Don't worry about the stuck brush Tex if you haven't hung something up in a barrel you haven't played with them long enough. My wife and I have had many a tug o war because I hung up that last dry patch when cleaning a muzzleloader's barrel before the oily patch went down the bore.
Seems we all have a particular ML barrel where brass brushing is really tight. I don't dare brass-ramrod my inline Knight Vision without oil. Even the wettest cleaners like Butch's Blackpowder Bore Shine or Hoppes Elite Gun Cleaner get that brush stuck in the bore. Now I use black nylon brushes instead and even those are tight, requiring hard pushes and pulls with a 2-1/2 round patch leading the brush
A few years ago Knight had a Christmas sale on the Vision for $199. Now I think I know why........ smaller-than-normal cut bores. My opinion anyways.
I always use a well worn brush in my barrel when I run a brush down the bore. When you get down to the breach area turn the brush clock wise to turn the bristles of the brush so when pulling out, they don't have to reverse themselves.
Aim small, miss small!
Clockwise is good, it tightens the threads on the brush. Also don't buy the cheepo cleaning brushes with aluminum tips, they can pull apart in a tight bore.
I got away from using brushes years ago. If I'm cleaning in the shop I use solvent if outside or around the campfire just water hot or cold with a 2 x 2 piece of hospital gauze for a patch on the brass jag. I have found the gauze more porous and removes fowling better than a regular cleaning patch and cheaper too. A 2 x 2 will fit from .45 on up without having to trim it down. They also work well for swabbing between shots.
If you do by chance get a brush stuck and it comes loose or is broken, best way to get it out is with a piece of tubing as close to bore size as you can. Push it down the barrel over the brush. The tubing grabs the brush and releases it from the bore. Then it will come right out.
Aim small, miss small!
Ask around and see if you have any BP clubs or shoots in your area. Multiple guys placing an order will ease the shipping rates.
For me I pick my BP up when I head to Friendship for the Spring and Fall shoots. Luckily it's only about 70 miles from where I live.
With chronic supply problems being the rule, I order powder by the case. It brings the cost per pound way down compared with gun stores which often don't even stock it. A case, for me, is 25 pounds in, usually, one lb cans. The hazmat fee is the same whether 5 lbs or 50 lbs.
Young guys should hang out with old guys; old guys know stuff.
You could order 25 or 50 lbs of 5FA which is the same granulation as FFFg without the graphiting. It is a tiny tad faster than FFFg but a whole lot cheaper. Save your cans to repackage is as it comes in a 25# bag.
Hellgate in Orygun
With 16+revolvers, I've been called the Imelda Marcos of cap&ball.
If you do not subscribe to a newspaper you are uninformed. If you do subscribe to a newspaper you are misinformed. Mark Twain
”We know they are lying, they know they are lying, they know we know they are lying, we know they know we know they are lying, yet they are still lying.” –Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn
Graf's brand powder is Wano. Just got 4lbs of fffg and a one pound can of ffg. I'm just getting started with BP but it seems to work just fine. Locally the shops only carry subs. so it's mail order for me hazmat or no. Gp
I think Wano is in their rear view mirror these days.
I heard Grafs is now Schuetzen relabeled.
i also just heard that graf's is schuetzen. it's all good, but gimme the best ... swiss!
Agree.... Swiss, followed by Olde Eynsford.
I can't find either around here. Must go to Bass Pro Shop for my Goex. I use one jug every 2 years....lol
mail order, Mail Order, MAIL ORDER ... for as long as that will last ....
Doesn't Bass Pro usually carry Goex? Last time I was at my local store they said they were out and that Goex was out of business though. But I think that rumor has circulated a few times before and been incorrect.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |