New guy. Got 50 cal kentucky percussion. How many shots avg before must totally clean/ swab bore with water using pyrodex?

As many as you like. A lot will depend on what powder you shoot, but with Pyrodex while there is fowling it is not normally a hard fowling. I have shot as many as 20 shots a day without swabbing when shooting Pyrodex.

Youy swab the barrel to help the loading, or when the accuracy is starting to suffer.

Your rifle will tell you when it is time to swab. Use a witness mark. When you load your patch and ball and have trouble seating the projectile down the barrel, just swab the barrel with some isopropyl alcohol. Dampen a patch, and work it in short strokes down the barrel to the breech. After that, then a couple dry patches. Now you can shoot again.

How often should I use cleaning patches and/ or brush- between shots? Must I remove and clean lockafter everyshooting session?

Again, dampen a patch and work it in short strokes down the barrel. When you reach the breech, turn the patch over and run it down the barrel again. The bore brush should be used every time you suspect leading is happening in the bore. Dip that in some gun solvent and then scrub the bore.

As for cleaning behind the lock, if the lock is not a tight fit, then pull and clean behind it. Usually there is little powder behind the lock, although I do pull it about every third use and clean behind the lock real good and oil it back up. If the lock fits tight, it is hard for powder to get back there.

Pyrodex is synthetic and does not contain sulphur like black powder- so no acid to corrode barrel but can produce hard deposits. Why is it necessary to clean immediately after shooting- should be able to wait weeks. Why will parts rust ifdon't clean and oil? thanks!

Pyrodex has to be one of the most corrosive powders out there. Of all the powders I tested in a rust test, Pyrodex was the worst. Rusting can begin in just a day or two. The reason you clean right after shooting is, you do not want that stuff sitting in the bore eating the metal. Also I find if you do it right away, you do not set it somewhere and then forget to clean it. Only to learn a week later that the bore is pitted and rusted. As for waiting weeks, if you do, the rifle will be rusted. Remember, you shoot it, you clean it.. the same day.