I have a Traditions Break Open and instructions call for immersing in 8-10 inches of soapy water. But I now have a scope. What should I do? I would think removing the scope would require re-sighting (which would require re-cleaning).
Any good solvents that you recommend instead of the soapy water? I have been using CVA Wonder Gel.
Get a coffee can. I like the plastic ones. Now get a plastic sink stopper. They look like a strainer. Wal Mart sells them. Put that in the bottom of the coffee can, UPSIDE DOWN. Put the muzzle end of the rifle, on that strainer. Of course you have your
dish water in the coffee can already. Hot water!!
With the muzzle end on that strainer, dip your patch in the water and work that from the breech end .... down to where it hits the strainer and then back up through the breech and over the breech threads. This usually required a LONG range rod to do so. I use a 36 inch range rod. Or at the very end, you can lift the barrel up out of the water and push the ramrod through the barrel.
A few water patches will clean the fouling from most powders EXCEPT BlackHorn 209. After the fouling is gone, use a breech brush on the threads, and then start with...
isopropyl alcohol 91% - saturate a patch and work that through the barrel. You can use it muzzle end first or breech end first.. what ever you like. Isopropyl alcohol will not only remove hard to get fouling, but it displaces water and helps to dry the barrel.
I like to do isopropyl alcohol patches until they come out clean. Then I switch to a commercial cleaner like Simple Green. Its cheap, easy to find, and pulls fouling very well. Do a couple patches of that. Pay special attention to the breech threads. You want to make sure they are clean.
Now clean the breech plug. I use Teflon Tape. I tape it back up and replace it. With a simple green patch wipe the outside of the rifle and scope off real well until you find all the fouling.
Now take a patch and put a quality Gun Oil on it. Some of my favorite brands are... Montana Xtreme gun oil, Montana Xtreme Bore Conditioner, Birchwood Casey Sheath, Breakfree CLP, Rem Oil with Teflon, and Kroll Oil. All of these will protect the bore of the rifle. Swab the bore making sure it is well covered. Then wipe the outside of the rifle off with that same patch.
You should be done. Remember to do the maintenance on the trigger assembly according to the instructions every so often. When you do the cleaning, you can pull the barrel, it makes it easier, but I have done rifles, leaving the stock on, and cleaned them in this manner. Just yesterday to be exact.