steam cleaning barrels

[Sasquatch-1]

Any updates on steam cleaning muzzleloader barrels?

[Bent Ramrod]

Don’t know if this is an “update,” but I got one of those little blue hand steamers off Amazon and made a couple nipple adaptors to fit my Pedersoli .32 percussion and my Parker-Hale Volunteer. It seemed I could feel constrictions or expansions in the breech areas while cleaning that I might be missing with my cleanup procedure.

I use Ballistol/water to clean and straight Ballistol after the patches start showing light gray. When I hooked the steamer up, an astonishing amount of gunk came out of both “cleaned” barrels. When the steam and hot water cleared up, I patched the hot barrels (they were already dry from the heat, but just in case), and applied Ballistol to prevent after rusting.

It seemed after this treatment that the .32 required a shooting session or so before the customary accuracy came back. Also, no rust came out with the steam on either gun, so whatever was left in there appeared to be stabilized, with no potential to damage the bore. Maybe the gunk is like the seasoning on an iron skillet, making it better with use. So the steamer is used rarely now.