TotW / Chambers Flintlock flushing system

[AZbpBurner]

Got one recently and had the chance to try it out this evening on my .62 cal Fusil. Normally I just plug the touch hole, pour in & pour out several changes of hot water, then clean it out with a couple of patches, so the nicely made & heavy duty clamp-on hose arrangement gots to be a better way ....

Wrong! It was impossible to get a good seal, wouldn't pump water, and leaked as it moved out of position. If the o-ring were positioned to better grip the barrel around the flash hole, it may work better. It was designed for use with the liner left in place, but I don't see it having a good seal unless the o-ring end would recess into the flash hole with liner removed.

I ended up pouring in water thru the muzzle with a funnel, but the clamp moves, no matter how tight & the leaking water was an annoying mess.

If you have one & if it actually works, I'd like to hear about it. If you don't have one and care to speculate, speak up, too.

If you don't have one, I wouldn't suggest getting one.

As for mine, it's destined for the Spendy Gee-Gaw box, which already contains other questionable purchases of worthless stuff.

 

[CrossXstix]

Same here, my liner has the screwdriver slot in it and there is no way to get a leak proof seal.

 

[AZbpBurner]

I was still kinda pi$ed off while looking at it sitting carelessly discarded atop the damp towel on the floor used to mop up the leak, when I had a rare flash of (potential) genius.

A piece of thick leather, or even greased felt with hole punched in it set between flash hole/liner and the o-ring end of the clamp-on should compress enough to seal up & also give it more grip to stay in place better.

OK, now I gotta go out next weekend & dirty up the fusil just to be able to test my theory :rotf:

 

[Captjoel]

I chock up that contraption as being invented by the same outfit that came up with the percussion tube cleaning system. Though the percussion type works better because of the threaded seal, I have still ended up getting H2O everywhere I didn't want it. When it comes to cleaning a muzzle loading rifle, the one thing I have learned is; Keeping it simple has worked best for over 300 years. Save your money and use it to buy more black powder, or stock up on good flints!

 

[Dewey]

Same here, my liner has the screwdriver slot in it and there is no way to get a leak proof seal.

Me, too. :td:

Also had the problem of a poor jag/patch pumping seal in my smoothbore, so what did pump, leaked. :cursing:

Back to the toothpick .....

Shall we compare "Spendy Gee-Gaw" boxes and see who has the most worthless gear ???

I think I might be a contender !!!! :haha:

 

[MSW]

"spendy gee gaw..." a very apt description!

(I please guilty as charged, by the way)

 

[coloradoclyde]

Shall we compare "Spendy Gee-Gaw" boxes and see who has the most worthless gear ???

I think I might be a contender !!!!

:rotf: That would make a great sub forum.....and title...
Also guilty... :grin:

Although I do have a percussion version and use it sometimes under certain circumstances... But is can be messy, but what isn't ....it does work though.....

Maybe you should start a topic entitled "Spendy Gee-Gaw Box... :thumbsup:

 

[Vaino]

Looked into one of those "gizmos" and it became apparent that the "gizmo flint flusher" wouldn't clamp because of the stock wood opposite the TH. The wood in that area is a sweeping curve and won't allow the clamp to be positioned. Evidently designed by someone unfamiliar w/ flintlocks.....Fred

 

[agill]

I've got one and it works pretty good when I make sure the tube is centered on the white lightning touch hole liner. I use a wet mop on the end of the cleaning rod.

Does it work better than just clogging the touch hole and pouring water down the barrel? Maybe, maybe not. I use both methods depending on what I feel like doing at the time.

Would I recommend buying one? Probably not.

 

[Stumpkiller]

My results with the flusher are mixed.

And, in fact, it's been in my basement unused for about 10 years. Invariably it leaked and I was worse off than of I'd just taken the precautions to keep the vent pointed down over a towel with the muzzle kept slightly lower. I do this on my back deck steps or on the washing machine beside a stationary tub in the basement. I have only once pulled a barrel from my pinned flintlocks and my current rifle and fowler have never had the barrels removed from the stocks. It just isn't necessary.

I use a shotgun brush (a 28 gauge for my .54 rifle). Wet it in soapy water, squeeze out most, run it through the bore a few times, rinse it off and repeat a dozen times. Then switch over to a patch and tight-fitting jag. A few damp, a dry, and alcohol soaked and then a Sheath or Barricade oiled patch for a half-dozen wipes (and wipe the lock except the frizzen face with that one as well). And one more oiled patch the next day just for insurance.

 

[BrownBear]

Invariably it leaked and I was worse off than of I'd just taken the precautions to keep the vent pointed down over a towel with the muzzle kept slightly lower.

That sums it up perfectly! :thumbsup:

 

[brubincam]

take a piece of copper tubing the length of your barrel and fits loosely
connect one end to a hose--insert into barrel with vent plugged--tilt barrel angled down and turn on water for a short time and water is coming out clear--dry and oil barrel--

 

[Spikebuck]

I have one and have had some mixed results, but much better than most posted here seem to have had. I like it for guns with a patent breech and pinned barrel. For those without a patent breech, I see no real benefit in using it since those are much easier, in my opinion, to clean well.

Fred has a great point for guns that have a sweeping wood angle on the other side, but not all guns are built with that kind of sweep angle. That would certainly be something to look at on your guns before deciding to get one as the clamp needs a good chunk of barrel flat on the other side to have the gasket on the touch hole side lay flat on the barrel for the seal that is needed.

 

[Bob J]

I've had mine for about 9 years and it works fine for my pinned-stock flinters. After carefully installing the clamp, I place the rifle in the cradle upside down so if there is any leakage, it doesn't get on the wood. I use it with a Ballistol/water cleaning solution, then dry thoroughly, then protect bore with straight Ballistol.

 

[FishDFly]

Works fine on some guns and not as well on some others, I still like mine.

 

[slowballer]

The one I have is similar but has a full rubber tip as opposed to having an o-ring. The first time I used it was on my wife's kitchen table with the muzzle hanging over the hardwood floor 2 feet from where it transitions to white carpet.
The first nuance I discovered was that the patch needs to be fairly tight in order to actually seal well enough to pull water in through the touch hole, this in turn made for an awkward affair of trying to pump the dirty water out (and back in again :idunno while holding the muzzle protector in place and trying to get the patch all of the way to the muzzle without actually slipping out, oops! And even when I managed to keep it in the barrel, it still seeped a good deal of water passed the jag and onto the floor.
I have subsequently overcome all of these issues and am now able to clean my rifle in the same location without fear of retribution. And yes i am still with the same woman.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

... have subsequently overcome all of these issues and am now able to clean my rifle in the same location without fear of retribution. And yes i am still with the same woman.

... just with a different rug, that's all :rotf: ...

 

[Artificer]

Looked into one of those "gizmos" and it became apparent that the "gizmo flint flusher" wouldn't clamp because of the stock wood opposite the TH. The wood in that area is a sweeping curve and won't allow the clamp to be positioned. Evidently designed by someone unfamiliar w/ flintlocks.....Fred

In one of the "Over Engineered Projects" I have tried over the years, I took a look at four 18th/Early 19th Century Hand Forged Quilting Clamps I had just purchased to use as 18th century "C" Clamps around camp. (They work well for that use.) I thought maybe I could use one to seal the touchhole on a Brown Bess and other Military Flintlock Muskets because the flat end over the screw was made to be slightly moveable or adjustable. I used a thick leather pad greased with tallow to seal the vent between that flat end and the barrel. I figured it would not work for the reason you mentioned unless one took the lock off the musket, but that is something military reenactors often do - as it was done in the period, to clean/oil the inside of the lock.

I also wet formed and sewed thick leather around the curved portion of the C Clamp that would contact the stock. This to protect the wood from being crushed/dinged and to sort of better pad the stock, so clamp would tighten up properly.

Bottom line, it did work well enough BUT I found it was just not useful enough to use compared to blocking the vent hole in other ways.

Gus

 

[Dane]

AZ,

I have one, and it works perfectly, on a perfectly designed gun. Several of mine are.... Two aren't.

It's just as Fred says.... If the off side is not tapered off enough, there is NO way that the clamp is going to tighten up on your touch hole.
It's as universal as it can be, but alas, guns are not.