Some BP questions

[RanchRoper]

Good to know.

[RanchRoper]

I went with T/C #13 bore cleaner and lube, a tube of bore butter, Hornady .490 lead balls, and a .50 cal cleaning kit. Will pick up something smaller as well to get at the patent breech. I have to use the stuff that is readily available, and I don't see Hoppes BP bore cleaner here that I can get easily. Ordered online from Cabelas Canada.

I will not be using water in my barrel if I don't have to. I am reading up on BP forums until I am cross-eyed and some guys do and some don't. I will be a don't guy. I just cannot see how it will not tempt rust. We'll see. I will become expert at stripping and reassembling I guess if that what's it takes.

[Team Roper]

I always used hot water for cleaning my bores but you have to dry them quickly. I even used the wife's hair dryer sometimes but remember, Grizzly Adams and all his mountain man buddies didn't have all this fancy stuff we have today and only had snow or a stream to clean their rifles. Sure, you might get some flash rust but quickly follow up with some dry patches and then run a patch with Birchwood Casey's Barricade down the bore for corrosion prevention and done. Nothing cleans black powder easier and quicker then hot water and Dawn dish soap. Sometimes I even run a patch down the bore with what I use for my shooting patch and ball which is either mutton or mink oil Tallo to preserve it. It doesn't cake up like bore butter over time. I knew one old fella I shot with at the rendezvous and all he ever used was Break Free to clean his smoke poles and never used water. You will quickly learn what works for you and is convenient. Oh and store your smoke pole upside down so any condensation doesn't settle in the breech area or the flash hole.

[RanchRoper]

Thanks for the info.

[BigAl52]

Alcohol RR get some, spray a patch or two with that. It will take all the moisture out of the barrel. Hot water and soap like Roper mentioned. Ive done it both ways. They both work. I also use my air compressor with a blow nozzle it will dry them out quickley.

[BigAl52]

Should mention I bought some little pump spay bottles off Amazon there handy for the the liquids

[RanchRoper]

How about that little patent breech, looks pretty tight in there, would be tough to know if it was dry or if water drops still in there. Looks like it makes a sharp turn in there to the airway to the nipple.

See lots of info to never put any petroleum products in the barrel too.

[BigAl52]

Petroleum and BP fouling dont mix at all. Stay away from petro down the barrel. The breech area will be fine with hot water. It evaporates quick. Thats why I like the blow nozzle method. Never had any issues. The alcohol method is good for that also.

[Team Roper]

Yep , petroleum based products are supposed to be bad with black powder. That is why I always wondered about that old Vietnam Marine who went to all the rendezvous and took all the prizes with his smoke pole and cleaned them with Break Free. He must have been touched or something but you know how the sayin goes," Once a Marine, Always a Marine. An old Vietnam Paratrooper would never do anything like that. No sir .
And oh yes,I carried alcohol out to the hunting woods with me. I swabbed my bore with that between shots, but always with spit first.

[RanchRoper]

Ok, I have to stop worrying about cleaning the BP rifle. I found this little video that seems to be something I can easily do that would clean it. Pretty straight forward. Still bothers me to pour water into steel barrel but looks like lots do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRQ8RCtlTmc