Cleaning a GPR

[Spot Shooter]

Ok, maybe it's stupid question time, but I haven't odered mine yet so I've got an excuse.

When your cleaning a GPR do you pull the barrel, and then the breech plug? I had a knight Disc rifle, and that's what you did to clean it out. Just wondering how you clean it, it doesn't seem like you could really clean a BP if you couldn't get at the chamber section of the gun. i.e. the breech doesn't come out.

Thanks,
Spot

 

[BrownBear]

Nope, you don't remove the breech plug, that is unless you want to open a can of worms. Remove the barrel from the stock and unscrew the nipple, then go at it. Lyman (somewhere in their literature) also recommends sticking a 35 caliber brush down in there to clean the powder combustion chamber or some such. I've got to observe that it sure seems easier to clean that big 54 bore than my 36.

 

[Zonie]

I'm sure somewhere there are some sidelock guns which have removable breach plugs but I haven't seen any of them.
The Plains Rifles have a hook on the back of the breach plug which hooks into the steel barrel tang at the rear. This tang stays in the stock.

Everyone has their own method for cleaning so I can only give you mine for a precussion gun.
1. Remove the Ramrod
2. Remove the barrel keys or at least move them so they disingage from the barrel underlugs.
3. Set the hammer to Half Cock
4. Lift or raise the muzzle upward. You will see the barrel disengaging from the steel barrel tang.
5. Lift the barrel free from the stock.
6. Remove the nipple from the barrel.
7. Get a bucket of Hot Water and submerse the breech of the barrel into it.
8. Put some Dish Soap (or whatever suits your fancy) on a wet cleaning patch and using a cleaning jag of the correct caliber on a cleaning rod push the patch down until it bottoms on the breech plug.
9. Pull the cleaning rod/jag/patch back almost out of the barrel. This will pull hot water thru the nipple and flash holes into the barrel.
10. Push the rod/jag/patch back down forcefully to blast the water back out thru the flash/nipple hole. When doing this step I like to pull the barrel out of the bucket so the soap/water is shot across the yard and doesn't get back into the hot water in the bucket.
11. Repeat several times. After about 3 or 4 times, I remove the "soap patch" and replace it with just a wet patch and then repeat step 10 for another 5 to 10 times.
12. Remove the barrel and run dry patches down the bore until they come out dry.
13. As I have a gas kitchen stove, I use it to heat the breech plug/nipple area just enough to boil out the water that is hiding in it.
14. Spray the bore and nipple hole with Shieth or some other good light weight penetrating gun oil and wipe the bore well.
15. Apply some good paste wax to a patch and wax the bore.

As I mentioned there are about 200+ methods that the 460+ members here use. Expect to hear more on this subject from them.

 

[BrownBear]

"When doing this step I like to pull the barrel out of the bucket so the soap/water is shot across the yard and doesn't get back into the hot water in the bucket."

What a good idea, Zonie!

Sure beats changing the water several times, and so simple it's easy to understand why it never occurred to me. (Why do anything the easy way when there or so many more complicated ones lurking around?)

 

[Zonie]

It's even more fun if the neighbors cat is walking within range! For some reason they don't think someone sitting in a folding chair 16 feet away can touch them!

 

[BrownBear]

Hmmm. One of our cats has been getting a little big for her britches lately, and this sounds like a great equalizer. Really sets her on her heels when something surprises her and she can't figure out what happened. Should keep her puzzled for weeks!

Here kitty, kitty, kitty......

 

[Birddog6]

I seldom remove the barrel from any of my rifle, be it a hooked breech or not. I like to put mine in a cradle & put a tube on the nipple & the tube into a gallon of water with just a squirt of dish washing soap or Ballistol. Put a patch on a jag & hydraulic the water in & out of the barrel for a bit. Pull barrel full of liquid & let sit for ? 5 min whild I remove & clean lock with a toothbrush. Pat dry with paper towel & spray down loack with Ballistol & set asside.
Change patches & swab barrel again, Rinse, swab dry, remove nipple & clean out hole with Q'tip, spray inside with Ballistol, swab barel with Ballistol & install nipple & lock & put it away. Reswab with Ballistol once each day for next 2 days. I usually put a patch over the nipple & let the hammer down easily on the patch to absorb any residue when stored.
On a flintlock I do it the same way except I have a "C clamp with a tube connected to go over the vent & clamp.

Either way about, you can entirely clean a ML this way in 15 min. Once in a while I will use a breech brush or a breech scraper, just to check & be sure I got to the edges of the breech, depends on the rifle. On a GPR I use one to get back into the lil breech opening & check it good.

If I was out hunting in the rain I will remove the barrel on a halfstock & make sure it is dry under it & reoil & install back into stock.

 

[Spot Shooter]

Zonie, and guy's,

Cool, I was wondering about how to do that. I've never owned on before so I was a bit concerned.

I use to run boiling water down mine barrel until it was so hot I could bearly hold it, then I would let it air dry (didn't take long), and run a patch of bore butter through it while it was hot enough to melt it and reseason the bore.

Don't know if this the best way of seasoning, I have my doubts.

Thanks,
Spot

BTW - I'll be looking for the neighbors cat when I clean

 

[Rocky Johnson]

Zonie - In Michigan I have to clean inside most of the time to keep it from frezzing. Inside I like boiling water and the then bore butter to season the bore an no oil to foul the power next time you shoot. Works for me. Rocky

 

[Darkhorse]

Birddog,
Did you buy the cleaning clamp for the flintlock or make it yourself. If you made it how did you go about getting a good seal.

 

[2172]

When I bought both of my Lymans, Mid-South included a bottle of some stuff called "Butch's bore bright" or something like that. I tried it last week and it works very well, just as described on the bottle...a problem is that when some of the excess cleaner on the patch got squeezed out and ran down the bbl and onto the stock, it took off some of the finish and stain..(I was being lazy and trying to clean the bbl with out taking it out of the gun)...if you get some of this stuff, be careful with it.
As to how I clean the GPR most of the time, I have followed every one of the methods described here....the boiling water especially appeals to me, as I think that the heated bbl dries more thoroughly...don't know that, just believe it..Hank

 

It's a good idea to remove the lock and clean it once in a while also,depending on how often you shoot it,especially if it is a flintlock.Unburnt powder can get in there and cause a problem,and fouling can also get in there.Most locks can be removed pretty easy.

 

[Birddog6]

Darkhorse: I made mine with a nipple & a brass air line fitting & silver soldered them together. On the flintlocks use a spare vents & silver solder a fitting to them, then remove vent & screw it in. I seal the vent one with a outside spigot/faucet washer than goes doen in the valve, one of them flat black ones. On rifles with non-removable vent liners I use the "C" clamp fitting. The "C" clamp style can be bought a Cain's Outdoors, Flintlocks Inc, MBS, lots of places. When you use them be sure to tie a piece of lead or bolt or something to the tube down in the cleaning solution, or you will get a bath. I use a gallon jug with a small hole in the lid & force the hose thru the lid & it stays put.

 

Method # 147A: Barrel out of stock, boiling water, patches, bore brush, more patches and Bore Butter....

I can't prove it but I believe the hot water causes the metal to expand and when you introduce the bore butter I believe some is actually abosorbed, or at least sucked into those teeny-weeny little crevices in the bore. Then as it cools and contracts the excess is squeezed out of those crevices. Anyone have a way of proving or disproving this? I'd be curious to know for certain.

Vic

 

[tg]

The seasoning of a bore may have been a valid thing when barrels were made of iron but todays steel is a different critter as far as the ability to "soak up" grease but many old tails die hard.... so season on, all ye who shoot with a frying pan...

 

[JesseJames]

I take the barrel off,put it in a 5-gal bucket wtih the nipple out,put the bucket in the tub. I have a removable showerhead with different settings,I put it on the straight stream,sit down on the toiletseat,hold the showerhead over the barrel for a few minutes and let the water run through and then I put some soap in the bucket,plunge the barrel about 6-8 times in the soapy water,dump the water out,hit the barrel again with the showerpick,take it out,turn it upside down on a towel,let it dry and then butter it up.

 

[Spot Shooter]

Darn this is a cool group of folks!

I'm short on my readin' skill's cause I ain't got my instructions yet.

Do you grease the nipples before ya twist them in at all or leave'em dry? I like to oil things up before I store them away, then fire off a few cap's (use to be primers) before I load'er up.

I'm gonna have to relook to see what goose grease most of you guy's are usin, for that pupose. I've used bore butter before, but it reminds me of crisco. Is that a good thing?

Spot

 

[Birddog6]

Sharps: I don't think it goes that way, but it is just IMHO.

I think the hot water expands the metal & opens the pores & the bore butter may go in there, but I also think the barrel cools & contracts & the air trapped in the pores condenses & you have trapped moisture in the pores of the metal & thus you have ceate a rusting enviroment. Who knows. I do know in over 33 years of ML'ing & having owned well over 50 ML'ers & built quite a few also, the ONLY gun I ever had rust was when I was regularly cleaning with hot water & used Bore Butter for rust inhibitor. Now this was 30 years ago & maybe I screwed up, but I have never used it since for rust inhibitor & know of allot of ol timers that will not touch it also for same reason. I always use plain ol cold tap water & just a small squirt of dishwashing detergent or a squirt of Ballistol.

One thing for sure, I know allot of people that started with Bore Butter & the likes & they have long left it behind as of rusting problems from trusting it.

The main thing is get it clean & get it dry BEFORE you put anything on it. Also, if you watch the steel under a microscope you will find the hot barrel when wiped clean & dry flash rusts almost imediately, where the cold one gives you much more time before the rusting starts.

As for Seasoning a barrel, works great when you step back in time to the 1700's & have no rust inhibitors & a cast iron barrel. IMHO, with the steel & rust inhibitors we have today, seasoning a barrel is about as useful as seasoning a barrel on a 1100 Remington shotgun. If you ever have a chance to go to a national ML match, look at what they are shooting. You won't see the fellers shooting seasoned barrels, & if by chance ya do happen upon one, he will most likely be leaving early. You will see them shooting spotlessly clean barrels.

 

[RJR]

GM recommends against trying to season thier barrels as steel doesn't season well. I do clean with the hottest water I can stand using insulated rubber gloves, hot water heater set on 180. I completely soak the barrel in the bath tub for about 15 mins. then change water and add soap. After patching, I change to clear hot water again to rince. I dry the inside of the barrel with compressed air and outside with a heat gun then oil with Wonder Lube. I store my guns in a safe with desicant canisters to keep the humidity down. A day or two later I will come back and run some oiled patches through the bore to pick up the little bit of dirt that is squeezed out of the pores in the barrel after the metal contracts, you would be surprized how much dirt there is. The guns I shoot on a regular basis have a hook breech and wedges so the barrels are easy to remove. Take care, Rick.

 

Birddog
I agree with you "bout use"n hot water< year"s ago I used it< now I use nuthin warmer then "room temp"

Pease excuse my post< this "puter is give"n me "fits"