Cleaning your Muzzleloader

[EdP]

For blackpowder: Water will suffice to disolve everything in the powder residue. Warm water and a little surfactant (soap) will help the residue disolve easier and a warm barrel will dry faster. Alcohol in the water will help it evaporate faster and aid in drying once clean. A breechface brush or scraper helps get the cleaning solution into heavy deposits at the breech. There are any number of cleaning processes that use these facts and they all work. No special BP cleaning solutions are needed (Hoppes, etc), although they work fine too. I don't see any advantage in using anything more aggressive than water with some surfactant and alcohol. It is very hard to wear out the barrel of a caplock or flintlock rifle from shooting. You are more likely to wear it out with overly aggressive cleaning. About 10 years ago I sold a flintlock rifle that I had put over 10,000 rounds through and it was just as accurate as when I got it brand new.

 

[searlest]

Hot soapy water and bore butter been doing it for years simple and effective

 

[Pickettpuncher]

Just put it back in the cabinet till next time

 

[browning2480]

Mine is still loaded from a December hunt last year

 

[tdcour]

Is anyone running any bore cleaner to get copper out when shooting bore size bullets? I do this with my centerfire rifles and have been doing it with my Knight when shooting Thors. Is this not necessary and just a waste of time? I get plenty of patches out that turn blue so there is definitely copper in there.

 

[ElDiablito]

Is anyone running any bore cleaner to get copper out when shooting bore size bullets? I do this with my centerfire rifles and have been doing it with my Knight when shooting Thors. Is this not necessary and just a waste of time? I get plenty of patches out that turn blue so there is definitely copper in there.

Depends on your bore. I have used Montana Extreme Copper Killer in a factory barrel that I shoot Thors in and gotten some copper out. But rarely get anything out of my custom (Brux and McGowen) muzzy barrels even after shooting hundreds of sized jacketed bullets.

 

[Dented]

Never run copper cleaner in my Knight. Just the standard cleaning. Maybe have to give it a try just to see what happens.

 

[Lil-Rokslider]

Pull nipple and soak in hot water

Bold strategy Cotton!

 

[hicountry1]

Bh209..... windex during the season, as I don't want any hoppes in the bore or breach plug

After the season hoppes and a brush/patches.

Actually, windex does a great job, and I have just used that After the season.

Truth be known...I just like the smell of hoppes !!

 

[WCB]

TC #13 cleaner....push patches through till clean. A couple dry patches. then a patch of Bore Butter. Breach plug gets drench in TC #13...scrubbed with an old tooth brush and cleaned out with a torch tip cleaner.

 

[5MilesBack]

Truth be known...I just like the smell of hoppes !!

I'll tell you right now......I can't stand the smell of the BH209 Bore Solvent. I spilled a whole bottle of it on my side table while cleaning my ML after a day at the range the other day. It got on my phone, the TV remotes, a calculator, and a few other things that were on the table. I might be tossing all of it. Luckily my phone had an Otterbox protector case and that's all that smells on it, so it's already gone. Windex it is........from here on out.

 

[Hnthrdr]

I shoot dirty 777, started using a spit wad every few (3) or so shots. For cleaning, pre soaked patches till one comes out clean, then dry patches, I won’t oil it till after season.

 

[hicountry1]

I'll tell you right now......I can't stand the smell of the BH209 Bore Solvent. I spilled a whole bottle of it on my side table while cleaning my ML after a day at the range the other day. It got on my phone, the TV remotes, a calculator, and a few other things that were on the table. I might be tossing all of it. Luckily my phone had an Otterbox protector case and that's all that smells on it, so it's already gone. Windex it is........from here on out.

Honestly, all you really need is windex.

 

[ENCORE]

Anything with ammonia............. can ........... etch a barrel. Don't leave any in the barrel.
A simple search for ammonia and rifle barrels will provide the information.

That said, the only thing I use Windex on is my muzzle brake after its been removed from the barrel.

For T7, the very best cleaner IMO is Butch's Black Powder Bore Shine. After owning a BP Xpress for a few years and shooting 180grs of T7 through it, Butch's is without question the best cleaner for T7.

 

[hicountry1]

Never had an issue with my ML and windex.

I always dry patch it after cleaning.

 

[COLOelkman]

I always remove the breech plug after shooting and put it in a small container with most any muzzy cleaning solution. Also wet the barrel down with most any cleaning solution and put patches in both ends of the barrel to let it "soak" in for the ride home. Seems to make cleaning at home a lot easier and quicker. I sometimes run a brass brush down the wet barrel to loosen things up, then dry patch, then rewet it. Another "tool" I like it GUM teeth cleaning brushes and they are great for the breech plug flash hole.

 

[elkivory]

Manual that came with my Accura V2 says to pull firing pin and spring to clean. I've been doing this the last couple of times after going to range. Do others pull firing pin or is it unnecessary? Maybe after a few trips to range?

 

[frbg2019]

I use the TC presoaked patches intermittently with a bore brush. Dry patch. Then bore butter.

Breech plug gets whatever tool with TC to get it clean.

I try to always clean at the range (so long as it’s not crowded) so I don’t forget or procrastinate.

 

[Snyder6353]

Manual that came with my Accura V2 says to pull firing pin and spring to clean. I've been doing this the last couple of times after going to range. Do others pull firing pin or is it unnecessary? Maybe after a few trips to range?

Have you noticed enough build up over time that would hinder performance? I gotta go check mine lol

 

[Novashooter]

Manual that came with my Accura V2 says to pull firing pin and spring to clean. I've been doing this the last couple of times after going to range. Do others pull firing pin or is it unnecessary? Maybe after a few trips to range?

I've done it on other rifles, but I've never seen where you needed to do it every time. Very little powder fouling gets in there, most of what I saw was from cleaning. Either your oil or other junk from the wipe down got onto the firing pin. It can happen with any solvent too, especially if you use something like WD40. Over time it dries out and turns into a goop. I always test the firing pin. If it retracts its fine. If it looks like it sticks, it needs cleaning. It wouldn't hurt to clean it once a year.