How I clean my Encore:
1. Break down the gun so you just have the barrel. You'll be suprised how much blowback you get on the underside of the barrel.
2. I find a breech plug brush essential, for scrubbing crud out of the threads. And a bore brush.
3. Hot water and little bit o' lemon scented Joy. A plastic bottle full of plain, hot water with a "squirt" top.
4. Throw the breech plug in the soapy water and let soak. Squirt some gun oil of your choice on the face of the action where the firing pin is and let sit to loosen the crud.
5. Squirt some hot water down the barrel. Then, I dip my bore brush in the soapy water and scrub away. Rinse with hot water.
6. Dip the bore brush in the soapy water and work up and down the barrel a few times. Rinse with your squirt bottle of clear water.
7. Wrap a dry patch around the breech plug brush and dry and swab out that area of the rifle. Swab 2-3 dry patches down the bore and follow with one with alcohol patch. Let sit for a few minutes while you wipe down the exterior portions of your gun. I use pipe cleaners to attack that "hole" between the barrel and recoil lug.
8. Fish your breech plug out of the water, rinse and scrub clean the threads, Blow the water out the flash channel and dry. Apply the breech plug grease to both the plug and the threads in the barrel.

That's how I do it. Currently using CLP Breakfree

My Encore is one of the only m/l I own that I do not use hot water to clean but instead start with a bp solvent then Hoppes and then a quality oil to protect the bore when done. I will use some water at the range to clean between shots because it does a great job breaking down the Triple Se7en crud ring. (or what I call just plain fouling).

I do not have the blowback problem Doegirl has with mine so I just clean the breech and all with CLP or any quality cleaning product.

Pittsburgh-I think the amount of blowback I'm getting has to do the kind of primers I'm using. They are Remington STS's and they SUCK. Very dirty primer. CCI's aren't half as filthy[:@]. I just bought some Winchester Triple Se7en primers and see if that helps.

I use Blue Wonder Gun Cleaner... best cleaner I have found. I have also gotten all of my buddies using it... I guarantee if you try it you will use nothing else. Specific details can be found at: http://www.bluewonder.us/BlueWonderGunCleaner.html

Also, I have moved away from 777 to American pioneer powder (Jim Shocky Gold)... I shoot 100 gr of powder and 300 grain TC shockwave sabots in my TC Encore. I find this combination groups best out to 150 yards.

It could be the primer Doegirl, the only ones I have ever used in my Encore and I have owned it since the first year they came out is the W209 standard primer from Winchester.

As far as the powder goes I would have a very tough time trying to quit Triple Se7en it shoots so well in many of my rifles and in my revolver as well.

I think I tried just about every thing even a special breech plug and musket caps still had that awful crud ring and blow by; went to APP and got tighter groups by far the capability of using mag loads and still keeping the tight groups and the capability of a second or third shot with out cleaning and in the group all the time. It may not work the same for every one but that is all that goes into my inlines now; I like real black powderfor my Hawkens.Lee

Hot water anddry patchs to remove the powder fouling. I also run a patch with Shooter Choice MC#7 and a bore brush to remove any plastic fouling, every so often. Finish off with a patch of Sheath or similar gun oil for protection. I always run a dry patch prior to assembly or loading/firing any firearm to ensure excess oil is removed.

For the breech area I used a brush and 50%alky/50% windsheild washer fluid solution. Give it a few rinse under the tap in hot water, then wipe dry and tumble in a rag with some gun oil. I would let them stand over night before re-assembly. As mentioned use of an anti-seize grease or pink teflon tape on breech threads is required.

Encore owners should also disassemble and clean the firing pin assembly on occasion. Blowback/residue does get in and around that assembly and will lead to failures eventually.

has any body tried the primers by remington that are supposed to be the cleanest. are they really, or if they aren't what is?

http://www.winchester.com/products/newitems/whatsnewcontent.aspx?productid=36