The culprit is an Armi Sport 3-Band Richmond. After firing 40 shots, brushing after every 10 or so, there is so much hard fouling in the channel that I have to use a pick to break it up. Before firing, I swab all of the oil out of the bore, and use pipe cleaners and Q-tips to clean the flash channel. I am shooting 50 grains of Goex 2F and a Hodgdon 416 grain Minie. None of my other muskets do this. My question, I guess, is what causes this and how to avoid it?
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Question regarding fouling in the flash channel
- Thread starter towgunner11h
- Start date
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Oil, what oil are you using.
My money is on oil.
My money is on oil.
Could be- I have been swabbing the bore clean before shooting as mentioned, but not using any solvents. I’ve been using military CLP.
I have no idea what that oil is based on but if I were a betting man I would bet it is not vegatable or animal based !
It takes a miniscule amount of mineral based oil to give you issues as you describe..
It takes a miniscule amount of mineral based oil to give you issues as you describe..
I concur- I guess I was just thrown for a loop since none of my other muskets have this problem. Maybe due to the length of the barrel. Will switch to a different oil. Thanks for the input!
Based on your comment, "brushing after every 10 or so", I'll mention that if you really are using a brush, that's the problem.
A brush will knock the fouling on the bore loose where it will fall down to the breech of the barrel. From there, it's easy for it to get into the flame channel hole and plug it up.
This can also happen if you are using a damp patch on a jag to wipe the bore and you are pumping the patched jag up and down in the bore trying to scour the fouling off. Doing this will knock loose fouling off and pumping the rod up and down will blow the loose fouling into the flame channel.
The right way to do it in my opinion is to not use a brush. Use a damp patch on a cleaning jag. Run the damp patch slowly down the bore and let it rest in the breech area for at least 10 seconds. Then, slowly pull the patched jag back out of the bore in one, slow, contiuious stroke.
The wait time will give the moisture time to soak the fouling, softening it, so when the patched jag is removed from the bore, it will pull all of the damp fouling along with it. Following this, running one clean dry patch up and down the bore will dry it well enough for loading the next round.
Griz44Mag
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Just to followup on Zonies post, I took a jag of the proper size and tapered the end so it would not catch the fowling on the way down, but the sharp corner on the backside stroke would gather up the loose cleaning patch and drag the fowling out the muzzle.
I had many of the same issues until I quit trying to clean at the range, and now just wipe - the correct way. I also use Windex to dampen the patches, it will dry super fast and there is no need to make a drying run after wiping. Saves a patch and a bit of time. I picked up that little trick from a competitive shooter at a match (from a guy who who the match by the way)
I had many of the same issues until I quit trying to clean at the range, and now just wipe - the correct way. I also use Windex to dampen the patches, it will dry super fast and there is no need to make a drying run after wiping. Saves a patch and a bit of time. I picked up that little trick from a competitive shooter at a match (from a guy who who the match by the way)
Having shot many rifle muskets with a 40" barrel I can say that the length of the barrel won't cause any problems. You have the '61 style breech with a "clean out" screw which you can remove (a practice I don't recomend except in extreme cases) and inspect the passage. What is your bullet lube and do you put any in the base of your minies? There shouldn't be any petrolium products in your lube and I have never had good luck base lubing a mini. If you shoot the same load and lube in your other guns you can probably rule that out.
Brushing: There are probably more skirmishers cleaning with a brush between relays than with any other method and no problems with stuck brushes either. Brushing every 10 rounds or less is a good frequency. You probably aren't doing the following and the result will be to deposit the fouling loosened in the breech area. Hold the gun vertical with the muzzle pointing to the ground while brushing, half a dozen strokes or so. All the loosened fouling falls out of the barrel. As an experiment try this. With the butt on the ground thoroughly brush the bore and then point the gun down, muzzle close to the ground and smack the barrel several times with your hand. You'll be suprised at the pile of fouling you get.
Lastly, I have never known anyone to have the problem you describe with an Armi Sport.
Brushing: There are probably more skirmishers cleaning with a brush between relays than with any other method and no problems with stuck brushes either. Brushing every 10 rounds or less is a good frequency. You probably aren't doing the following and the result will be to deposit the fouling loosened in the breech area. Hold the gun vertical with the muzzle pointing to the ground while brushing, half a dozen strokes or so. All the loosened fouling falls out of the barrel. As an experiment try this. With the butt on the ground thoroughly brush the bore and then point the gun down, muzzle close to the ground and smack the barrel several times with your hand. You'll be suprised at the pile of fouling you get.
Lastly, I have never known anyone to have the problem you describe with an Armi Sport.
I would also fire a cap to blow the collected fouling out of the barrel flash channel. Its even more effective if when you run a damp patch to the breech and then fire the cap. The debris is captured on the patch and pulled out.
N-SSA rules require we snap caps after coming to the line for an event to show that the gun isn't loaded before begining the loading procedure. We have two minutes for this and can snap as many caps as we feel like. As you stated it blows crud out of the flash channel and helps dry the breech if it's still damp. The first cap is from the shoulder, muzzle pointed down range, and the second pointed at the ground looking for movement of the grass or gravel to show everything is clear. After wet cleaning I may snap several caps to insure the breech is dry.
Thanks for all of the replies! All of this happens at skirmishes- I invert the musket over the cleaning rod and clean it as described above, with the soot falling out. My lube is lamb tallow and beeswax in a 2:1 ratio, with no lube in the base. My carbine, also an Armi Sport Richmond, does not have this problem. Same bullet and load- 50 grains of 2F Goex and 416 grain Minie.
Just had a thought- I use the same brush, which gets pretty dirty. Maybe I need to clean it between matches!
You could keep several brushes on hand and swap them out, easier than cleaning.
I shoot a '61 2 band and my wife shoots a '63 2 band. Both have Hoyt lined barrels, 1 in 60" twist, same diameter. We both shoot the same load and shoot from a common ammo box. She brushes between relays and feels she could shoot an entire skirmish without brushing but has yet to try it. I have to wet clean between relays and mine can be difficult to load during a relay depending on the temperature and humidity. Almost identical but so different.
I shoot a '61 2 band and my wife shoots a '63 2 band. Both have Hoyt lined barrels, 1 in 60" twist, same diameter. We both shoot the same load and shoot from a common ammo box. She brushes between relays and feels she could shoot an entire skirmish without brushing but has yet to try it. I have to wet clean between relays and mine can be difficult to load during a relay depending on the temperature and humidity. Almost identical but so different.
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