Cleaning smaller bores with tow?

[Skychief]

I've never used tow for bore cleaning, regardless of caliber, rifled or smoothbore.

Is tow very useful in the smaller bores, say 32-45 caliber? In other words, is much to be gained by its use compared to jag/patch cleaning? It seemed I most often read about using tow in bigger bored smoothbores.

Best regards, Skychief.

[mark esterly]

i like it better than patches in my .32 rice squirrel barrel.

[WadePatton]

I don't see how it would be significantly different in the smaller bores, but have actually only used it in 54.  I'll need another worm (not complicated to make or buy) and try to use it in every bore I ever shoot again. 

But I cannot say that I have used it in small bores already.

[mark esterly]

the barrel i referenced has round bottom grooves.  the tow fills the grooves better than a cleaning patch without fear of getting stuck in the barrel like a patch that is just a tad too big would.

[Daryl Pelfrey]

Where can I get Tow from?

[Dennis Glazener]

http://flaxforsale.com/html/the_store.html

[Turtle]

My tow worm is too big for my .32. Where can I get one small enough?

[rich pierce]

My tow worm is too big for my .32. Where can I get one small enough?

Larry Callahan and some folks here too.

[Mike from OK]

You could make some yourself if you were so inclined. The Irish gentleman in this video can be a little difficult to understand. But he gives a good presentation of the steps involved...



It looks like there's some labor involved but it doesn't appear to be highly complicated.

You could make your own linen for patches and use the remaining tow for cleaning up.

Mike

[Dave_Markowitz]

Turkey Foot Trading Company sells hemp tow. I have not used it for cleaning but a bird's nest made from it works well to start a fire from an ember on char cloth.

[Pukka Bundook]

One other thought on using tow, (Which I do and like using!)

Colonel Peter Hawker suggested using cloth for cleaning with a Patent Breech,  as he says, there may be a risk of leaving bits of tow in the breech, and it could cause the powder to fire if a spark remains when loading the second time.

How real this problem is I can't say, but in theory he might be right.
It hasn't dampened my enthusiasm for tow though, but I do check to see there is nothing remaining in the breech before I load.

[WadePatton]

One other thought on using tow, (Which I do and like using!)

Colonel Peter Hawker suggested using cloth for cleaning with a Patent Breech,  as he says, there may be a risk of leaving bits of tow in the breech, and it could cause the powder to fire if a spark remains when loading the second time.

How real this problem is I can't say, but in theory he might be right.
It hasn't dampened my enthusiasm for tow though, but I do check to see there is nothing remaining in the breech before I load.

Don't you think a tiny bit of tow would be fully consumed in the first ignition event it was a party to?  That's my thinkin--not that I have any patent-breech guns or plans for one.

[Pukka Bundook]

Wade,

Yes I believe myself that you are right.
 I was merely passing on what the old Colonel had to say in the 1830's.   
In Theory it could happen, but so could  a lot of other stuff.
The Colonel and his contemporaries loaded from a flask straight down the barrel, and that may be why a winking spark would be most unwelcome.
Mind you, a good few used the safety or "Fireproof" flasks, that old Durs Egg used to demonstrate in his shop, so there would be no real reason to worry if one of these types was being used.

All the best,
Richard.

[Smokey Plainsman]

Yet another reason (as if their weren’t plenty) to avoid patent breech guns!!

Hoping tow can be used in a .40 cal. I’d like to try some when my TVM gets “done bilt” as it were!!

[Pukka Bundook]

Smokey,
It will work fine if you have a tow worm of the right size.  I make mine to fit and they live in the patch -box.

[Smokey Plainsman]

Smokey,
It will work fine if you have a tow worm of the right size.  I make mine to fit and they live in the patch -box.

Thanks! Mine will wear a tallow's hole in the stock.

[Pukka Bundook]

Smokey,

Some oi makes long, and some oi makes short.....