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Flints vs. Caps: Easier to Clean?

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Guys I've had a cap rifle for some time now. A Lyman. Well forgetting the chambered breech, which always requires more time and a couple more steps to clean well, I got to thinking about the cap gun and its percussion drum and nipple.

These parts are always a bit hard to clean. They've right angles and the threaded nipple with its tiny hole you have to worry about, and then you have to clean out the drum which may or may not have a clean out screw to contend with.

Now I got to thinking of the flint rifles. There's just a short touch hole... and that's it. Now granted the flints have more "going on" on the lock than the caps, but in my experience this cleans up relatively fast in the field, it's all exposed and more or less easy to get at with a damp rag, but it seems the short touch hole in the side of the barrel is so much easier and faster to clean than the nipple and percussion drum of most caplocks.

So who out there thinks the flints are easier/faster to clean in the field? Anyone think the cap guns are faster to clean? I'm leaning that the flints are. Just swab the bore free of fouling, clean the touch hole, and wipe off the lock. No threading on/off nipples and convoluted drums and flame paths to be much concerned with.

Thoughts?
 
I'm abnormal, I find everything easier about my flintlocks. As you said, everything is direct and accessible. I think this is why I get more reliability from my flintlocks as well, no tiny right angle holes to try to keep clear, no tiny caps to fuss with. I also notice a lot less residue on the outside of the barrel on the top and side flats near the lock, and on the surrounding stock, on my flintlock. I installed a flash cup on my caplocks positioned with the high part to the rear and gun side of the nipple to keep some of the stuff off the gun, it helps, but the flinter is still cleaner.
 
To clean I plug the vent, fill with warm water soak a minute dump repeat and swab then dry. Oil afterward. On a cap popper with a drum I fit a wad over the nipple lower the hammer to get a tight seal and do the same. Pulling the nipple and cliean out screw I go after the drum with pipe cleaners.
So a flinter is marginally easier. But not so much that you notice.
 
Virtually no difference.
Percussion is slightly easier because I have way more practice. I could literally do it blindfolded.

If cleaning either is difficult, you are doing it wrong.
 
If the caplock has a hooked breech it would be easier to clean than a flint...if not, the flash channel, cup of the hammer and handling the nipple require slightly more time. But, the time difference doesn't amount to much between the two and I've never thought of timing the cleaning of each and never would.

As an aside.....I belong to a gun club that has 350 members of mostly CF guys {7 MLer shooters} and have asked a few CF shooters why they're not interested in shooting MLers. All answered that the cleaning was the deterrent...they're very fastidious about their CF rifles.....Fred
 
Fred, I too find hooked breech cappers are easier to clean than my flint rifles. I just pull the barrel and nipple and into a bucket of water the breech goes to be pumped clean. One flint with a drilled touch hole to the barrel is not much more difficult.

Now the one with a caveat is a Traditions flint with their patent breech system. It doesn't have a straight shot to the barrel and is pinned so is not easily removed either. It seems to me this system was designed to make things more difficult. It also is less reliable than my flint with the drilled touch hole.
 
When considering the lock, I feel flinters are more complicated to clean. GOTTA clean that lock, its subject to lotta powder. Other than that Flints would be easier or at least quicker but neither are a problem so :idunno:
 
Being a flint fan, I don't think flintlocks are difficult to clean at all. As far as the lock goes, 5 minutes, with me taking my time, is all I need. The only fouled part is the pan/frizzen and cock. The internals I just wipe and oil. With caplocks it's just as easy (hooked breech) and generally a bit quicker, maybe. Flat breech faces are my preference but I've owned many with patent breeches and never changed the way I clean at all.
 
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