New to MLing, and photos of my new toy

[Bob in St. Louis]

Excellent, thank you Eddie.

I just ran a borescope down the barrel. Uhg. Nasty. Lots of brown, and lots of little green splotchy areas.
Did a preliminary with a bristle tipped brush, then gave it a dozen patches of TC (official) cleaner. Made progress, but it looks like I've got a long road ahead of me.

[Bob in St. Louis]

Alright fellas.. I'm picking through the ziplock bags of various goodies that came with the rifle.
For the life of me, I can't figure out what this is.
Help please!?!?
(NOTE: For size reference, the black cord, is just a bit thinner than paracord)

[Camper64]

Alright fellas.. I'm picking through the ziplock bags of various goodies that came with the rifle.
For the life of me, I can't figure out what this is.
Help please!?!?
(NOTE: For size reference, the black cord, is just a bit thinner than paracord)

That is what they call a bore snake cleaner but it's not for your ML. Is there a tag on it to indicate what caliber it's for.

[Bob in St. Louis]

No Sir, no tag.
At 9 o'clock on the braided part is a wickedly stiff brass "brush".
Sure seems like this would fit down the throat of a 12 gauge shotgun (.70 cal) better than the ML (.54 cal).

[Bob in St. Louis]

Also... that brass ferrule on the end of the "paracord" isn't going to make the 90 degree turn out of the barrel into the "nipple hole" (sorry, lack of vocabulary).

[rfd]

bore snakes are for breech load guns, not muzzleloaders. get and use a brass range rod with muzzle protector for yer serious cleaning and just use the classic wooden ramrod during woods walk shooting. get and learn to use a ball worm, because we all dry ball eventually - it's a rite of passage. start off with an easy loading grease patched ball load and leave the short starter and hammer in the shooting box. the easy load will also make retrieving that dry ball load Much easier. this stuff need not be made complicated, think the early 19th century, think simple, think easy, think fun, and not unnecessary work. this is the way it was done back in the day, when lives depended on guns to first and foremost work every time the trigger was pulled. that's all part of the heritage of a hawken.

[Camper64]

You are probably correct about the 12 gauge. I have three of them one for 12 gauge, 22/223 and 40 cal.

[Bob in St. Louis]

Thanks men.
Yea, I see why this snake has never been used (because you CAN'T). Not sure why it even came with this sale, but "whatever".
I used my 12gauge bristles to clean the ML, but it's like throwing a hotdog down a hallway. There's a LOT of clearance.

I'll use the snake on my VEPR12. She's a dirty gal that needs a good snake.

"Ball worm" = Is that the threaded screw on the end of the rod?

[mooman76]

I don't recall it being called that but I'd say yes. Looks like a screw. A patch work looks like a cork screw for retrieving patches.

[rfd]

ball worm, screw, puller ...



patch worm, puller ...

[Texas by God]

Hot soapy water and cloth patches on a .54 cleaning jag are all that's needed unless it's rusted inside. Never use a shotgun Tornado brush because if it sticks it is a booger to remove- exerience talking here

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[rfd]

ah yes, so many ways to clean out the bp residue. i would never recommend hot soapy anything. ain't needed, no way no how. keep the soap, the peroxide, the antifreeze, and all it's ilk out and away from the barrel steel. tepid tap water is all that's needed. if anything, adding in some water soluble oil might make us all feel warm and fuzzy that it's better than plain water, but truthfully it ain't. when the patches come out *reasonably* clean, a light oiled patch is all that's needed for storage protection 'til the next time it's loaded. the key to all this is addressing the residue ASAP. you leave it sitting for any length of time, specially in the hot/dry weather conditions of the so'west and man, there's gonna be work getting that cr@p outta the steel. take care of yer guns, boys.

[Bob in St. Louis]

Thanks men.
Just to clarify my early comment about a 12 gauge brush being too small in diameter to clean the .54 caliber, it's a brush that came with a "generic long gun" cleaning kit. I'm sure some of you were scratching your heads about that.

I did run an illuminated borescope down the barrel, and it was pretty bad. Lots of green in there.

The continued help is much appreciated !

[rfd]

green in the bore is not a bad thing, pitting of the steel is the enemy. pull off the barrel from its hooked breech, plug the nipple and let the barrel soak for about 15 minutes with a moose milk solution (1 part ballistol, 6 parts water). tepid oily water will not promote flash rusting, hot water will. pull the nipple plug and shove that end in a bucket of clean water. run a tight patched jag up and down the barrel whilst the ignition end is in the bucket - water will be drawn and expelled out the nipple in a hydraulic fashion. check the bore for cleaning progress. a bronze brush *may* be required, but do the patched jag thing first.

[Bob in St. Louis]

That bucket technique is a new one I've not heard before, but makes sense about pulling fresh clean water in. I went through a LOT of cleaning fabric last night and finally gave up. The entire time I was thinking, "there's got to be a quicker way". I think yours is it!
Thank ya Sir!

Side note... I was thinking about using an automotive washer fluid pump with a rubber vacuum line attached to the nipple of the barrel. Barrel in a bucket and pointing straight up in the air. Basically, it would work like a pond fountain, if that makes sense. Point is, you can flush the thing and simply walk away while it's flushing.

[rfd]

... Side note... I was thinking about using an automotive washer fluid pump with a rubber vacuum line attached to the nipple of the barrel. Barrel in a bucket and pointing straight up in the air. Basically, it would work like a pond fountain, if that makes sense. Point is, you can flush the thing and simply walk away while it's flushing.

imho, totally unnecessary and complicates what is essential simple.

the hydraulic pail process outlined above is all that's needed.

think early 19th century and not early 21st century.

[Eddie2002]

For an initial cleaning I would get a .54 caliber brush and scrub with the breach end of the barrel in a bucket of warm water. Pull the nipple and use some dishwashing detergent squirted down the barrel as you scrub. After that rinse with warm water and patch till clean then send an oily patch down to keep the rust off. There are a lot of ways to skin the cat, find one that you like and stay with it.

[Bob in St. Louis]

I try to find ways to spend unnecessary money on projects that take hours to build that ultimately perform near necessary tasks that save me scant seconds. Minutes at best. But the contraptions are certainly neat.
Thanks fellas!

[greywuuf]

Green in the barrel usually means copper (or some combination like brass or gliding metal) which means it was used with jacketed slugs or a really agressive bronze brush that left bits behind.....regardless ....the bucket method with some detergent (depending on what lube was last used many are not water soluable ) and a tight patch ..maybe resorting to some flitz or JB as a final polish near the end should clean it up rather nicely. Be carefull to use a small caliber brush to clean the "patent breach" as well (google it so that you understand) ....

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[rfd]

a typical offshore patent breech, this one with a touch hole for a flinter. notice the threads that the constricted chamber will secure into the larger bore barrel, ...



barrel threads to accept the patent breech ...



this should make it quite clear - flinter on the left, cap gun on the right ...