Cleaning methods

[RATROD56]

I have received some great advice from members, I greatly appreciate. I have a cleaning question for everyone. I've watched videos of people using moose milk and have received many different recipes for it. I saw a video about rinsing the barrel out in the bathtub. The gun guy in me cringed! Is this a normal method? If so, has anyone used Super Clean to remove the carbon from the bore? (And rinsing in the bathtub) I swear by it for every other kind of cleaning. Will this screw up the bore?

 

[smo]

I used the tub before.....
Soon realized , the tub was harder too clean than the barrel ..

Several ways too skin a cat, just use whatever method works best for you.

I’ve changed my cleaning routine more than once over the last 40 years..

 

[Carbon 6]

Soap and warm water is the standard traditional method of cleaning a muzzleloader.
It works very well.

Moose milk or M.A.P. works very well if you are swabbing and cleaning as you go. It can be done without using additional water. and works best with real black powder.

Never even heard of " Super clean", but people use all manner of things. If you look at all the things people use, from a chemistry stand point you will find similarities in them all.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Using your bathtub is more than a bit extreme. Not only is it unnecessary to clean your gun in the bath tub, but it will take longer to clean the bathtub than it took to clean the gun. Personally I can't take another lecture from my wife questioning my logic with respect to doing something so unnecessary. (okay, stupid). By the way I would think any court of law would exonerate her actions as justifiable.

The original cleaner for black powder is simply water. I think you have a T/C Hawken which has a take down breech so you can remove the barrel from the stock by pulling out the wedge and lifting the barrel from the stock. All you need is a bucket of water (I use a large plastic coffee can) to put the breech in after you remove the nipple. A damp patch will force a jet of water through the barrel, flash channel and nipple seat with more than enough force to remove the carbon from the bore. A couple of drops of oil dissolving dish soap can be added if you use an oil or grease based lube. Of course you can use Moose Milk, it works too as well as WD40, Brake Cleaner, Winter formula Windshield Washer Fluid, Windex or the Generics. There are many other concoctions that clean also. Cleaning a muzzle Loader that uses Black Powder and most of the substitutes is easy since so many solvents dissolve the fouling. Once the bore, the breech area, nipple seat, lock including the hammer are clean, you want to dry the bore and get rid of the water. Now is the time for a WD40 or rubbing alcohol to displace any remaining water. A blast of compressed air is good too, but a wet WD40 of alcohol patch works. I like to run a patch with Ballistol down the barrel to introduce some oil to the barrel and see if any fouling remains. Don't always expect a white cleaning patch, gray is good. Finally a rust inhibiting lubricant to wet the patch ant run that patch in the bore, over the barrel and lock. Store the gun with the muzzle down to allow any accumulated oils to run out and for the rust inhibiting film to dry some. After a couple of days run another patch dampened with Ballistol or Barricade and the gun should be good for long term storage.

 

[RATROD56]

Soap and warm water is the standard traditional method of cleaning a muzzleloader.
It works very well.

Moose milk or M.A.P. works very well if you are swabbing and cleaning as you go. It can be done without using additional water. and works best with real black powder.

Never even heard of " Super clean", but people use all manner of things. If you look at all the things people use, from a chemistry stand point you will find similarities in them all.

Thank you. Super Clean is one of the best cleaner/degreaser's I have ever seen. The only thing I would worry about using it is, it removes EVERY BIT of grease or oil. It might promote rust in the bore if it's not lubricated quickly but, I can bet it would remove all the residue. I swear by this stuff for everything else.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Go ahead and use your Super Clean. Just be sure to apply a rust inhibiting lubricant such as Birchwood Casey's Barricade to protect the metal.

 

[RATROD56]

Using your bathtub is more than a bit extreme. Not only is it unnecessary to clean your gun in the bath tub, but it will take longer to clean the bathtub than it took to clean the gun. Personally I canlt take another lecture from my wife questioning my logic with respect to doing something so unnecessary. (okay, stupid).

The original cleaner for black powder is simply water. I think you have a T/C Hawken which has a take down breech so you can remove the barrel from the stock by pulling out the wedge and lifting the barrel from the stock. All you need is a bucket of water (I use a large plastic coffee can) to put the breech in after you remove the nipple. A damp patch will force a jet of water through the barrel, flash channel and nipple seat with more than enough force to remove the carbon from the bore. A couple of drops of oil dissolving dish soap can be added if you use an oil or grease based lube. Of course you can use Moose Milk, it works too as well as WD40, Brake Cleaner, Winter formula Windshield Washer Fluid, Windex or the Generics. There are many other concoctions that clean also. Cleaning a muzzle Loader that uses Black Powder and most of the substitutes is easy since so many solvents dissolve the fouling. Once the bore, the breech area, nipple seat, lock including the hammer you want to dry the bore and get rid of the water. Now is the time for a WD40 or rubbing alcohol to displace any remaining water. A blast of compressed air is good too, but a wet WD40 of alcohol patch works. I like to run a patch with Ballistol down the barrel to introduce some oil to the barrel and see if any fouling remains. Don't always expect a white cleaning patch, gray is good. Finally a rust inhibiting lubricant to wet the patch ant run that patch in the bore, over the barrel and lock. Store the gun with the muzzle down to allow any accumulated oils to run out and for the rust inhibiting film to dry some. After a couple of days run another patch dampened with Ballistol or Barricade and the gun should be good for long term storage.

Excellent, thank you. I actually copied and printed off your response as an "instruction sheet" When I first saw the guy putting it in the bathtub, I thought about how my wife would feel about that. my second thought was the gun guy in me saying "WHAT THE H*** ARE YOU DOING?! Muzzleloaders are a whole different animal.

 

[Carbon 6]

Use a bucket, do it outside. Happy wife no mess to clean up.
wastes less water too.

 

[Grenadier1758]

If you ever clean a black powder firearm in the bathtub, you will believe that is is nearly impossible to remove the fouling from every nook and cranny as so much seems to be left on the smooth porcelain surface of a tub. Seeing what was left in my coffee can, there is no way I would use a bathtub.

 

[Carbon 6]

A lot about cleaning is technique. Moose milk/MAP and water methods use different techniques.

My concern with super clean would be possible damage to any aluminum parts brass parts or blued steel, as well as stock finish.
Read the label warnings, do a test sample and proceed with caution.

 

[fleener]

I quit using moose milk for cleaning after some ran down my stock and you could clearly see where it ran as it discolored my stock.

Fleener

 

[Erwan]

Another commercial produce that you can find and I use since now more that fifty years is the Young's Parker Hale Black Powder Cleaner: washing the bore with YPH to 1/4 volume and water, dry with patches and when dry a patch with YPH pure and it's all...
The best is to make it with a false nipple and a tube in a plastic bottle or a toothpick in the vent...
This produce looks like moose milk and work like this one...
Example: https://www.rebelgunworks.com.au/products/youngs-black-powder-cleaner-500ml for all my arms I don't use more of one can in the year...

 

[ADK Bigfoot]

Ratrod:

I have been shooting black powder guns for over 40 years. I have seen numerous cleaning methods over that time, and have settled on one that I now use all the time. Regardless of the gun, rifle or fowler, my set-up is the same. The following assumes that the barrel is fixed in the stock.

Put on the kettle. Make a cup of tea. Keep the kettle of nearly boiling water nearby.

Remove the lock, taking out the flint. In a basin (I use a small pail) add warm water and your choice of dish soap. (I have gone from Dawn to whatever is in the house.) With a toothbrush, scrub the lock in and out with the soapy water. Take out the vent liner (if so equipped) and clean it also. Pay attention to the cock (hammer) and under the steel (frizzen). When all is clean and shiny, I pour some water from that hot kettle over the lock and liner until they are too hot to touch. They will self-dry in seconds. Then I spray the whole mess with WD-40 and set it aside.

With a clamp-style hose attachment for barrels with no vent liner (see Track of the Wolf) or with a screw-in type hose attachment for those with, I put the end of the hose (weighted) into that pail of hot soapy water and flush the bore using my ramrod with a tight fitting wet patch. I may take five or ten strokes, breech face to muzzle. Then get a clean patch and repeat. And repeat. When your patch is clean (usually after four or five, tops), pour the remainder of your kettle down the bore and out the attached hose attachment. Cover the muzzle with a cloth (so you don't burn your lips) and blow down the barrel for a few seconds. This will discharge any remaining hot water. Immediately spray some WD-40 down the bore, followed by a patch wet with the same. Put aside for now. Take the smelly pail of dark gray water OUTSIDE and toss it. If you pour it down the sink, the smell will remain for some time, much to the annoyance of any other folks who do not enjoy the pure smell of Holy Black sulfurousness. (On a clear, dry day I perform the entire operation outdoors to gain points with the marital scorekeeper.)

NOTE: If your barrel is kept in with keys or wedges, you can just submerge the breech end in the pail and proceed.

Wipe down the outside of the barrel and the stock with a damp cloth (I use a moose milk combo for this; it is the same as I swab between shots with.)

I then moisten a large patch with Bore Butter (or similar) and wipe down the lock (in and out), the barrel (in and out) and all metal parts of the stock. If all are still warm, the grease will flow nicely and coat all the metal parts. It won't hurt the wooden stock either.

Reassemble, remembering to put some light grease on the vent liner when installing it, and a dab of grease between the frizzen toe and the frizzen spring. Install a new flint and put the reassembled gun away. Check it again in a day or two to inspect your work. Don't worry about it until you are ready to shoot again. At that time, I run a dry patch down the bore, swipe the frizzen face and pan to remove any left over grease or oil, and go shoot. I have never had any rust or issues with ignition after the above treatment.

That's my story, and I am sticking to it. Others have their methods; do what works for you. This entire process, including boiling the kettle, takes me about 15-20 minutes. But I am a trained professional. DO try this it home.

ADK Bigfoot

 

[ppg1949]

I try to keep it simple and easy just using very hot water and blue Dawn. I remove the nipple and submerge the breech end in a bucket of hot water and Dawn. Then with a tight patch on a cleaning rod scrub it up and down. I usually change the water in the bucket several times. I dry with an alcohol patch. Then use Ballistol or Barricade. Don't forget to wipe down the lock inside and outside. Have fun and enjoy the experience.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

I have a cleaning question for everyone.

Don't over think the cleaning process. Hot soapy water in a plastic bucket is all you need. Rinse with hot water and then blow dry with a compressor if you have one. The barrel will start to rust immediately so swab with a clean patch to remove remaining moisture. Apply your favorite rust preventative.
Flintlocklar

 

[Griz44Mag]

the pure smell of Holy Black sulfurousness.

Reading that whole post was worth it for this:
The perfect way to describe that smell we all adore!

 

[Griz44Mag]

Once while at the range and shooting into a light breeze and having the smoke cloud roll back over us:
I took a deep breath and proclaimed "It smells like 'VICTORY"
(Others in the immediate vicinity did not agree)

 

[spudnut]

I remove the lock and plug the venthole with a green twig, pour water warm or cold in the barrel ,let it sit while I scrub the lock in the sink with a toothbrush , spray it with wd 40 and set to drain on a paper towel. Then go dump the water out of the barrel and fill it halfway, put my thumb over the end and slosh it around , repeat till water runs clear. Then wipe it out with cleaning patch cut from t shirts, I oil the bore with neatsfoot oil ,wipe down the whole gun with it, 3in 1 oil on the lock internals reesemble then wipe the rod with the neatsfoot oil, not neatsfoot compond, that has petrolium oil in it.

 

[Historian]

Y'all want to hear something funny! Back in 1986 when I was 16, after a day of hunting fox squirrels, I cleaned my dad's Navy Arms 12 SXS with some of my mom's nice white towels from her bathroom. Needless to say they had Holy Black all over them. My dad was a Hellfire missle engineer on Redstone Arsenal working for Rockwell Int'l. He had all kinds of nice chemicals to play with. So I proceeded to clean her nice plush bathroom towels with Military Grade MEK! Damn my hands burned from wringing them out under the garden hose. Well I thought they were wrung out enough and put them in the dryer then I went back outside to the garage to admire my first time cleaning of my dads gun. Well about 10 minutes later my younger sister comes out of the house screaming, her eyes and nose running and her face discolored between her coughing she asked what I had put in the dryer. We lived in a 2 story house and when I went in the entire bottom reeked of MEK. I ran to the dryer and shut it off. Got the towels and nearly passed out by the time I got back outside. Needless to say the MEK stank permeated the dryer completely. So then I get the bright idea to use full strength Clorox to clean the dryer thinking that the Clorox would cover up the MEK smell. Wrong answer there. Luckily my dad had a heavy duty respirator and wrap around enclosed goggles again compliments of Rockwell Int'l which probably saved my ass from dying. My dad thought it was hilarious as he got home earlier than my mother. My mother on the other hand was not amused especially since my father thought it was funny. My mother made him and I go purchase another dryer that very night. The other one set out on the curb and every so often someone would come by and ask if they could have it. Sure my dad would say, however when they opened the dryer door they would just leave without saying a word.

 

[smo]

You should have just used the MEK to clean the gun....

Smells like money too me...lol