50 cal Muzzleloader Cleaning

[sunsetrider2011]

Well Folks as the title states Have a 50 Cal in bad need of cleaning,,dont know a darn thing about these things,, so any help would be great. its a TC

[Dean2]

They are real easy to clean. Warm water to clean, add a little dish soap if you like, dry well with WD40 then add good gun olil for storage.

More ingfo on here than you can shake a stick at. One thing with a muzzle loader, never leave them dirty even over night. Black Powder and most of the subsitutes will rust a barrel in one heck of a hurry.

http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/index.php?

[rwm1273]

BP is corrosive, so make sure you clean it out after your day of shooting, or you are asking for corrosion to get hold of it.

You can rinse it out with warm soapy water, and then use an oil product to prevent it from rusting. Others use a product with ammonia in it too.

I use wipeout on my BP. It works great. Mine has a removable breach plug, so I take that out and have clear access to the whole barrel.

You haven't left it uncleaned after shooting have you? AS pointed out, bp and substitutes are very corrosive and the rifle should be spotlessly cleaned after it is shot.

[300 tc win mag]

Windex works really... That's what I use for cleaning mine anyways

[Pudelpointer]

If it is in "bad need of cleaning" it may already be beyond salvation.

First, remove the barrel from the stock. Second, remove the nipple or breech plug, depending on model.

I use soapy HOT water, and boiling water for rinsing. There should be a jag to patch for scrubbing your barrel.

If you have been shooting plastic sabots, then you may want to try a plastic solvent of some sort, and/or use a brass brush.

You need a waterproof / heat proof glove to use the boiling water; I use a silicone oven mit. By using boiling hot water you can skip the WD-40 or even towelling it off; just stand it muzzle down in the corner and it will be dry before you let go of it.

While still fairly hot (when I can just handle it without gloves) I give it a wipe with bore butter, inside and out. Regrease your nipple or breech plug and replace, replace stock, store. That's it.

Originally Posted by Pudelpointer

If it is in "bad need of cleaning" it may already be beyond salvation.

.

That was kind of what I was getting at. Without knowing more details it's impossible to suggest a cleaning regime. If it is indeed corroded, it may require an extensive oil bath just to see if it's even salvageable.

Routine cleaning may not be all that's needed here.

[petew]

Originally Posted by Pudelpointer

If it is in "bad need of cleaning" it may already be beyond salvation.

First, remove the barrel from the stock. Second, remove the nipple or breech plug, depending on model.

I use soapy HOT water, and boiling water for rinsing. There should be a jag to patch for scrubbing your barrel.

If you have been shooting plastic sabots, then you may want to try a plastic solvent of some sort, and/or use a brass brush.

You need a waterproof / heat proof glove to use the boiling water; I use a silicone oven mit. By using boiling hot water you can skip the WD-40 or even towelling it off; just stand it muzzle down in the corner and it will be dry before you let go of it.

While still fairly hot (when I can just handle it without gloves) I give it a wipe with bore butter, inside and out. Regrease your nipple or breech plug and replace, replace stock, store. That's it.

Excelent advice.

[sunsetrider2011]

I just got this thing and it come dirty,, so needed info for proper cleaning, . so what most are saying is soap and water,, Dawn Maybe? then patch out dry,, and gun oil patch to the barrel for storage.

Originally Posted by sunsetrider2011

I just got this thing and it come dirty,, so needed info for proper cleaning, . so what most are saying is soap and water,, Dawn Maybe? then patch out dry,, and gun oil patch to the barrel for storage.

I'd use a BP cleaner like No. 13 if it's not rusted. If it is rusting from not being cleaned then you have major problems. BP guns are pretty much either clean or rusting...not much for in betweens. If there is no rust...use a wet patch/dry patch regime until it's spotless. I'm not a fan of oiling muzzleloader barrels but if you do, use it very sparingly. If it has a removable breech plug you will need to remove that as well and clean it spotlessly and replace using a light grease on threads.

[Big Red 250]

Don't forget to remove the nipple and give it a good cleaning,then grease the threads with a high temp BP grease and install before storing.

[Big Daddy Badger]

Originally Posted by sunsetrider2011

Well Folks as the title states Have a 50 Cal in bad need of cleaning,,dont know a darn thing about these things,, so any help would be great. its a TC

I neutralize with windex, clean with brake cleaner and lubricate with lucas oil or CLP.

Just a by the side... I hate cleaning a BP thats really gunked up and that build up can make sighting in a bit of a chore.

So far the best thing I found was Blackhorn 209.
Its still mildly corrosive but it doesn't foul and it cleans up in a wink.
Also... the loads translate grain for grain the same as Pyrodex.

Best money I spent on my muzzy... it sure cut down on the amount of time and money spent cleaning it.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by sunsetrider2011

I just got this thing and it come dirty,, so needed info for proper cleaning, . so what most are saying is soap and water,, Dawn Maybe? then patch out dry,, and gun oil patch to the barrel for storage.

Dawn, Sunlight, anthing like that.
Put it in a bucket and get after it witha mop or jag and tight patch on the rod and pump it up and down like a bidge pump, change the water and repeat untill it's clean, then do it with rinse water and ry it out, oil with WD 40, and then an oil to finish it.
Push a patch through it the next day as well....

Cat