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No Petroleum Products Allowed
If I asked 100 Pew Pew Tactical readers the best way to clean your centerfire rifle, I’ll get 100 different ways to get the job done. Very likely, the same kind of opinion would surface with regards to the cleaning and maintenance of the black powder rifle. So, don’t go off half-cocked with the following tutorial. This is what I was taught many years ago. It has worked for me, and I’ve never had a failure to fire in my personal rifles. Black powder and Pyrodex are both corrosive and hygroscopic. This means the fouling produced when these products are ignited attract and hold water molecules. If allowed to sit crusted in your bore or around the nipple you will be rewarded with pitting, rust and corrosion, even on stainless steel guns. Remember, it’s stain-LESS, not stain-FREE. If solvents and lubricants that are petroleum based are used on black powder rifles you create a problem for you and your rifle. In an article written by my friend William Clunie many years ago he quotes the president of Ox Yoke regarding petroleum products and fouling. “When you lube a muzzleloader with a petroleum product and fire it, you are heating up that petroleum. Heat and pressure, plus petroleum equals tar, just like the asphalt used in paving roads. Black, sticky tar (fouling) creates all sorts of trouble in the bore of a muzzleloader.”
Let’s Clean Our Muzzleloader
The first step for me actually starts at the range. If I have been shooting sabots with pistol bullets as I did last weekend, I will always fire a couple shots with patched round balls lubed with Bore Butter before I finish my range session.
Disassemble The Rifle
Following the manufacturer’s instructions for your rifle, remove the barrel from the stock. Be sure to remove the ramrod first! Remove the breech plug if applicable and the nipple. If you shoot an inline you’ll have the cocking mechanism and spring as well that will likely be removed at this point.
Mix Your Cleaning Solvent
Fill a coffee can or bucket with hot, soapy water. A few drops of dishwashing soap is just fine. The hotter the water, the better. As we swab the barrel we want to heat the metal so we can season the bore.
Swab and Heat the Barrel
Using your ramrod, attach a patch jag on the end and if you have one a T-handle extension to give you a little extra length and to make it easier to hold onto. I highly recommend a range-rod or working rod for cleaning. They are longer and you don’t risk damaging your ramrod which is a critical tool in the field. With an inline, place the muzzle in the bucket of water. With a traditional rifle you’ll place the breech end in the water.
Season Your Barrel
Now run a dry patch down the bore to dry it. The hot water helps to dry the bore as it evaporates quickly. Again, hotter is better. You may need some heavy duty rubber gloves if you have access to really hot water. While the barrel is still warm, run a patch saturated with Bore Butter up and down the barrel a few times. The bore is now cleaned and lubed and ready to store. Use the patch to wipe down all the exterior metal with Bore Butter as well to protect the exterior of your rifle.Clean and Season the Small Parts
Retrieve your breech plug and nipple and if necessary scrub thoroughly with an old toothbrush. Dry thoroughly and wipe down with Bore Butter. Before you thread the nipple into the breech plug, coat the threads with an anti-seize compound. I use Gorilla Grease ($6).
Putting It All Together
Clean and dry the remaining parts of your cocking and firing mechanism and wipe down with Bore Butter. Reassemble and check function. Do a final wipe down of all the metal and if you’re shooting a wood-stocked rifle give the wood a light coat of Bore Butter as well.Final Thoughts
The whole process may seem a little overwhelming and counter intuitive. But rest assured, you can clean and prepare your muzzleloader for storage in about 20 minutes. And next time you’re headed to the range you can be certain your rifle will fire each and every time. Hopefully I’ve been able to open your eyes to some new horizons in the shooting sports. Muzzleloading is a fun past-time and may even lead to new hunting opportunities and learning a bit about the mountain man and fur-trading era of our great country.
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I have a Lyman Deer Stalker. There is no breech plug to remove. How the hell do I clean inside the breech area that is smaller than the barrel bore ?? Brass brush won't work because of the metal tip that sticks ahead of the brass brush portion. I have a slotted brass fitting but it also will now go inside the smaller area.