since its been finished it stays in the stock.  The flush thing is a pain to use but works - bout as easy to plug the vent and patch it out.  Either way I blast water out the vent.
Oh, and I gotta take the lock off either way too.......Lynn

[roundball]

Problems arrise with a patent breech is cleaned from the muzzle as there is no way to clean out the powder channel. If cleaned that way with a patent breech, damp fouling sits in the channel all the time - never gets cleaned, ie' flushed out.

I'm sure that would be the case with the classic Nock's Patent Breech design with is full width horizontal ante-chamber...but every modern made breech carrying the moniker Patent Breech...IE: T/C, GM, McCandless Custom Breeching shop, etc...are actually a modified version of Nock's PB.

They have no full width horizontal ante-chamber so there's no place for fouling to accumulate...modern versions are simply a smaller than bore size vertical powder chamber intersecting with the smaller 1/4" vent liner...a simple "L" shaped design.

The vertical part of the "L" shape does not come down past the vent liner so there's nothing lower / past / behind the vent liner to accumulate anything...in fact, drilling the vertical powder chamber and the 1/4" vent seat with round nose drills, intersected correctly ,they actually form somewhat of a curved elbow.
This intersection, coupled with the back blast pressure blowing down and out of the two progressively smaller channels apparently makes them self cleaning...never need to pick a vent...don't own a vent pick.


UPDATE FOR THE RECORD:
I actually now do own one vent pick...it came with the used Dickert under the cheek rest...left it there for decoration to go along with the patch box I never use...figured somebody might want it at resale time   )