Everyone has opinions and processes for maintaining and shooting traditional muzzleloaders with real black powder. Here's my six decades worth take on the matter, what I do, and why ...
There is absolutely NO need to use anything more than plain tepid tap water to clean muzzleloaders. Please read that again. This is the way it was done for centuries before all the commercial "cleaning" concoctions were perpetrated on the uninformed 20th and 21st century wannabe trad muzzleloading public who use their guns for pleasure. Back in the day, these guns meant life or death for their owners, not fun stuff. They HAD to work well ALL the time. Trust in their wisdom.
"But, Rob! My muzzy's barrel is SO dirty that patches never come out clean, always dirty looking and I dunno why!".
The question then becomes, "During the cleaning process, should cleaning patches eventually come out spanking clean and the same color as the patch material before it was put on a jag and sent down that long dark hole?". Mmmmmmm, typically, no. OK, then what constitutes "clean"?
"Clean" to me means that there is no significant black powder residue on the used patch, but the patch will probably have changed color so some degree, and remain at that color. So, several more patches down and out the tube will also exhibit this changed color. What color hue? Typically a brownish color, if the patch material is a white or off-white cotton or linen. Well then the barrel and chamber aren't "clean"! Yes, it's all "clean". What happens is that at the microscopic level the barrel steel has been infused with a very minute measure of powder residue. This is akin to "seasoning" a cooking skillet. A few dry patches and then an oily patch to preserve and the barrel IS clean.
"BUT, Rob, my patches never come out even halfway clean, always dirty!". The classic reason for this is the lack of do diligence after the last shot of the day is taken. This is where a few water soaked patches down the barrel is good, but a "moose milk" soaked patch is better yet. "Moose milk" means to me a 1:6 blend of water soluble oil (Ballistol, NAPA, etc) and plain tap water. The reason for using moose milk is if you won't be fully cleaning the gun 'til yer back at the ranch for a proper cleaning, and the oil blend keeps metal from rusting. Barrels that are this dirty will probably have rust and corrosion in the chamber area and will require chemicals and elbow grease to properly clean and restore the metal equilibrium. Here's a tip - keep that sloppy wet moose milked patch and rod in the barrel during the journey home.
To be fair, the above is for any trad muzzleloader with a flat faced breech plug. Most offshore trad muzzleloaders will have patent breeches and will also require a patch draped bronze brush to get into that ante-chamber and clean it out. Failure to address the patent breech for cleaning means trouble will follow sooner than later.
Add to the above the need to properly clean the lock, which at the very least needs to be spritzed with moose milk after the last shot of day, particularly if the real cleaning won't happen 'til yer back home where the lock can be removed and stuck in a pail of, yep, tepid tap water. It should be scrubbed with a brush (stiff toothbrush is good), excess water shaken off, spritzed with light oil (Ballistol, WD40, etc), patted off, and all the bearing surfaces given a tiny drop of gun oil.
The above is an overview. The entire process, in chronological order, with images, would take up a small booklet, but I think y'all get the idea. Treat yer muzzy right and she'll do the same for you, year after year after decade. Promise!
Here's a patent breech plug and barrel chamber that were never properly cleaned, nor was the plug's threads anti-seize greased. Real rust and corrosion!
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Soaked in PB-Blaster overnight, then scrubbed with a brass brush and Ballistol, the breech and chamber are back in action.
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Topic: Traditional Muzzleloaders - Cleaning (Read 1331 times)