Cleaning flintlocks

Hello guys,

Apologies if this has been discussed, I'm new and I've had a look around, but couldn't find a thread asking my question.

I always seem to run into problems when I clean my Pedersoli Brown Besses, well, not a "problem" per se, but an annoyance.

I've tried everything I can think of to block the touch-hole upon pouring water into the barrel, but the water always wins and squirts out of the touch hole and drowns the stock.

I've tried just soaking a patch and running that through, but I don't seem to get the same level of cleaning from flushing with water.

The barrel is pinned so I wouldn't like to remove it.

I would like to ask those older and wiser then I, is there another way to prevent this "touch hole giezer" I did once buy a clamp device that clamped over the touch hole. The clamp had a tube that allowed the water to drain away, but the whole assembly didn't really work that well.

Also, this leads me to think; How was this done in the field? Would the soldier litterally just chuck a bucket o' water down his pipe and wipe off the water from the stock?

Kind regards
T

For my flints I just plug the touch hole with a soft wooden plug. If you look around you can usually find round wooden toothpicks for about $1.00 for a box of 300.

Depending on the size of your touch hole, some tooth picks are too small as in the case with mine... I've found that a feather stem works great, you just have to find the right sized one for your touch hole...

Ranger

I have come up with two solutions to that same problem. First I bought one of those clamp devices and modified it. I replaced the washer around the hole that goes against the touch hole with a much larger thicker one from the hardware store. Second, I took the tubing off and threaded the hole to plug it with a screw. Third, I shaped the end of the clamp that is opposite of the touch hole to better fit my barrel and glued a leather pad to protect the barrel finish. Now I can use it as just a plug or remove the screw reattach the hose and use is as a flush tube.

In the field I use the end of a wooden chop stick that I cut off after use. I hope that helps.

Go to Track of the Wolf look for Gun Cleaning, then 'Ramrod tips, brushes jags Pullers' then to Flush nipples.... and you will find a flush cleaning setup for flintlocks. I got one, good item.

Cheers, DonK

Thank for the info guys.

Unfortunately, I have no engineering skills or tools, so machining the a clamp is out. I might just reply on the "traditional" way... a wooden peg and a mallet. :hmm:

Thank for the link to the Wolf site. Heard of them, but never seen any of their stuff.

A toothpick is way too small to plug the touch hole in my Bess. I have used thorns from a locust tree to do the job. They are free, real tough, and come in assorted sizes. Sometimes I just hold a finger tightly over the touch hole, pour in the water, put the other thumb over the muzzle and shake vigorously.
I have not tried it yet, but I mean to get some of those wooden corn skewers or shish-ka-bob sticks and try 'em.

Pull the lock. Lay the Bess vent down on old towels with the muzzle slightly lower than the vent. Run wet patches up to your heart's content.

Welcome to the Forum.

If you have a few dollars you can order the clamped on thing with a plastic hose from Track of the Wolf.
See this link to what I'm talking about http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartList.aspx?catID=6&subID=49&styleID=1020

Most folks remove the lock before clamping the rubber washered side against the touch hole but if your pan is large enough you may not have to.

With the thing clamped in place you can either plug the hose or better yet you can place the hose in a bucket of water and with the muzzle pointing slightly downward, use the cleaning jag/swab on a cleaning rod to pump water up into the bore thru the touch hole and out of the muzzle. :grin:

Cheers for the advice, guys. Just checked, shipping costs are more then what the clamp is worth :hmm:

The whole thing comes to about $33.00 which I reckon is about £19.50, maybe... ?

Might be worth a purchase.

{Sigh} We didn't design the Brown Bess with target-shooters' clean carpets in mind, did we?

Regards
T

Tower75 said:

Hello guys,

Apologies if this has been discussed, I'm new and I've had a look around, but couldn't find a thread asking my question.

I always seem to run into problems when I clean my Pedersoli Brown Besses, well, not a "problem" per se, but an annoyance.

I've tried everything I can think of to block the touch-hole upon pouring water into the barrel, but the water always wins and squirts out of the touch hole and drowns the stock.

I've tried just soaking a patch and running that through, but I don't seem to get the same level of cleaning from flushing with water.

The barrel is pinned so I wouldn't like to remove it.

I would like to ask those older and wiser then I, is there another way to prevent this "touch hole giezer" I did once buy a clamp device that clamped over the touch hole. The clamp had a tube that allowed the water to drain away, but the whole assembly didn't really work that well.

Also, this leads me to think; How was this done in the field? Would the soldier litterally just chuck a bucket o' water down his pipe and wipe off the water from the stock?

Kind regards
T

Click to expand...

Back in the day the guns were often wiped out with a wad of tow with tallow on it. This avoided wetting the bore and thus taking the firearm out of service. Something that was not a good idea in many cases. Even out hunting the sound of a gunshot could bring "visitors".
Water is still the best cleaner for BP fouling but simple wiping can result in powder fouling remaining in the breech and/or vent unless extra steps are taken to remove it. Such as pushing wet patch down with a worm and twisting it in the breech then cleaning the vent. If the fouling in the breech is not removed and it gets mixed with petroleum oil it can form a substance much like black concrete when the rifle is subsequently fired and the fouling/oil mix is heated and compressed.

I am sure the military process is detailed someplace. But remember the soldier in a FL musket/linear tactics fight usually shot a round or 5 then charged with the bayonet or was busy repelling the other guys sticker.

Dan

I don't understand the reluctance to remove barrel pins to clean the barrel. I do it regularly. You do have to have the correct tools- a drift pin, or an old drill bit that is the same, or slightly smaller in diameter than the pins are, and a light( 1-2 oz.) hammer.

Do several light taps to take the pins out, always from the same side, and make sure you mark and separate the pins( masking tape works wonders, but any tape does) so that you return the same pin to the same hole. Switching pins is how those holes get enlarged.

Also, I don't think I have ever seen a factory made barrel hanger that has the hole elongated to allow for expansion and contraction of the wood between the seasons. If the wood doesn't split, the pin is often bent slightly so its more difficult to remove, and even worse to put back in. Elongate the pin holes in the hangers to prevent this from happening.

I like to be able to inspect the underside of my barrels to make sure they are not getting real rust down there. I also like to seal the mortises in my stocks, with gun stock finishes, then wax. And, if I am going to hunt in rainy weather, I put a thick grease- waterpump grease does the trick-- into the barrel mortise before pressing the barrel back into the stock. The excess grease is wiped off.

The grease fills the barrel mortise, preventing water from getting down into the underside of the barrel and rusting it. It also obviously keeps the water away from the wood in the barrel mortise, so that wood is much less likely to swell in the field during rains.

If you shoot in very hot climates, choose one of the new synthetic greases that is much more heat tolerant than my waterpump grease may be. Talk to local airplane mechanics to find out what they use on airplane motors.

I don't know how any one can shoot a MLer fast enough to heat the barrel up so hot that it would begin to melt the grease between the barrel and the stock, so I don't even consider this an unexpected problem.

100+ degree temperatures, and the heat of the sun on dark metal barrels left in a car where they are in direct sunlight, or on a rifle rack at a range ARE real possible problems. Some very uncommon "Common Sense" is called for here. :shocked2: :blah: :hmm: :v

I have a rifle made in 1900, which I bought in 2000, that has its barrel mortise filled with Water pump grease, and came that way from Sweden. A wooden handguard was easily removed, and while the short section of the barrel exposed to the elements was scratched, nicked, and devoid of finish, the barrel UNDER that wooden handguard and the grease between it and the barrel, shows the most gorgeous Royal Blue finish you can find on any gun. This in a hundred year old gun, that thankfully saw more target practice, and patrol duty than actual combat. The stock also has lots of nicks, scratches, gouges and scrapes. It shows its age, but was made of Black Walnut, so the wood is obviously very stable at this point. I have not decided yet to refinish the stock. But, however I deal with its problems, someone years ago left me a valuable lesson on how to protect metal and wood from water, and rust, in wet conditions. :hmm:

Find a stick on the ground, whittle it to fit yer touch hole. You don't have to spend money on gizzies.
Or, I'll whittle one for you and send for only $15.00 plus shipping. :haha:

Rifleman1776 said:

Find a stick on the ground, whittle it to fit yer touch hole. You don't have to spend money on gizzies.
Or, I'll whittle one for you and send for only $15.00 plus shipping. :haha:

Click to expand...

:rotf: ... erm, I'll pass on that, if I may.

T

I've encountered the same problem and tried several methods that failed each time.

I finally found one that worked.

I took a Q-Tip (the ones with the white fiber shaft instead of the blue plastic shaft), cut off the cotton heads and using a sharp knife whittled both ends down to a narrow sharp point. I then melted some bees wax and coated the ends in the hot wax. Cut the Q-Tip in half and you have two plugs for the touch hole ready to go. Never had water leak or seep out using them.

I hope this helps...

Hmmm... interesting.

I might have to give that a go. Many thanks. :thumbsup: