Makes me go hmmmm

[tenngun]

Cleaning today. I plug the vent, fill with warm water and dump. When it comes out clear I start swabbing with wet patches, then dry patches. Usually the first two are pretty dirty. A dozen or so patches usually is clean. Then oil.
I don’t normally take a lock apart. A damp patch usually cleans the lock well. Then there is the gray white stuff around the lock. Again wipes off pretty easy. fouling sure seems to come off the exterior a lot easier then inside.

 

[Carbon 6]

fouling sure seems to come off the exterior a lot easier then inside.

I think that's because there is a lot less of it. On the inside of the barrel, let's say your powder charge is 60 grains, and you fire ten shots, that's 600 grains worth of fouling. How much does the pan use in total, 50 ?
Then there's patch lube or lead fouling to complicate things.
That's my theory.

 

[smo]

I usually disassemble my lock at least ever 3-4 shooting sessions.

It really depends on weather, and number of shoots fired that day.

I always pull the lock out and wipe it down good & look the internals over.
Then make the decision on taking it apart or not.

Humidity seems too factor in somewhat...

 

[Mad Irish Jack]

Using your cleaning fluid as your patch lube aids in cutting down the fouling some. after you shoot, patching the ball make the insertion clean the barrel as the patched ball goes down the barrel, and takes fouling out on the shot. But, it leaves fouling from the shot fired. If you wipe out the barrel between shot or after so many shots, it helps cut down on the cleanup fouling after you finish shooting. I use a flush kit using a brass brush, then a swab brush, then two to 3 wet patches and 2-3 drying patches and I'm done. My patches when cleaning are cut from old, torn, used, 100% cotton thermal long underwear. That has the small pit indentations in the construction of them. They're great for cleaning barrels; on any weapon. If you have NO old ones, go to a thrift shop. A buck or two gets more for the cash.

 

[tenngun]

I swab between shots so it’s never hard to clean up. It just always make me chuckle that a damp wipe cleans the lock and out side of the breech so quick but inside takes swishing and maybe ten damp patches and a couple three or four dry.
I don’t find cleaning a chore. It’s a part of the shoot, and it’s playing with the gun.
When shooting I do wipe the pan, flint edge and frizzen face with a finger every three or four shots. However never the underside of the frizzen or the body of the cock. But all that wipes off very easy at home.

 

[Carbon 6]

I don’t find cleaning a chore.

If it's a chore, you're doing it wrong. Took me quite a few years to take the "chore" out of it and put the fun in.

 

[tenngun]

Yup

 

[Henry2357]

If it's a chore, you're doing it wrong. Took me quite a few years to take the "chore" out of it and put the fun in.

Dang, I hope I'm close cause it's still kind of a chore..but I know it has to be done.

 

[BullRunBear]

Except for hooked breech barrels, like the Renegade, I pretty much follow Tenngun's procedures. It has worked so far. A few years ago I started wiping down the BP guns with Rennaisance Wax before storing them.

When I started with muzzleloading decades ago, money was fairly tight and maintaining the BP guns was required. It didn't take long for the 'chore' aspect to disappear, replaced by the satisfaction of keeping the pieces functional and rust free.

Jeff

 

[sportster73hp]

I have take. To cleaning the lock and flint in my sonic washer (same one used to clean centerfire brass) straight warm water as the chemical will remove color on the lock face.