Cleaning with brushes?

Skychief · Jun 13, 2018

I'm re-reading Ned Roberts' 'The Muzzleloading Cap Lock Rifle'.

Interesting to say the least to read how the old boys did things.

In it, he describes how he was instructed to clean a rifle. Brushes were used in the bore.

I seldom use a brush, how about you all. Maybe brushing would speed a cleaning up, or perhaps, do a better job versus not brushing.

What say you?

Best regards, Skychief.

FishDFly · Jun 13, 2018

What say you?

One of the most common questions asked here is "how do I get a stuck brush out of the barrel"?

Brushes are only good for cleaning forcing cones on revolvers, nothing else.

nhmoose · Jun 13, 2018

Be smarter than the brush.

Cleaned over 30 years using a brush in a ML. Push it down, turn the rod to re-tighten the brush to the rod as in most cases it got loose, while turning when it gets tight keep turning and pull it out.

The never use a brush crowd is loud and wrong.

fleener · Jun 13, 2018

for my target rifles I have started using a brush with a wet patch and then a dry patch.

The brush with a patch wrapped around it, with the patch sticking a good quarter of an inch past the end of the brush and tucked to one side cleans much better than a jag.

I was working with a new long range ML shooter a couple of days ago at Friendship. He did the wet and dry patch with a jag. I then ran a wet one down his rifle with a brush. It came out like he never ran a patch down it.

Brush or jag, they both have threads that you need to make sure stay tight.

with a brush I can get into the breech area where I cant with my jag.

Fleener

Stumpkiller · Jun 13, 2018

I have not used a brush in a m/l rifle in over 39 years.

Because I stuck a brush in the bore of my first T/C Renegade and pulled the brush off the threads.

From there I bought a breech wrench and proceeded to bugger up the flats of the breech.

Learned my lesson. And can unequivocally state they are unnecessary - as I have never again put one in a rifled muzzleloader.

necchi · Jun 13, 2018

Skychief said:
I'm re-reading Ned Roberts'

:barf: :barf:
"Ned" is a payed author,, not the alpha and omega.

George · Jun 13, 2018

In the 1975 edition of Lyman Black Powder Handbook, they describe their cleaning procedure for rifles during all the test they ran...must have been a zillion.

They decided "...to thoroughly clean the bore after each shot string and to dry-brush (with a sturdy copper brush) between each shot in the test string. We were careful, during the dry brushing, to keep the muzzle down and to shake out the carbon loosened by the brushing."

Spence

Vaino · Jun 13, 2018

Started using bronze wire brushes in 1976 and use them in a variety of MLers and have never stuck one.

When hunting squirrels and the loads are starting to load hard, I wire brush the bore, dump the debris and keep on hunting......no worry as to wetting the breech and clogging the TH.My son does the same and has not stuck a brush in the bore.

Good threads in the RR tip and full threads on the brush and a securely fastened RR tip that's epoxied and pinned all make using a wire brush "foolproof". Also rotating the brush clockwise when with drawing the brush is mandatory....Fred

Skychief · Jun 13, 2018

necchi said:
Skychief said:

I'm re-reading Ned Roberts'

Click to expand...

:barf: :barf:
"Ned" is a payed author,, not the alpha and omega.

Hello necchi!!!

Glad that you dropped by with your two cents.

So I understand your comment, are you suggesting that Ned Roberts was a shill for the bore brush industry since he wrote, in 1940, that as a boy, his Civil War veteran uncle taught him to use said brushes in cleaning rifles?

As per usual, I fail to grasp the meaning of your veiled commentary. :idunno:

Any clarification is appreciated. Please type slow for me. That may help. :haha:

Skychief · Jun 13, 2018

George said:
In the 1975 edition of Lyman Black Powder Handbook, they describe their cleaning procedure for rifles during all the test they ran...must have been a zillion.

They decided "...to thoroughly clean the bore after each shot string and to dry-brush (with a sturdy copper brush) between each shot in the test string. We were careful, during the dry brushing, to keep the muzzle down and to shake out the carbon loosened by the brushing."

Spence

Hey Spence. Was that Sam Fadala running those tests? Whichever fellow it was, he had to be POOPED by the end of testing! :doh:

I can't imagine, Skychief. :hatsoff:

George · Jun 13, 2018

That was the crew at Lyman, and they did many thousands of tests in developing all the data published in their manual. They ran a series of tests to find out which cleaning procedure gave them the most consistent results before they even began the tests.

Spence

smoothshooter · Jun 13, 2018

I use nothing but undersized bore brushes. The bristles rarely touch the bore, since I wrap the wet cleaning patch around it.

Sometimes, if I am shooting a lot, and in a hurry, I will use a slightly oversized brush to dry brush the bore a few strokes, then hold the gun vertically with the butt up, rap the side of the fore-end a few times with the heel of my hand to knock the loosened fouling dust out, and reload.

smoothshooter · Jun 13, 2018

I would beg to differ.

I use them on BP rifles, smoothbores, and percussion revolvers.
Never lost a brush in the bore in over 50 years.
But you DO have to pay attention.

smoothshooter · Jun 13, 2018

They work well for removing lead fouling in the forward ends of the chambers on centerfire cartridge revolvers too.
Dry- brushing wax and lead buildup in .22 rimfire chambers gives me good results.

smoothshooter · Jun 13, 2018

Don't know if this applies in your case, but most people that have trouble with wire bore brushes use brushes that fit too tightly.

necchi · Jun 14, 2018

Skychief said:
As per usual, I fail to grasp the meaning of your veiled commentary. :idunno:

I k n o w.
y o u c o u l d a ctu aly enter the world of application instead of that of magazine perfection.
I can't help real world people when they hold themselves to the standards of professional and extraordinary results of literary comment.
Hey,, who am I to say the "Ned" isn't the knower of all knowledge.
Gosh,, if you can't do what he's doing, or achieve what he does, why post here? You should ask Ned?

Is there something "veiled" about that?

There is no described and perfect manner of cleaning or preparing for the next shot.
There's 15-20-1000 ways to clean and prepare.
Pick one. Stick with it / learn it / and continue doing it that way.

If you have to come on a public forum to seek approval or question the way you choose to "clean and prepare" for the next shot as "Ned" approves,(?)
Well, then your missing the point of "Ned"

p.s. "Ned" is not the Alpha and Omega. He is payed to write a good story that is sold for profit

Skychief · Jun 14, 2018

necchi said:
Skychief said:

As per usual, I fail to grasp the meaning of your veiled commentary. :idunno:

Click to expand...

I k n o w.
y o u c o u l d a ctu aly enter the world of application instead of that of magazine perfection.
I can't help real world people when they hold themselves to the standards of professional and extraordinary results of literary comment.
Hey,, who am I to say the "Ned" isn't the knower of all knowledge.
Gosh,, if you can't do what he's doing, or achieve what he does, why post here? You should ask Ned?

Is there something "veiled" about that?

There is no described and perfect manner of cleaning or preparing for the next shot.
There's 15-20-1000 ways to clean and prepare.
Pick one. Stick with it / learn it / and continue doing it that way.

If you have to come on a public forum to seek approval or question the way you choose to "clean and prepare" for the next shot as "Ned" approves,(?)
Well, then your missing the point of "Ned"

p.s. "Ned" is not the Alpha and Omega. He is payed to write a good story that is sold for profit

"Is there something veiled about that?"

I can't say as I only understood the part which you suggest I should ask Ned. Ask Ned about what, I don't know. Asking Ned anything would be impossible as he died in 1948.

I'm not seeking approval nor questioning anything that I am doing. I was merely asking about others use of brushes for cleaning their muzzleloaders.

This is a muzzleloading forum, no? A muzzleloading forum to share enthusiasm, opinions, knowledge and experience where muzzleloading is concerned, no?

How can these innocuous threads seemingly "wind your watch" so tight? :youcrazy: You seem to read things into them that are absolutely not there. I'm worried about you.

Please seriously consider decaf necchi as suggested previously. Maybe you could use a shore lunch of golden brown walleye too.

I see that you've added a post script to your reply. Again, Ned is dead. :shake:

stubshaft · Jun 14, 2018

I use nylon brushes. Never got one stuck and they get the powder fouling out.

Vaino · Jun 14, 2018

Retrieving a pulled off wire brush that's stuck in the bore is evidently an experience never to be forgotten and when first starting to use MLeers, many use wire brushes improperly and stick one in the bore and instead of blaming themselves for their ineptitude, blame "demon brush".

This fear of wire brushes is etched into the minds of these beginners who henceforth won't even consider the thoughts that there is a "right way" to use wire brushes and the many who do use them, have no problems at all. ......Fred

azmntman · Jun 14, 2018

Walleye for lunch? Is this a stress reducer? :idunno:

Cleaning with brushes?

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

69 Cal.

69 Cal.

58 Cal.

50 Cal.

That Other Moderator

Cannon

Cannon

Cannon

69 Cal.

69 Cal.

Cannon

50 Cal.

50 Cal.

50 Cal.

50 Cal.

Cannon

69 Cal.

40 Cal.

Cannon

Cannon

Similar threads

Join the conversation!

Join today and get all the highlights of this community direct to your inbox. It's FREE!