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?
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?