Gather 'Round the Stove
Gun Cleaning Tips
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One
of the few negative aspects of shooting original muzzleloaders is the maddening variety of
calibers, especially the odd-ball (no pun intended) sizes. Finding a proper fitting jag or
tip can be a chore. This is the dilemma I faced when I attempted to clean the bore of an
original French artillery carbine made before the Napoleonic Wars. The official French
carbine bore size was caliber .67 and I didn't have a jag to correspond. What to do?
I tried using a standard .58 cal. jag with several cleaning patches
folded over, but after losing the patches in the barrel I decided to try something else. I
took a look at what I had to work with: some .69 cal. jags, a quarter-inch electric drill,
and several files. I chucked the jag in my drill, and with firm pressure reduced the
diameter to about .65 cal. Brass has a tendency to clog the teeth of the file, so frequent
cleaning with a brush was necessary. When the diameter was right, I smoothed up and
polished the new jag with the fine grit emery cloth and steel wool. The grooves that hold
the patch may need to be deepened with the edge of the file to ensure a firm grip.
--Peter Stines, Anahuac, TX. M/A 90
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I have yet to lose a patch down the barrel while cleaning with this method.
Just tuck a corner of patch between the rod and jag and tighten.
--E.R.
Metz, Fairbury, Illinois.
M/J 90
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It was one of those days. In an attack of buck fever, I'd just flubbed an
easy 50 yard shot. Incredibly, the little fork horn continued to browse in the rabbit
brush, totally unconcerned. Chance for a quick reload, I thought. Patch, ball, ram it
home... oh no! Forgot the powder! The deer grazed on.
Where's the ball puller? Is he really going to stand there? Hurry now--jag off, puller on.
I slid the rod down and pushed hard into the ball, slowly turning, carefully feeling for
penetration. I just couldn't hold onto the little bit of ramrod sticking out the end of
the barrel, at least not with enough grip to move that ball. I tried with both hands on
all 1" of protruding rod end. When that didn't work either. Pliers, what I'd do for a
pair of pliers! Finally, my quarry noticed the commotion across the clearing from where he
was snacking. He lifted his head in my direction, gave a little snort of contempt and
sauntered casually back into the woods.
The fact of the matter is that a ramrod long enough to handle over a
full powder charge just doesn't protrude very much when the ball puller is embedded in a
ball down at the bottom of an empty chamber. Resolved that this was never going to happen
again, I drilled a small hole near the end of the rod and clipped a 2-1/2" section
out of a big finishing nail that fit the hole just right. Now I can get two fingers all
the way around this pin and pull with enough force to easily move a stuck ball. The pin's
in my possibles now, and I hope its very presence will remind me to load powder before the
ball, even in those hectic moments when going for a second shot.
--Robert
Freeman, Silverton, Colorado. M/J 90
In attempting to portray
authentically the life and times of the 18th century, all aspects of equipment must be
documented. One of these items is needed each time we shoot our beloved muzzleloader. I
refer to some item to clean the bore. The turned cleaning jag of which most of us are
aware was not available during our chosen time period. A worm was covered with unspun
flax, commonly know as tow. Not knowing of a commercial source for this authentic
accessory, I tried to make a tow worm that was both correct and functional. If you would
like to have a worm other than the one that looks like a wine bottle screw, then try the
following directions.
Cut a cylinder of steel from a bolt or other round stock. See Fig. 1.
The height of the stock (a) is 1/4" to 1/2", and the diameter (b) is less than
the bore size. Drill a center hole (A) through the cylinder with a #29 bit. Tap to 8-32.
(Or use a #21 drill through the cylinder with a #29 bit. Tap to 8-32. (Or use a #21 drill
and tap to 10-32, depending on your ramrod tip tap size.) Center punch and drill two
1/8" deep holes (B) with a #38 drill across from each other and close to the edge of
the steel cylinder. Cut 2 rods (C) 1-1/4" to 1-1/2" long from #6 finish nails.
Remove the heads. See Fig. 2. Sharpen one end of each. I do this by chucking the pieces in
an electric drill and grinding against a grinder while drill and grinder are both running.
Solder rods C into holes B as shown in Fig 3. Use a drill bit or other
round stock as a mandrel by setting the tip into hole A. The diameter of the mandrel is
equal to the distance between the two C rods. See Fig 4. Hold the cylinder in the vice
with the two C rods ventricle. Heat the rods with a torch until red hot. While they are
hot, bend them with pliers around the mandrel going counter-clockwise and spiraling upward
as in Fig 5. Remove the mandrel and check the alignment and angle of the resulting prongs.
Cut an 8-32 or 10-32 bolt and tread it into hole A in the bottom of the completed worm.
Solder the bolt into the hole, leaving 1/2" exposed as in Fig. 6. See "A
Pilgrim's Journey" in the M/A 1990 issue 
of MUZZLELOADER for the correct
usage of your worm. Good shooting.
-Allan J. Klauda, Holley, NY MA913.
I'm a
flintlock shooter and I have been able to pick up something useful from my percussion
shooting friends. I like to carry a few pre-soaked cleaning patches in my possibles bag
while I'm hunting. I could not find an authentic-looking container for my cleaning patches
until I saw one of those nice round metal percussion cap boxes my friends buy. So I sweet
talked one of the boxes from a friend. To make it as authentic-looking as possible, I
burned off all the paint with a propane torch. Remember to do this in a well ventilated
area as the smoke and fumes can accumulate quickly. Your wife will appreciate this to no
end. Clean off the ash with a stiff brush and apply a light coat of oil to prevent rust.
With this complete fill the box with cleaning patches and head for the woods.
-Bill Woodworth, Kennesaw, GA MJ91.
CLEANING WITH A MUZZLE GUIDE
When cleaning with a
muzzle guide, the guide will slide down and pinch the top of cleaning patch in
the muzzle. The washer will hold the muzzle guide above the edges of the patch
and allow easy wiping. Having a tapped hole in the end of the jag makes an
automatic bore guide for a screw ball puller.
--Wulf Shultz,
Prescott, AZ N/D
03.
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WINDEX
Over the years I've watched many
people struggle with cleaning their guns, using everything imaginable to remove
the last vestige of black powder residue. Some methods are good; others are a
real pain. One that I've used for nearly 20 years results in a perfectly clean
bore with only a few minutes of work. It is plain, ordinary,
under-the-kitchen-counter, Windex. I've never seen anything clean better—or
quicker.
An active ingredient is ammonia,
which attacks fouling with a vengence. Best of all, everyone has some. Only five
or six wetted patches are needed to remove all fouling. It leaves no residue
(think of how a glass looks after using it) and does not pose a future rust
problem.
First, tear a small piece of
paper towel, fold it up and place in the pan (if a flintlock) and close the
frizzen on it. If you’re cleaning a caplock, plug the nipple. Swab the bore and
you'll be amazed how quickly the gook comes out. Three or four drying patches
later finishes the chore. Afterward I usually run a patch down the bore coated
with Wonder Lube for protection. I never use any petroleum-based lubricants in
my bores, since it tends to increase the fouling. I've never had a problem with
cleaning in this manner—you'll love it.
--Joe Wood,
Amarillo, TX S/O 03.
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CATCHING THE BLACK SPECKS
To keep from getting little black specks on you and your wife’s kitchen when
cleaning your gun, place an empty toilet paper tube on the end of the muzzle.
When you pull the brush out, all of the specks end up on the inside of the tube.
--Jack Meade,
Buxton, OR J/F 03.
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SEALING THE SEAR HOLE
The set triggers in a rifle
owned by a friend of mine were rusted into a nonfunctional state by water
running down the lock mortise and into the sear hole during bore cleaning.
Plugging the vent hole with a toothpick will not provide a water‑tight barrier
against wash water or solvent in the bore leaking out. Plug the sear hole with
one of those disposable foam ear plugs to prevent water from collecting in the
trigger mortise.
--Fred Stuzenberger, Clemson, SC
S/O 03.
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STUCK RAMROD
For those who experience a stuck ramrod while cleaning “Old Bessie,” try
automotive spark plug pliers, which are used to pull wires off spark plugs
without damage. You’ll be amazed!
--David H.
Jones, Gracewood, GA S/O 00.
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CLEANING THE TOUCH-HOLE BETWEEN
SHOTS
When you shoot flintlock rifles,
pistols or shotguns, you need to clean the touch-hole between shots for better
ignition. Some people use picks and some use pipe cleaners.
I don't carry pipe cleaners with
me. After I patch the barrel, I then load for my next shot. When the flinter is
prepared to be primed and ready to shoot, I then use my vent pick to make sure
that the touch-hole is open, and at the same time as this is cleaning the
touch-hole, I am making a well into the powder to better accept the priming
sparks. I have very few ignition problems using this method. Check the size of
your vent pick. One that is too small or too tight will not do the proper job
that it needs to do.
The only time that I use a pipe cleaner is during the final cleaning when I get
home and clean the gun properly. One trick I have to do to the pipe cleaner is
to shave it. This is because the touch-holes on most of my flinters and many
others are too small for a new pipe cleaner to fit into.
--Max E. Whitmer, Lancaster, OH S/O 00.
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MARKING JAGS
Owning both a .50 and
.54 caliber longrifle and all their appropriate cleaning equipment of various
jags, worms and screws, all too often the wrong size ends up in the wrong pouch.
To aid in more quickly differentiating the size, I have marked them with a small
cold chisel, lightly tapping in the appropriate calibers using Roman numerals
because of their simple combinations of straight lines. A simple code using
light taps of a center-punch might also do the trick. I place my marks on deep
flats that I have filed into the opposing sides of the neck of the brass jag and
the centering disc of the ball puller. These flats give my fingers something
better to get a purchase on when trying to remove the tight tool from the rod in
the field or a place for a wrench to grip when back in the shop.
--Erik Wahlman,
Shingletown, CA M/J 99.
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We encourage all of our readers to contribute to "Gather 'Round
the Stove." The topic is anything that pertains to hunting, buckskinning, shooting,
gunsmithing, or other aspects of the muzzleloading sport. To contribute, send us a short
description explaining your hint, tip or idea and include a photo or drawing if
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MUZZLELOADER is not responsible for any accidents
of any kind that may occur from the use of published loading data or from
recommendations by it writers. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and
do not necessarily reflect the policy of MUZZLELOADER or Scurlock
Publishing Co., Inc. These hints are from the back issues of MUZZLELOADER.
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