Swabbing the barrel

[uno676]

what do you use to swab between multiple shots? I was using a cotton bore swab like you get in most gun cleaning kits but it seems to get caked up quick. Suggestions or pics of items homemade or store bought.

 

[Juice Jaws]

I just use cleaning patches.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Diaper flannel or cleaning patches. Its supposed to get clogged up with the fouling you are wiping out of the bore. It is important that the jag is loose so the patch rides over the fouling on its way to the breech and bunches up to pull the fouling from the bore. Otherwise you are pushing fouling toward the flash channel and will soon block the flash and start having misfires. My swabbing patches are slightly dampened to loosen the fouling. A dry patch will fill with fouling and get stuck in the barrel. In winter I use rubbing alcohol. In summer I may use rubbing alcohol or my patch lubricant of 1 part Ballistol to 7 parts of water.

 

[uno676]

I have had a lot of issues with my patch getting stuck part way back on the return I usually have to squirt a little moose milk down the barrel to free it up to get it out. Is this because I need to swab more ? I’m new to real black I have shot percussion with all types of substitutes. But these flintlocks are completely different than what I’m use to.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

I don't swab between shots. You have a possible lube/patch/ball dilemma. when everything is correct you can shoot all day with out swabbing.

 

[uno676]

I don't swab between shots. You have a possible lube/patch/ball dilemma. when everything is correct you can shoot all day with out swabbing.

That could be I started out with pillow ticking like most people talk about on here but it was way to tight I could not hardly get it to go down. So I went to a little thinner cotton material but after a couple shots it becomes tight and tears through the patch when I push the ball down.

 

[tenngun]

what do you use to swab between multiple shots? I was using a cotton bore swab like you get in most gun cleaning kits but it seems to get caked up quick. Suggestions or pics of items homemade or store bought.

Try wipping between shots, and won’t cost you much time.

 

[Juice Jaws]

I have had a lot of issues with my patch getting stuck part way back on the return I usually have to squirt a little moose milk down the barrel to free it up to get it out. Is this because I need to swab more ? I’m new to real black I have shot percussion with all types of substitutes. But these flintlocks are completely different than what I’m use to.

Make sure your jag is the right size. If its to big it will hang up when trying to pull the patch back out. Also never use a dry patch, have it moisten with water, moose milk, etc.

 

[Cruzatte]

what do you use to swab between multiple shots? I was using a cotton bore swab like you get in most gun cleaning kits but it seems to get caked up quick. Suggestions or pics of items homemade or store bought.

I use plain ol' cotton flannel cleaning patches and a properly fitting, commercially available jag. I purchase the cotton flannel at the fabric store and cut pieces roughly 2" X 2"

 

[Rodd Boyer]

Alcohol swabs work as well... the alcohol evaporates very quickly. ..... that being said, I went to a frozen butt rondy this weekend and shot the 18 shot course without stabbing once. Temp was 10 degrees with 15 mph winds..... it was brutal!

 

[smo]

I use the same pillow ticking that I use for patches..

 

[Rat]

Yes, jag and cleaning patches, or whatever you use for patching. I'm too cheap to use up my ticking! "Blue Thunder" black powder solvent works great for me, but I think just about anything will, spit, windex, Gren's concoction, sour owl snot, whatever. As you found, a bore "mop" won't last long. Sounds like you should/need/want to go to a smaller size ball, and back to a stronger thicker patch. Also sounds like your jag is on the large size? (or bore is on the small size)

With my ball and patch combos, I can shoot three times, possibly four, before I need to wipe. I admire the guys who can "shoot all day" without wiping, but can't achieve that myself.

I'm more of a hunter than a shooter, (but I like to shoot) so I want my first shot, from a cold clean barrel, to be on target. So I actually clean/wipe between each shot, as I have no interest where my ball goes from a fouled barrel. And, I don't mind doing that. I am a patient man. But again, with my ball patch combo, I can fire my rifle three or four times, or my musket three or four times, before it becomes difficult to load.

 

[uno676]

I’m using a .50 cal jag and my gun is a .54 cal. I've been using .530 balls. I use the same setup in my percussion .54 no problem. I do think this bore is a little tighter. I'm think that i need to use something different on the patch before i send it down the barrel I have been spraying it with some cleaner I got with my cap and ball pistol. I switched to the mop because it was working but after shooting several rounds last session it got very clogged up. I will take all these suggestions and see if i can get passed it.

 

[Darkhorse]

Try using Original LeHigh Valley Patch Lube if you can find any, or Mr. Flintlock's patch lube. Supposedly Mr. Flintlocks is the same formula as LHV but both will let you shoot many shots before cleaning. You can also use these to wet your patches when you swab.
These are good for general shooting but neither are good for hunting lube as they dry out too quick.

 

[azmntman]

Dont use a dry patch, does not a thing but push gunk into the breech or bore. Slightly damp in and out once is all ya need. GET THE DUTCH SYSTEM ASAP

 

[Don Steele]

I use plain ol' cotton flannel cleaning patches and a properly fitting, commercially available jag. I purchase the cotton flannel at the fabric store and cut pieces roughly 2" X 2"

(emphasis mine)
Properly fitting a jag means a lot more than buying one labelled "50 caliber" for your 50 caliber rifle.
To put that another way...Fifty caliber ain't 50 caliber. I have a small handful of "50 caliber" jags. Over the years, I've worked out the best combination of which jag and which wiping material will give me that "proper fit" that's needed to wipe the bore between shots, but NOT push the "gunk" down ahead of the jag and clog the breechface. Often times, that means using the Hillbilly lathe...(a drill and a file) to reduce the diameter of a jag just a little bit. Using a wipe between shots with a slightly damp patch doesn't mean cleaning the barrel. It's a step a lot of shooters take to return the barrel to a consistently fouled condition after each shot. I would also add that it is also generally considered a safety measure as it significantly reduces or eliminates completely the possibility of a hot ember remaining in the bore to accidentally ignite the next charge. I've seen that happen btw, and it's not pretty. Some clubs REQUIRE it for that reason alone.
Again..as previously mentioned: Get in touch with Dutch Schoultz (aka: Dr5x on this forum) and take a lot of time out of your learning curve.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

what do you use to swab between multiple shots? I was using a cotton bore swab like you get in most gun cleaning kits but it seems to get caked up quick

I just cut a small patch off the end of the bullet patching material, and put a few drops of water on that so that it's damp, and use that. After the first shot, I reverse it, and use the other side to swab after the second shot. Then I rinse it out and wring it, as that takes away the loose fouling, and repeat.

LD

 

[Dr5x]

Grenadier has it.
The big risk is getting wiping patch wet to the point where excess liquid runs down into the breech where it will either weaken the next powder charge or keeping it from firing altogether. The wiping patch should just be DAMP. Not drippy/

Dutch Schoultz

Diaper flannel or cleaning patches. Its supposed to get clogged up with the fouling you are wiping out of the bore. It is important that the jag is loose so the patch rides over the fouling on its way to the breech and bunches up to pull the fouling from the bore. Otherwise you are pushing fouling toward the flash channel and will soon block the flash and start having misfires. My swabbing patches are slightly dampened to loosen the fouling. A dry patch will fill with fouling and get stuck in the barrel. In winter I use rubbing alcohol. In summer I may use rubbing alcohol or my patch lubricant of 1 part Ballistol to 7 parts of water.

 

[Melnic]

Have any of you guys measured your jag diameter and compared to your bore?
Ideally, it would be great if there was a method of figuring out how much to turn down a jag at the bench and not at the range.
as noted, in previous posts, I have seen different Jags from different suppliers have variations in diameter and shape. Some have a chamfer on the nose, some don't.
I have struggled with figuring out which one to use cause often times I can't really feel the difference between the force of pushing it in and pulling it out. I will admit that I need to spend more time one day at the range figuring that out.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I have had a lot of issues with my patch getting stuck part way back on the return

That could be a symptom of several things. You might have a bad spot or constriction in the bore. But, more likely, your jag is too large and your patch too wet. A smaller jag is better than large. The swabbing material I use is baby blanket flannel purchased from Walmart. Been using it for decades. I cut into aprox. 2" squares. If my jag seems a little large I chuck in my drill press and reduce the size with a file. The patch should be only damp a slobbery wet patch will just make gunk at the breech. I shoot, swab, reload, shoot, swab and can do that all day long with no problems. Others have posted some good advice. Keep in mind, there are few absolutes in this game. e.g., as said, something marked .50 caliber is only a generalization. A .50 cal. bore/ball/jag/whatever can be anything from about .48 cal. to .52 cal.