MZS

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.

cayugad

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.

arcticap

The scope shouldn't need to be removed if only the muzzle is immersed.
The barrel easily separates from the receiver by first removing the forestock screw and then opening up the action.
The zero of the scope will not be affected since it is securely mounted to the barrel.

MZS

Thanks for all the detailed instructions! I am curious - what is the function of the strainer on the bottom of the can? Is it to keep the muzzle up off the crud on the bottom?

Semisane

Mostly to allow water to flow in and out without restriction (i.e. so the bottom of the can does not act as a stopper against the muzzle). One of those plastic "brillo like" scrubbers works well also. The plastic coffee can is a good suggestion. I avoid metal cans also. Other alternatives are plastic bleach jugs or laundry detergent jugs with the tops cut off.

Omega45

Why not just go from muzzle to breech with a few TC saturated patch or a patch of Windex followed by a few dry patches? I used to shoot Triple 7 and Pyrodex and never gave my guns a bath. They came out clean using the above method.

bronko22000

I used to use the hot soapy water method exclusively. Now I use a great product called Turkey Tracks muzzleloader cleaner from Fort Chambers Muzzleloading. http://www.fortchambers.com/httpdocs/ I use this product as directed to remove powder fouling, dry, a couple alcohol patches, dry, and coat with Montana Bore Conditioner. I shoot saboted bullets out of some of my sidelocks and I haven't noticed any buildup of plastic.

cayugad

The one main reason I use a soap and water bath is because I am cheap! That's right, save a buck anywhere I can. And I can do a soap and water bath and have that barrel and breech threads almost spotless. Just a few simple cleaners after that and I am done.

I never thought of the steel wool pad.. I just use that plastic because it does not scratch the gun, is easy to clean and rinse out. And then the lid goes back on the plastic coffee can until the next time I need it.

Semisane

Not steel wool pads Cayugad, but the plastic version like this:
http://www.usahardware.com/inet/shop...x/clo98130.htm

MountainDevil54

muzzle magic bore foam. Remove your breech plug, tilt the rifle so the muzzle is pointing at a downward angle and then give it 3 pumps and let it sit for 5 minutes and work. Do another 2 or 3 pumps and run a patch down the bore from the breech plug end.

Anytime you can remove the plug and push the fouling out the muzzle, do so. Pushing corrosive fouling into " muzzle to the breech" the threads of the breech plug area never sat well with me.