Zerk Fitting Flush Kit

[Semisane]

At the end of a shooting session with a sidelock I've always cleanedthe gun byremovingthe barrel, taking outthe nipple, stickingthe breech end in a container of water, and pumping the bore with a patched jag on the ramrod. Of course, this is pretty traditional and works great. But when I put a scope on my .45 GM LRH Renegade barrel I could no longer do that without surmerging the scope (it doesn't have detachable rings). So I recently made a Zerk fitting flush kit for it.

Now I know this is nothing newfor forum regulars, but I thought I would post it for any new guys who might not have seen it before.

I went to the local Ace hardware store and bought a long shank Zerk grease fitting with 1/4 x 28 threads, which is the thread size for the nipple inThompson Center guns. The fitting cost $1.05. I also bought six feet of 1/4"OD x .170"ID vinyl tubing at$0.15 a foot.

Here's what the Zerk fitting looks like.



I then used a 5/32" drill bit to drill out the core of the Zerk. I started at the base end and drilled through the plug that holds the spring in the fitting. After the plug was gone I removed the spring and the ball bearing from the core of the fitting, then continued drilling all the way through. Here's what it looks like after drilling.



Then I attached the vinly tubing, like this.



It's quite easy to screw the Zerk into the nipple seat. It doesn't have to be any more than finger tight.



Now I can remove the barrel from the gun, installthe Zerk Flush Kit, put the breech end of the barrel on a block of wood, stick the other end of the tube in a container of water, and flush away by pumpingwith the ramrod.

[cayugad]

Great idea. That's what you need for them pinned barrel rifles. I might have to make one of them myself...

[UncleNorby]

I've seen something similar, though it may have been a hose that attached directly to the nipple. You'll definitely get a better flush with your idea.

[Semisane]

You'll definitely get a better flush with your idea.

It's really not my idea UncleNorby. It's been around for years. (Although I don't think I've ever seen it posted with such fine high quality pictures and instructions before. )

[sabotloader]

Semi

I that a scope on dat dar traditional????

Thar hastabe a rule bout dat....

[UncleNorby]

If the only true constant is change, then I'd have to say there's nothing more teaditional than breaking tradition.

[Semisane]

I that a scope on dat dar traditional???? Thar hastabe a rule bout dat....

Yeah sabotloader, and the rule is "ya` can't hit it iffin ya` can't see it".

Anyway, I'm pretty sureit's a traditional scope because I checked and Meade Instruments/Simmons was founded in 1792. ??? Wait, it might have been 1972.

[Buck Hunter 1]

Semisane, nice job. what you ogt for a flinter??

[Semisane]

Semisane, nice job. what you got for a flinter??

Well, I draw the line at putting a scope on a flinter Buck Hunter(see Sabotloader, I do have my limits). My Great Plains flinterhas a hooked breech so I just take the barrel off, remove the touch hole liner, and stick the breech down in a bucket of water to pump it. Of course, as Cayugad mentioned, that's not so easy if the barrel is pinned. I don't see why you couldn't do the same thing by replacing the touch hole liner with a Zerk fitting if you can get one with the same thread.

Something I've never gotten around to, but always wanted to try,is setting up a 36" x 3/8" aluminum tube with a hose connection at one end and some kind of brush set up on the other end so that you could brush the bore with water running out of the brush end of the tube. The trick is attaching the brush is such a manner that the water can still run out of the end of the tube. Right now I'm refinishing the Zouave stock. Maybe the "flushing rod"will be thenext project after that.

[sproulman]

nice job, good info.