crud ring removal

[rusk100@yahoo.com]

I am a newb to black powder and as such have an old question. I purchased a TC Westerner 54 cal. caplock. The rifle shoots great but came with a crud ring that grabs my cleaning jag so that I have to tap the range rod out with a light object. How do I remove the crud ring? I have tried TC solvent,bore butter, and hot soapy water, all to no avail. If there is more info you may need from me let me know.
Thanks for any help.

[cayugad]

From your description of the rifle being a cap lock, is this traditional? Or inline? If there is a breech plug you can remove, take the breech plug out and clean the barrel through and through.

But lets take for granted that you can not take a breech plug out. The first thing I would try is a bore brush and some good solvent. I would work that over the crud area, and scrub that off.

If that don't work, get some JB Bore paste. First run a patch with oil down the bore. Then with a very tight fitting patch, apply JB Bore Paste to the patch. And then work that down the bore and back up. After about 25 strokes, change patches and apply new JB paste. That will take the crud ring off.

[Semisane]

Cayugad, the TC Westerner is a round barrel sidelock that looks a lot like the New Englander.

Rusk, because you got no results with the cleaners you're already tried I suspect your problem is a rust ring down in the breech area. I would put a patch liberally soaked with oil on the cleaning jag, then wrap the patch with a thin layer of fine steel wool and work that spot over with a dozen or two short strokes.

If you see rust on the steel wool after the first two or three strokes you will know for sure. You may need to add another thin layer of wool after every half dozen strokes. But it should start to feel nice and smooth before to long. When you're satisfied with how it feels, clean the bore with a solvent (alcohol, gasoline, carburetor or break cleaner, etc.) and run an oiled patch down the bore to protect it. And, by the way, lose the Bore Butter. It's doing nothing for you in the cleaning process.

[lemoyne]

I Agree with Semi, if you scrubbed good with soap and hot water then I doubt that it is a crud ring from powder even 777 crud rings will come out with that method.
What it could be well a rust ring where the ball sits is a good possibility especially if some one left it loaded for a long time. I could all so be a pit ring where it was not cleaned all the way down or a burr.
cleaning by plugging the nipple hole with a small bolt and putting Evapo-rust in the barrel over night will insure there is no rust but be sure to scrub it out with soap and hot water the next morning.
If it is a burr or pills you may be able to smooth it out by measuring where it is on a ramrod and giving it a light lapping with valve grinding compound, don't over do it and only lap where it is rough, give it a dozen strokes only a few inches long then try it out until you have taken care of the problem. Just to be on the safe side use your marked ramrod on the out side of the barrel before you start any thing else if it lines up with the touch hole from the nipple then your patch is catching in the nipple hole and you can not do anything about that with out removing the breach plug and maybe not then.

[rusk100@yahoo.com]

Thanks to all for all your help. I don't know what to think at this point. I cleaned the rifle again today with TC solvent and a brush with patches turning the brush in the breech. I did not get much carbon out(mostly some brown stuff). I then went at it with a patched jag and there seems to be no hanging up of the jag in the breech as before. Going to the range in the morning and see what happens. On the range I clean after every shot. If there is a rust ring or pitting will that aggravate crud ring build up? If so I will polish the breech with steel wool as suggested, would bronze wool be a better choice as it will not rust?
Thanks again for all your help!