Mop The Big Bore

[musketman]

What liquid should you mop the bore of a cannon with?

Should you use plain water or a large bucket of moose milk or other blends of bore cleaners? :hmm:

 

[mike alexandre]

Plain water will do, the black fluid thats left in the bucket is known as "gunners tea". If you wanted to put a bit of washing up liquid with it for the final clean out or when you store it that wont hurt.

 

[robinghewitt]

You don't get me twice. Last time I posted a picture of me swabbing a cannon, you fired it :blah:

 

[musketman]

You don't get me twice. Last time I posted a picture of me swabbing a cannon, you fired it :blah:

Robin, you cut me to the quick...

I hear by decree that I will not post "that" picture again...

I just want to know the proper ways of the gunning crew...

 

[robinghewitt]

Robin, you cut me to the quick...

Oops, beg pardon, didn't mean to offend I'm sure

Besides, I didn't think scarecrows had any quick :thumbsup:

I'm just so trusting, why do I think I'm going to regret this :crackup:

 

[mike alexandre]

Well its quite easy to see whats gone wrong with this drill. You've got the girl on the wrong end of the cannon! :crackup:

 

[musketman]

I'm just so trusting, why do I think I'm going to regret this :crackup:

No way, thanks for re-posting this picture...

So what are you using on your mop, just plain water?

Wouldn't black powder solvents work?

I know water is the cheapest to use...

How hard is the cannon's mop to use, I suspect there is a vacuum effect due to the vent being plugged and all?

What about the mop's head?

How often does the fleece get changed?

 

[robinghewitt]

You tilt the barrel up, pour in a bucket full of plain water, thumb over the touch, insert the mop and push as hard as you can. The mop is a tight fit, eventually it reaches the bottom when you start to pull.

Miraculously most of the water stays in the bore, after a few in outs you remove the thumb and push as hard as you can.

Depending on how much beer you have consumed you may, or may not, remember to warn those standing behind ::

I've never had much luck with plain water in my shotguns, even if I pump them there's always a greasy black residue. However it seems to work fine and dandy in a cannon.

Maybe I need a 16 gauge sheep :hmm:

 

[musketman]

Do you mop after each shot?

 

[robinghewitt]

The person who is going to ram the next charge might think that was a good idea :crackup:

You use a worm to fetch out any debris and then a damp mop.

There are some who thumb the touch for the damp mop, but I don't see what earthly good that could do ::

 

[CrackStock]

We swab after each shot, but not with as much water as Robin stated above. I think that he is discussing cleaning rather than the normal shot process. The mop is damp when it is placed into the bore and held there for a moment while the touch hole is covered to extinguish any remaining fuse embers from there as well. The heat dries the moisture quickly.

Many people are using a wrapped cartridge which provides a bit of protection, but not enough. I wouldn't want to be the guy placing the charge or ramming it home if they did not worm and swab? There are a lot of burning embers in one of these big guns after every shot.

CS