# muzzleloader cleaning question



## bt99

Hi, i have a knight inline muzzleloader and my question is when you do a thorough cleaning at the end of the year, do you have to do the thorough cleaning with the hot soapy water method or can you use black powder solvents instead. I would rather do a thorough cleaning with black powder solvents if that works.


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## Jig Master

I use solvents, and leave the breech plug out and don't put the rifle in a gun case fully zipped up.


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## wpshooter

bt99 said:


> Hi, i have a knight inline muzzleloader and my question is when you do a thorough cleaning at the end of the year, do you have to do the thorough cleaning with the hot soapy water method or can you use black powder solvents instead. I would rather do a thorough cleaning with black powder solvents if that works.


Bt99:

I have read this for years about people who take their ML and throw them in various containers of hot soapy water !!!

Too me that sounds just utterly ridiculous. You sure are not going to catch me soaking my nice expensive ML barrel, etc. in a concoction of soap and hot water and risk destroying the finish on the rifle when it starts to dis-color the finish and even worse start to rust and subsequently pit, if it is not quickly, completely and thoroughly dried and oiled before being stored.

Just get yourself a spray can of REM-oil and clean the biggest part of the powder residue out of the barrel and then get yourself some bottles of the canned foam type solvent cleaner and spray a good portion from the breach end of the gun and let it run down to the muzzle end of the barrel for about 1/2 an hour and then run some more patches thru the barrel to get the remaining powder out of it and then follow again with some more REM-oil patches to final clean and to keep the inside of the barrel from rusting.

Also, make sure you wipe down all of the outer surfaces of the rifle to remove any powder that might have accidentally got on the outside of the metal surfaces and also all of those grimy finger prints, etc. that you just got all over the outside of the rifle while you were cleaning the inside of the barrel.

Good luck.


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## huntin1

> I have read this for years about people who take their
> ML and throw them in various containers of hot soapy
> water !!!
> Too me that sounds just utterly ridiculous. You sure
> are not going to catch me soaking my nice expensive
> ML barrel, etc. in a concoction of soap and hot water
> and risk destroying the finish on the rifle when it
> starts to dis-color the finish and even worse start to
> rust and subsequently pit, if it is not quickly,
> completely and thoroughly dried and oiled before
> being stored


OMG! I've been doing it wrong for 30+ years.

Seriously, I've been cleaning my ML for over 30 years with hot soapy water. My barrels aren't discolored, rusted, or pitted. I use clean dry patches after the water and also hit the barrel with a hair dryer for a few minutes, then oil.

Solvents work well too, I have used them as well. Either method is fine.

Huntin1


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## wpshooter

huntin1 said:


> I have read this for years about people who take their
> ML and throw them in various containers of hot soapy
> water !!!
> Too me that sounds just utterly ridiculous. You sure
> are not going to catch me soaking my nice expensive
> ML barrel, etc. in a concoction of soap and hot water
> and risk destroying the finish on the rifle when it
> starts to dis-color the finish and even worse start to
> rust and subsequently pit, if it is not quickly,
> completely and thoroughly dried and oiled before
> being stored
> 
> 
> 
> OMG! I've been doing it wrong for 30+ years.
> 
> Seriously, I've been cleaning my ML for over 30 years with hot soapy water. My barrels aren't discolored, rusted, or pitted. I use clean dry patches after the water and also hit the barrel with a hair dryer for a few minutes, then oil.
> 
> Solvents work well too, I have used them as well. Either method is fine.
> 
> Huntin1
Click to expand...

That's because that is the way that someone about 30 years ago told you that it should be done. That in and of itself does not make it the correct or the best or easiest method of cleaning a ML barrel.

And besides doing it that way, you have to take the furniture, etc. off of and back onto the rifle every time you clean the barrel. With my method there is no real need to do that. However, the furniture should be removed occasionally to give the entire surface of the rifle a good cleaning.

However, if you like your bath method keep on doing it. But I think if you would try the method that I described, you won't go back to soapy water method.

Thanks.


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## huntin1

If you read my previous post you'll see that I have tried your method, it does work, no better or worse than the hot water and soap method.

I don't remove any furniture, just the barrel and I do that regardless of which method I use.

Just because you happen to think your method is best doesn't make it so. They both work and neither is more difficult than the other.

You're welcome.

Huntin1


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## wpshooter

huntin1 said:


> If you read my previous post you'll see that I have tried your method, it does work, no better or worse than the hot water and soap method.
> 
> I don't remove any furniture, just the barrel and I do that regardless of which method I use.
> 
> Just because you happen to think your method is best doesn't make it so. They both work and neither is more difficult than the other.
> 
> You're welcome.
> 
> Huntin1


So if I used your method, I would have to take my scope, etc. off of the rifle barrel every time I wanted to clean the barrel, or do you clean that with soap and water also ?

Thanks.


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## huntin1

Well, you didn't specify a scoped rifle, but no, you would not need to remove the scope from the barrel. By using a flushing kit you could even leave the barrel on the stock if you wanted to. I normally pull the barrel on my in-line so that I can lube the trigger assembly, but you wouldn't have to. When I clean my scoped in-line I either use the solvent method or a flushing kit like this:
http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_in ... e2b73e7c61

When I clean my Hawken side lock I just pull the barrel and stick the breech end in a bucket.

huntin1


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## alleyyooper

Cleaning an inline isn't impossiable to do with hot soapy water. I should clarefy the water is really supposed to be* scalding hot*.
You need a hose kit that hooks to the nipple or into the breach plug some way. with the proper sized jag on a ram rod (range rod) with a thick patch. useing a pumping action the barrel should come clean in just a half dozen pumps once the action has filled the barrel with the hot soapy water. Dump that dirty soapy water and refill the pail with scalding clean water to rince. A few strokes with a clean patch on the jag should be enough. The water being scalding hot should have heated the barrel enough it drys it's self. But a new clean oiled patch should be run down the bore never the less. If it is going to be long term storage use a oilier patch than for short term storage. 
Useing this medhod for many a year in my Hawkins and Plains rifle. The Hawkins has a tang mounted peep sight, the Plains rifle has a T/C quick release removable scope mount.

On my Remington 700 ML's I just use rubbing alcohol. Remove the bolt and take it down. Place it in a bowl to soak, remove breach plug and nipple and place that in the bowl to soak in rubbing alcohol also. Useing my range rod with the proper size jag I soak patches in alcohol thenj place them on the jag and swap a few times and change patches till they come out clean. Once they come out clean I use a alcohol soaked cleaning towel to clean up and blow by. reassemble the bolt reinstall the breach plugs and nipple. When finished oil the bore and all other metal parts both the inlines and the side locks.

Not a thing wrong with the soap and water method in fact some of the cleaners on the market today for cleaning Muzzle loaders are so harsh you can strip a finish off a stock and discolor a tupperware stock. Extreame care should be used in their use.

I like to swab between shots with windex with alcohol added to it, evaportes quickly.

 Al


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