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procedure for cleaning flintlock

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John Shortell

32 Cal.
Joined
Sep 13, 2010
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I own a Hawken style rifle that is very easy to clean because the barrel pops right out. Thinking about building a longrifle and was wondering how you all clean them.
 
I take the barrel out and remove the lock each an every time, about every third trail I participate in I totally dis-assemble the lock and clean each piece, lube and re-assemble.

I'm also a halfast builder.
 
Since the barrel is pinned in and I don't want to be removing it all the time, I remove the lock and then attach a device from TOTW that allows me to pump water from a tube through the vent and barrel. I then clean it normally by pumping the water through the vent and then running patches down the barrel until the are clean and dry. Then a patch with lube. No special procedure for cleaning the lock -- just water and a toothbrush then dry well and lube where needed.
 
I leave pinned barrels in the rifle while cleaning. I pull the lock because it is much easier to get to everything with it out. I tie a shop rag around the touch hole and run soapy water patches down the barrel until it is clean. I then run a couple of Ballistol and water patches down the barrel to catch any graphite left over then run dry patches down until the barrel is dry. I then run a Ballistol soaked patch down the barrel to protect the metal.

I clean up and lube the lock and put it back on the gun and the job is done.
 
Pull the lock and set it aside. I put a tootpick in the vent hole and fill the barrel completely with water. I let that sit while I clean and oil the lock....maybe 8 minutes. Then, I tip the barrel over and pull the tootpick to let the water run out. I repeat the water 2 more times, but only fill about half-full so I can shake the rifle for a rinse.

Then, I put patches down the bore until they come out nice and clean. The first patch I put down is 91% alcohol to help the bore dry faster with the subsequent dry patches. I recently started using Rem-oil as a protectant in the bore. I tried bore butter, but I'd fight rust later on from time to time.
 
Trench i do simmular but i fill barrel with warm water let stand while i clean the lock dump rinse again but now i run a bore brush down w murphy's oil soap and scrub einse and the proceed with patches
bore brush realy helps and speeds things up
at the end i run couple lubed patchs
i then wax the rifle put the lock back
on average 15 to 25 mins per rifle
 
Pull the lock. Lay the firearm on a table with the vent facing down and over old towels and the muzzle lower than the vent. Wrap a scrap towel around the muzzle (or hold the muzzle with a dry washcloth around your hand). Push wet soapy patches into the muzzle and scrub, rinsing the patch in soapy water until it comes out clean. Swap out the jag for a patch worm and puse a loose patch down into the breech and scrub it around hard to dig out the fouling in the corners. Replace the jag and run another damp patch. Then run a few dry patches, an alcohol soaked patch and finally a patch with Barricade on it. Wipe the outside of the barrel, especially the vent area, with another bit of Barricade on a rag.

Clean the lock and reattach.
 
I check the bore with a LED bore light because I have seen clean white patches come out of a dirty barrel. Since most of my guns have the patent breech I want to make sure it is clean too so I bore light them every time.
 
The only thing I remove is the lock. I usually run a scraper down the bore before I start cleaning. I also soak the barrel and pour out the dirty water. The rest is just wet and dry patches. I now finish up with Barricade.
 
Remove the lock (pinned barrel stays) and scrub it with a tooth brush and Ballistol. For the barrel, I've used a breach brush, the one with the bristles pointing down the barrel, from MSM, wrapped with a patch soaked in moose milk of 1 in 5 parts of Ballistol and water. Spin it against the bottom. it takes about 5 or 6 patches to bring the bottom new clean. By that time the barrel has softened up so that four or five passes of moose milk gives a clean tube. Run a straight ballistol patch and you are done.
 
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