Breech Plug Cleaning...

[rynigner]

How do you all clean your breech plugs? I've got a T/C Speed Breech XT, and initially bought the CVA Parts soaker for it... I have not had good luck with the parts soaker. Being frustrated with it, I decided to try something different. We have an under sink water heater system that spits out water just under boiling. So I filled up a sealable bowl with blazing hot water and dropped in the breech plug. After sealing it up, I shook it as long as my hands could handle the heat. Repeated this a few times, then drained the water. The plug came out pretty darned clean. Only needed to use a Q-Tip in the primer pocket and light wiping to remove the remaining soot.

Unless anyone else has a simpler method, I think I found my new way to clean my Breech Plugs!

[thom2]

---Carburetor Cleaner.

[MountainDevil54]

either a #32 drill bit or 1/8" drill bit, i use it to cut the carbon out of the plugs flash hole and then use a Q tip with somes hoppes black powder solvent on it to wipe the face of the plug and inside the primer pocket.

A better way?

Dyna Tek Gun Shield!

You degrease the breech plug with rubbing alcohol or such and dry it off. Once dry you go and dip " or wipe" the gun shield onto the plug. I feel its best to dip it into the solution for 100% coverage. Once you've dipped the plug, allow 20 to 30 minutes to dry and then repeat this process 2 more times " 3 to 4 coats is recommended"

Allow the plug to sit and cure for a couple hours before placing the plug on a cookie sheet in a preheated oven @ 350*. Bake the Gun Shield onto the plug for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

The next time you shoot, at the end of the day you will find that the fouling will easily wipe right off with simple water, windex, what ever you normally use to clean!

It protects against rust, corrosion, mud, dirt, basically what ever gets onto the gun, will not harm it.
http://gandersmuzzleloadingblog.blog...-dyna-tek.html

Heres a video i shot after i applied Gun Shield to the frame of my CVA Accura and got it real dirty on the range.
http://www.youtube.com/user/frontier.../0/u6klwwA56DE

They have kits now that do one rifle for around $10. Its a great investment and actually protects your firearm.

[Doug100g]

I bought two plugs. Once I use the one I remove it and put it into a small bottle with a lid with t/c 17 cleaner in it. Make sure it covers the entire plug. Leave it over night. Next day use a 1/8 drill bit (hand turn) to clean out the bulk crud. Then, brush the threads. then run hot water through it.

It now takes me about two minutes to clean the plug. Another two minutes to re-Teflon tape it and lube for the next shooting session.



D

[Breechplug]

First off no need to shake the Breecplug to death, Im sure you did'nt but no need to damage the Threads on it.
I also soak mine while Im cleaning the rest of my MLer, either in Hot Soapy Water or some Foaming Bore Cleaner that I got from Wal-Mart on a Close out Deal at the end of Last Season, the Soap and Water will do.
I dont use a Drill Bit on the Fire Channel as I have'nt had the need to as it never gets that bad. I use a small (Wire) Brush that came with a BP Brush Cleaning Set I bought for the Fire Channel and a Nipple Pic to clean the Fire Hole. For the Threads I use a Hard Bristle Toothbrush.
(BP)

[cayugad]

When I clean a breech plug... I remove it from the rifle. I then place it normally in a soaking jar (old jewelery cleaning bottle with the lift up tray in it) which is filled with Rusty Duck Black Off or Simple Green. I change the solution out when it becomes filthy dirty.

As I clean the rifle, I finally come to needing to clean the breech plug. I have two brushes I use, and some Q tips. The first brush is a brass brush (used for cleaning battery terminals) and the other is a tooth brush. I use the brass brush to scrub the teflon tape off it and any hard to get fouling. I only scrub the plug in one direction through the threads. I never scrub with that brush. After the brass brush I use a soft tooth brush and finish cleaning all the hard to reach places. Sometimes a small dab of Soft Scrub is used it the plug is being difficult. I then take Q tips and work the whole plug over. When there is no fouling on the plug I pour some isopropyl alcohol through the flash channel and then shake it real hard to dry it. After that I apply the teflon tape and then a light coating of Slick 50 One Grease and immediately put it back in the rifle.

I have some real concerns with a powder (BlackHorn 209) that forces me to use a drill bit to clean the flash hole of my rifle. When I shot BlackHorn 209 I was not aware of any of this flash hole nonsense and ended up throwing away the breech plug from my Knight Disc. It was plugged, I soaked it in a number of different things and tried to blow it clean with a air compressor. I also tried to pick it clean but could not get it clean. I just figured it was from old age as the plug had hundreds of shots through it, and the face was showing wear long before I started shooting black horn 209.

After I ran out of BlackHorn 209 I went back to my other powders. Mostly black powder, Pyrodex and Triple Seven. Even and dirty as those powders are and crud rings they can create, I never had to take a drill bit to any of them to get them clean.

[flounder33]

I do something similar. I usually take the plug out right away while the gun is still warm. I put the breech plug and the striker in an aspirin bottle with Dawn dishwashing detergent and hot water. When I am done with the rest of the gun the fowling on the breech plug and striker come off very easy. I use a tooth brush and a small bottle cleaning brush. I usually use my thumbnail and a piece of a paper towel and make sure the threads are spotless. This works well with triple 7, pyrodex, and black powder. The only powder I have had trouble with getting these parts clean is Blackhorn 209.
I cut and rounded off the edges of a piece of walnut and use that to clean the shoulder of the reciever that the breechplug tightens up against. I usually clean the threads with the brush and then put a patch over this little piece of wood and clean that shoulder.
Works for me anyway
Art