Frustrated - Hopefully just the growing pains of a newbie

[Reds]

Only thing I can toss your way is about the rod you are using to pull. I would use a solid metal rod and not the normal ramrod because if it gives then you will have no way of connecting anything to the jag. I have a solid brass rod threaded on both ends and would feel very comfortable putting it in a vise and pulling like crazy but a normal rod pinned or glued could be trouble! Hope this helps! Reds

 

[Terrier]

I think I know what happened to you with this…. Switching to the 54 jag in the 58 barrel left enough slack room on the edges of the jag for the oversized patch to get doubled over on the edge(s) of the jag, and the crud ring trapped it. That’s why the windex soak was able to free it up.

If your 58 jag is too big in circumference to push a patch down, sand down the circumference. rotating the brass jag on a running belt sander works, but be careful not to overdo it. Be careful and gentle and slow. The edges of the jag will be sharp, so you’ll have to re-round if the edges of the grooves a little by hand so it won’t cut your patches. I had to do the same thing on my 54 Uberti Hawken that’s stamped 54 but is actually a .53

Going forward: Wet patch (water is fine for this) to dissolve the crud ring in short strokes before bottoming out.. may take two or three patches to get it completely cleared… then dry patch.

And ditto on the metal rod for a jag…

 

[Ponderosaman]

I love cleaning my BP shotgun because the patches always come out bright white clean at the end. With my modern weapons, I see gray on the patch no matter how many I use.

There will be quite a lot of fouling in the barrel just from one shot. Much more than a modern firearm that has had 200 rounds through it. Use lubes like olive oil or crisco or whatever you like best while you’re shooting to keep the fouling soft enough to re-load. Even the small amount of wax in my paper fiber wads helps a lot to keep the fouling soft.

For cleaning I remove the nipple and stick the back of the barrel in a bucket of soapy water and scrub the barrel with a wool attachment. Then in hot clean water to rinse. Then patches to dry. Then a very thin barrier oil for storage. This is “normal” for blackpowder, though some people will avoid soap or will even take the half a day to fight the sludge and not use water.

 

[Sir Boniface Harrison]

I love cleaning my BP shotgun because the patches always come out bright white clean at the end. With my modern weapons, I see gray on the patch no matter how many I use.

There will be quite a lot of fouling in the barrel just from one shot. Much more than a modern firearm that has had 200 rounds through it. Use lubes like olive oil or crisco or whatever you like best while you’re shooting to keep the fouling soft enough to re-load. Even the small amount of wax in my paper fiber wads helps a lot to keep the fouling soft.

For cleaning I remove the nipple and stick the back of the barrel in a bucket of soapy water and scrub the barrel with a wool attachment. Then in hot clean water to rinse. Then patches to dry. Then a very thin barrier oil for storage. This is “normal” for blackpowder, though some people will avoid soap or will even take the half a day to fight the sludge and not use water.

Why do some people avoid soap?

 

[waksupi]

Like hot water, it's just unnecessary.

Why do some people avoid soap?

 

[RRidgely52]

being Black powder, water is your friend.

Water and Dawn soap....

 

[WonkyEye]

My normal is water, balistol, Murphy's, and a bit of peroxide.

For mystery 20 year old bore crud I've been known to spend an hour going through a bunch of different solvents to get it back to clean metal. Dawn, denatured alcohol, kroil, laquer thinner, etc. whatever might cut the mystery junk. Once it's good and degreased I've also used evaporust, scrubbing periodically with a green kitchen scrubby on a patch worm, followed by another round of cleaning.

 

[Ed Pilkington]

I share your Joy brother. Cleaning and nursing your weapon will become a moment in the serenity and meditation of our ancesters.