Got my T/C .54 caliber hawkin today
04-10-2009, 01:50 PM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 56
Got my T/C .54 caliber hawkin today
It finally came, after weeks of waiting. I pulled it out of the box, and I was shocked at the white stuff in the barrel and around the muzzle, along with the crud around the nipple. I guess thats what I get for buying a used gun. I used some T/C borecleaner on the barrel and muzzle and it cleaned up just fine, nice clean bore with sharp rifling. The nipple was a different story though. There was LOTS of black crud inside the channel going into the barrel and I think it may be blocked by rock hard black stuff (maybe powder residue) I soaked it with the bore cleaner hoping it would loosen up but I dont think it did. How does a person clean the channel out? I am going to buy some pipe cleaners and hopefully that will do it. Ya know, its amazing the people that dont bother to clean thier guns. The guy who had this rifle before me should be tied to a tree and lashed!
04-10-2009, 01:59 PM
#2
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
RE: Got my T/C .54 caliber hawkin today
If you mean the bolster is blocked, one of the best ways to clean it is remove the nipple. Then get some very hot water and add some dish soap. Pour some of that hot water down the barrel. Then dip a patch in the water and start to work that patch down the bore. The hot water will loosen that blocked crud and if you force that water with the patch you can often times blow that out of the nipple port.
04-10-2009, 02:20 PM
#3
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 56
RE: Got my T/C .54 caliber hawkin today
I have a nipple wrench that has a small needle thing in it that I assume is for cleaning out the bolster. I inserted the needle through the threaded nipple hole and it went all the way in. I shined my bore light down the barrel but couldnt see the needle. Is there such thing as a "bolster clean out tool"?
04-10-2009, 05:28 PM
#4
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Eastern PA
Posts: 12,746
RE: Got my T/C .54 caliber hawkin today
12gauge - do what Cayugad suggests. Take the barrel off the stock and putthe breach endin acontainer of hot soapy water (I've found that a 3 lb coffee can works great). Let it soak a few mins. Then try and remove the nipple. It may be rusted fast and you might have to get some penetrating oil to remove it. Then swab the crap out of that bore and bolster. When you are satisfied that it is clean, pour some clean hot water down the bore, dry it thoroughly and give the bore a light coat of oil or bore butter, whatever you prefer to use. I alsosuggest getting a new nipple and some anit sieze to put on the threads prior to installing. Good luck.
04-11-2009, 11:11 AM
#5
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 56
RE: Got my T/C .54 caliber hawkin today
I tried the above method and it seemed to have done the trick. Apparently the bolster channel was completly blocked because black grainy stuff came out the threaded nipple hole in huge chunks, also the barrel is much shinier! 
04-11-2009, 04:48 PM
#6
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
RE: Got my T/C .54 caliber hawkin today
those chunks were hard burned carbon. If they came out, that is wonderful. I bet you can put your mouth over the muzzle OF YOUR EMPTY rifle, blow hard, and reach your finger down there to the nipple and feel a good stream of air.
Now before you shoot next time, take a clean patch and put some alcohol on it. Swab the bore. This will remove the oil from the barrel. Then put a dry patch on the jag and work that down the bore. After that is pulled put another dry patch on and push that to the bottom of the breech. Now put a #11 cap on the nipple and fire that cap into the patch. That will blow any oil out of the bolster and also carbon the the snail. When you pull that patch check it for a burn mark. If you don't see one, put another patch down there and do it all over again. When you see a burn mark, pop one more cap, load the rifle as normal and it will fire perfect every time.
Now before you shoot next time, take a clean patch and put some alcohol on it. Swab the bore. This will remove the oil from the barrel. Then put a dry patch on the jag and work that down the bore. After that is pulled put another dry patch on and push that to the bottom of the breech. Now put a #11 cap on the nipple and fire that cap into the patch. That will blow any oil out of the bolster and also carbon the the snail. When you pull that patch check it for a burn mark. If you don't see one, put another patch down there and do it all over again. When you see a burn mark, pop one more cap, load the rifle as normal and it will fire perfect every time.
04-17-2009, 03:50 PM
#8
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 56
RE: Got my T/C .54 caliber hawkin today
ORIGINAL: cayugad
those chunks were hard burned carbon. If they came out, that is wonderful. I bet you can put your mouth over the muzzle OF YOUR EMPTY rifle, blow hard, and reach your finger down there to the nipple and feel a good stream of air.
Now before you shoot next time, take a clean patch and put some alcohol on it. Swab the bore. This will remove the oil from the barrel. Then put a dry patch on the jag and work that down the bore. After that is pulled put another dry patch on and push that to the bottom of the breech. Now put a #11 cap on the nipple and fire that cap into the patch. That will blow any oil out of the bolster and also carbon the the snail. When you pull that patch check it for a burn mark. If you don't see one, put another patch down there and do it all over again. When you see a burn mark, pop one more cap, load the rifle as normal and it will fire perfect every time.
those chunks were hard burned carbon. If they came out, that is wonderful. I bet you can put your mouth over the muzzle OF YOUR EMPTY rifle, blow hard, and reach your finger down there to the nipple and feel a good stream of air.
Now before you shoot next time, take a clean patch and put some alcohol on it. Swab the bore. This will remove the oil from the barrel. Then put a dry patch on the jag and work that down the bore. After that is pulled put another dry patch on and push that to the bottom of the breech. Now put a #11 cap on the nipple and fire that cap into the patch. That will blow any oil out of the bolster and also carbon the the snail. When you pull that patch check it for a burn mark. If you don't see one, put another patch down there and do it all over again. When you see a burn mark, pop one more cap, load the rifle as normal and it will fire perfect every time.
I tried that, and I couldnt find a burnt mark on my patch. I know its clean because when I cleaned it out in the sink the black stuff came out and the water was pumping through it. BUT I did fire a cap off through an empty barrel and reinserted the patch down and on the end of it was some hard grainy things. I assume it is carbon or sulfur from that cap. What do you think?
04-17-2009, 05:32 PM
#9
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: River Ridge, LA (Suburb of New Orleans)
Posts: 10,917
RE: Got my T/C .54 caliber hawkin today
BUT I did fire a cap off through an empty barrel and reinserted the patch down and on the end of it