Breechplug fouling solved

[mike54]

I would get about 15 shots from my smr then it would build up enough to block the touchole. I always clean the oil from my rifle with alcohol but the last couple times i decided to soak a patch with alcohol and shove it down the barrel on top the breech and retrieve it with a puller after wiping the breech with it. As of now i have shot 40 shots and the gun works flawlessly with no blockage and miniml fouling in the breech area. There must have been just enough oil left on the face of the fat face breech plug to start fouling buildup from unburnt powder.

 

[wiscoaster]

That sounds like a pretty good guess.

 

[Collie]

When you clean your rifle try storing it muzzle down so the oil doesn't accumulate in the breech over time. This has worked for me pretty well.

 

[Grenadier1758]

@mike54, storing the gun muzzle down after cleaning will minimize the gumming up of the breech face by oil after cleaning. The storing of a cleaned gun muzzle down is especially important when dealing with a gun with a chambered breech.

 

[mike54]

I have thought abot storing muzzle down but it wont fit in the gun cabinet that way. I cut a hole at the top to put the barrel through. Its about 6inches too long barrel wise.

 

[bpd303]

There must have been just enough oil left on the face of the fat face breech plug to start fouling buildup from unburnt powder.

It's not unburnt powder but polymerized powder, with any petroleum product in the barrel. Oil burns at something like 400 degrees F and black powder burns at 900 degrees F turning the burnt powder into a solid polymer.

 

[mike54]

It's not unburnt powder but polymerized powder, with any petroleum product in the barrel. Oil burns at something like 400 degrees F and black powder burns at 900 degrees F turning the burnt powder into a solid polymer.

All i know is its fixed which is good enough for me.

 

[bldtrailer]

use a one size smaller jag 45 for 50 and a wet patch then when you hit bottom turn the rod to the right it expands the patching now pull the crud out, the smaller jag allows the patching to ride over the fouling turning to the right(tighty righty)expands the patch .
a full size jag pushes the crud into the breach area

 

[SDSmlf]

I always clean the oil from my rifle with alcohol but the last couple times i decided to soak a patch with alcohol and shove it down the barrel on top the breech and retrieve it with a puller after wiping the breech with it.

All i know is its fixed which is good enough for me.

A real fix would be not to use so much oil. It’s only a matter of time before the oil bites you again when the alcohol soaked patch doesn’t remove all the oil. If you insist on using so much oil maybe consider finding an out of the way spot or corner in your shop to let the gun sit muzzle down for a day or so after oiling for the bore to drain (put something absorbent under the muzzle to collect the oil) before putting the gun in your convertible top gun cabinet. Even though I use a rust preventative that drys to a film (think Eezox or Barricade), I still leave my guns pointed muzzle down for a day or so after applying for the stuff to completely dry.

 

[mike54]

use a one size smaller jag 45 for 50 and a wet patch then when you hit bottom turn the rod to the right it expands the patching now pull the crud out, the smaller jag allows the patching to ride over the fouling turning to the right(tighty righty)expands the patch .
a full size jag pushes the crud into the breach area

Tried that, it doesnt work. My way works. Im not pushing fouling

 

[The Crisco Kid]

I put a wad of paper towel over the nipple and push a tight patch down the barrel which blows out the excess oil into the towel. An air compressor works even better. The same arrangement works for a flintlock.

 

[smoothshooter]

I would get about 15 shots from my smr then it would build up enough to block the touchole. I always clean the oil from my rifle with alcohol but the last couple times i decided to soak a patch with alcohol and shove it down the barrel on top the breech and retrieve it with a puller after wiping the breech with it. As of now i have shot 40 shots and the gun works flawlessly with no blockage and miniml fouling in the breech area. There must have been just enough oil left on the face of the fat face breech plug to start fouling buildup from unburnt powder.

I have been telling people here for years how well 70% Isopropyl alcohol works as a BP cleaner.
Don’t know if I ever made any converts.

 

[smoothshooter]

use a one size smaller jag 45 for 50 and a wet patch then when you hit bottom turn the rod to the right it expands the patching now pull the crud out, the smaller jag allows the patching to ride over the fouling turning to the right(tighty righty)expands the patch .
a full size jag pushes the crud into the breach area

That is the exact same method I use.

 

[bldtrailer]

I like the 91 % dries very fast and removes all oil on all parts pan frizzen and barrel

 

[Sentry44]

Yep, I use 99% isopropyl. The Amazonians sell it for about $6/bottle as I recall.

Sentry44

 

[olskool]

i buy the denatured alcohol by the gallon from the hardware store. i use it to swab the bore before i start shooting at the beginning of the day to get any oil out. sometimes before i clean i swab all the funk out of the bore first with alcohol, then use Windex with ammonia to finish. Windex works so well the alcohol is not really needed but i do it sometimes anyway. then i lightly oil with rem oil,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[garypl]

i buy the denatured alcohol by the gallon from the hardware store. i use it to swab the bore before i start shooting at the beginning of the day to get any oil out. sometimes before i clean i swab all the funk out of the bore first with alcohol, then use Windex with ammonia to finish. Windex works so well the alcohol is not really needed but i do it sometimes anyway. then i lightly oil with rem oil,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

This method works!

 

[Greenjoytj]

How about using a brass blade style breach plug scraper?
Give the breach face a good few turns with the scraper then patch out or flush out the fouling.
A large enough patch could be wrapped over the scraper blade then taped to the narrower cleaning rod so the patch could be turned by the cleaning rod.
Automotive carburetor cleaner designed specifically to remove carbon could be squirted down to the breach face to soften the fouling. I believe this type of cleaner is mostly high proof alcohol.
A bore scope would let you see how bad the fouling build up on the breach face actually is, particularly after a few turns with the scraper jag.

 

[bpd303]

My solution to breech cleaning the wand of the sprayer is long enough to touch the breech plug. Works on the whole bore too, after flushing, a couple of dry patches then Barricade works for me.
That old Hudson sprayer stopped working and I couldn't find any seals for it so a $9.95 1 gallon sprayer from Walmart replaced it.