Muzzleloader cleaning

rlphvac

solid fixture here in the forum
Grumpy whats the best way to clean a muzzleloader aside from soaking it in a tub of hot water ? The last few cleanings I used #13 bore cleaner then cleaned it like I would any other rifle & some people are telling me this is wrong it comes out clean & I've never seen a trace of rust after it sets in the safe for a while so what do you do?
 
IF YOUR RUNNING A PATCH down the bore after cleaning it and getting no trace of powder fouling or rust,even after a weeks time, from the cleaning,
and theres no external rust after several days your obviously doing something well!
BTW, if you shoot any
black powder or surplus ammo with corrosive primers
(most military ammo made before 1968 or so)
its a very good idea, to swab the bore and or any action components with liquid ammonia several times,
before you clean normally with hoppes and oil soaked patches that you normally use as liquid ammonia
dissolves the corrosive salts the primers and powders that were formally used leave in any gun (especially black powder)


most grocery stores no longer carry strait liquid ammonia but family dollar stores and wallmart do!
https://www.familydollar.com/homeli...gOwEa1GgtEGvuQ5EEo1OGVzPPa-8UMHxoCg90QAvD_BwE
accuracy depends on consistency, constantly knowing from repeat practice where you can reasonably expect the projectile to hit at a known range with a well known projectile type and weight, and powder charge and a consistently clean bore surface.
burnt black powder residue attracts moisture/rust if left in place
it consists of several components,
but the SALT type residue, of burnt powder, if left in contact with steel,collects moisture and promotes rust,

black powder residue dissolves in hot water with a bit of dawn dish washing liquid, added to reduce surface tension and promote the absorption of that burn powder, residue, but that hot water and dawn soap, mix, also removes oil from metal so you'll need to carefully dry and re-oil all the metal surfaces, before storing the gun
I generally pour boiling hot water down a muzzle loaders bore with a few drops of dawn dish washing detergent, then I run a brass bore brush,
a 58-62 cal rifle, like I hunt with, can use a 20 ga shotgun bore brush
you'll generally need too repeat the process two to three times then oil the crap out of all the hot surfaces,follow that with patches soaking wet with hoppes #9 solvent then oil soaked patches.
a hair drier can be used to heat up and help evaporate moisture on the clean firearm, and the heat also helps the protective oil penetrate
too be fair, I always carefully clean my rifle bores and repeatedly swab the bores after carefully cleaning the bores with a dripping wet ,
repeatedly soaked series of moly soaked swabs
a squeaky clean bore repeatedly swabbed with moly builds a micro surface like greased glass thats perfect for cast bullet use.
Ive used the process on rifles shooting jacketed, cast and black powder, loadings,
regardless of rifle type, theres always been a noticeable improvement in ease of cleaning and usually accuracy,
after several repetitive cleaning and swabbing sessions.
because black powder is corrosive Id follow the moly with a good gun oil on a swab,
to prevent moisture reaching the bore surface (I do that with all rifles)
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http://www.engineersedge.com/lubrica...cteristics.htm
Moly exists as microscopic hexagonal crystal platelets Several molecules make up one of these platelets. A single molecule of Moly contains two sulfur atoms and one molybdenum atom. Moly platelets are attracted to metal surfaces. This attraction and the force of moving surfaces in contact, rubbing across one another provide the necessary thermochemical reaction necessary for Moly to form an overlapping protective coating like armor on the rifle bore surface, This protective armor coating has a number of properties that are very beneficial for your rifles bore surface

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The Moly platelets that make up the protective layers on your bore wall surfaces slide across one another very easily. Instead of metal rubbing against metal, you have Moly platelets moving across one another protecting and lubricating the bore to projectile surface contact

This coating effectively fills in the microscopic pores that cover the surface of all micro bore imperfections making them smoother. By filling in the craters and pores Moly improves this seal
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This overlapping coating of Moly also gives protection against loading (perpendicular) forces. The high pressures that occur between these moving surfaces that tend to squeeze normal lubricants out.

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http://garage.grumpysperformance.com...41/#post-84978
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regular WD40 works for short term protection

the new long term WD 40 has been tested and found too be a good long term moisture repellent

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(wear oven mitts the bore will get damn hot to hold)
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through the bore several times followed by a couple patches, soaked in hoppys #9 solvent on soaked linen patches
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and repeat until the patches come out perfectly clean,
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then I follow with several dripping wet oil soaked patches down the bore and rub down the outside with gun oil.

the new long term WD 40 has been tested and found too be a good long term moisture repellent

ruust2.jpg

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soaking a hot dry metal surface with the spray on wd 40 lets it soak into the micro surface cracks
I generally go back and run an oil patch down the bore every other month and re-rub down the external metal with an oil soaked rag

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...-and-its-effect-on-accuracy.10041/#post-38998

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...-the-bore-clean-and-accuracy-consistant.4638/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/mini-maxi-or-round-ball-for-elk.2144/


http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/interesting-firearms-rust-prevention.10343/
 
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Grumpy I'm having an issue with a Thompson Center 54 cal. Muzzle loader I can't keep the flint in long enough to fire the flints that I can find are too short and wont hold in place. I have tried several brands of flints and it doesn't matter it will set off the flash pan a few times testing then when I load it up the flint falls out. I even built a metal spacer so the flint rests against it to try to hold it in place and nothing seems to work. I took it to show it to a couple of friends that hunt with muzzle loaders and they can't find anything wrong other than the flint is so short that it only grabs about 1/16 of an inch and the flint either breaks off or falls out. I have been to at least 20 gun supply stores and can't find anything longer so it holds in. Do you have any ideas of what I can do
 
I will point out,some things that may help.
that the metal hammer jaws that hold the flint were seldom used in direct contact with the flints ,
if you do it that way the flints much more likely to move or come loose, in the hammer jaws.
there was usually a small piece of chamois leather,or paper thin lead sheet,

wrapped around the rear 1/2 of the flint
to cushion and hold the flint in the jaws securely
the condition of the frizzen surface,
the spring pressure the flints size and quality,
will determine to a large extent how long the flint works correctly,
before it needs to be re-positioned or replaced.


flint lock flints come in several sizes.. you may want to try the next larger size
flints can be purchased cheaply in 1-5 lb bags in the natural form (rock)
but you,ll need to learn flint nap
(fracture the rock into a usable shape and size )
(not that hard with practice and youll learn a new skill)

btw dental X-rays use a perfect thin lead sheet the dentist throws away,after taking an x-ray picture, so if you have a good dentist thats willing to save you a few hundred youll be set up for years
unlike the chamois leather the small thin lead square sheet, folded around the back 1/2 of a flint, from the x-ray can,t absorb moisture or powder residue

F000169f016-002-9781437704235.jpg







flints_4.jpg

flints_5.jpg

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http://possibleshop.com/s-s-flintlock-supplies.html

https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/180/1/FLINTS

http://www.blackfridaydeals2016.co/flintlock-flints?origin=bing&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=bingyahoo&utm_campaign=276547024&bingcampaignid=276547024&bingadgroupid=1216059921409352&bingadid=76003764054522&bingbidmatchtype=bb&bingdevice=c&bingmatchtype=p&bingorderitemid={OrederItemId}&bingquerystring=better quality flintlock flints&bingtargetid=kwd-76003790828615&appId=26&rme=p&dest=1&sys_id=0|243&dist=bingyahoo&bingKeyword=flintlock flints&utm_term=flintlock flints

https://www.amazon.com/Rydon-Corp-1..._rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=5N7HNW7KHY6JMJ1W0RSC
 
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I did try using leather and it didn't seem to help I have seen the stone type flint but was unsure of how to do it I will try some of the stone type and check out the links you sent and my neighbor is a dental assistant
 
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