what I actually need

[Tim Ault]

 Well since now find myself the proud owner of a new flintlock I guess I need to be getting some supplies ready for it . My main question is on the proper cleaning equipment I actually need ,I have been  surfing different sites and theres quite an assortment of stuff . The things I know I need are patches and a jag for sure. But do I really need stuff like one of those scrappers(screwdriver looking thing) or bristle brushes . I was planning on getting a separate cleaning/loading rod or making one. As for patches any reason I cant just make my own from the same material I plan on using for load with the ball? what size for a 45 ? say 1.5"x1.5" So anyone give me the skinny on what I actually need to keep my new noise maker up and running.

Thanks,Tim

[gunmaker]

Good ?? What is really needed.  I use any old Tee shirt rags in my box a stuff for cleaning patches, .45 about 1.5 sq. but diff. tee's diff. thickness'.  I pull the lock-- plug touch hole with hard round toothpic & have used regular "Windex" for years. Bore lite is real handy, will show you whats really what.  Plain water hot or cold will work so will any of those store bought cleaners,  windex is cheap & handy, works for me. I don't use a scraper much but others swear by 'em..Tom

[Dogshirt]

The last time a young man asked this question it started a 13-15 page thread. I will not comment beyond posting the link to
that thread. It is a can of worms best unopened.

http://traditionalmuzzleloadingcheap.com/forum/index.php?topic=14903.0

[old salt]

Tim
I would shy away from the bore brush unless the wire the bristles are wrapped in goes threw the shaft the ones that are just crimped have habit of pulling out.
I can tell you from experience that when they pull apart it can be a real beast to get them out
Old Salt

[mongrel]

The last time a young man asked this question it started a 13-15 page thread. I will not comment beyond posting the link to
that thread. It is a can of worms best unopened.

http://traditionalmuzzleloadingcheap.com/forum/index.php?topic=14903.0

Dear God, if he opens that, the next sound we'll hear will be Tim running away screaming....

Seriously, folks, if anyone ventures to post a reply -- keep it simple and practical -- none of this "Well, after reading a document in the Archives of the Museum Of The Fur Trade, in which Jim Bridger describes the cleaning of the .59 caliber Hawken three-quarter stock he traded a mound of prime plews for at the 1837 Rendezvous, for cleaning patches I use only the lower belly skins of Arkansas possums shot in mid-August...."

You want to save your shooting patches for shooting, Tim, especially after working up a suitable ball/patch/powder combo. Gunmaker's right, pretty much any cotton or cotton-blend material will do for cleaning, and patches in the 1 1/4" to 1 1/2" range ought to be fine. If you find the trailing edges of the patch tending to bind the cleaning jag, reduce the size a bit.

I myself like to start off with a bronze bristle brush (of good quality, as Old Salt indicates) to break loose most of the crud in the grooves, followed by wiping with a series of wet patches on the cleaning jag. I've never felt the need for a breechplug scraper. Others might be of different opinions on the brush and scraper, and your own experience might lead you to a different opinion -- and that's fine.

Remove the lock and use the bronze brush to scrub areas such as the pan and underside of the frizzen -- you'll see where powder flash and residue has left its mark. Rinse, dry, and oil.

I prefer removing the barrel from the stock and submerging the breech end in my soap-and-water solution. Be careful of the breechplug tang on your fullstocked rifle -- it's liable to be fragile, easily bent or broken if dropped or rammed against the bottom of your cleaning bucket. Pumping the cleaning jag up and down in the bore will create a hydraulic effect that flushes the crud out of the rifling and off the face of the breechplug. It will also gush soapy water out the muzzle of the barrel, and the process stinks to high heaven, so doing this outside or while the better half is absent is highly recommended.

Wipe with clean water, then dry patches, and finally an oily patch. An oily patch down the bore every couple weeks to a month or so is good insurance against rust sneaking in while you're not paying attention.

I could go on, but that about covers it.

[Tim Ault]

The last time a young man asked this question it started a 13-15 page thread. I will not comment beyond posting the link to
that thread. It is a can of worms best unopened.

http://traditionalmuzzleloadingcheap.com/forum/index.php?topic=14903.0

Thanks I did look around before I posted my question just didnt think to look in the percussion section  I made it to page 3

[Red Badger]

      I am already running for cover!   I'll just add this - I do nothing differnet for my flintlocks than I do for my perc. guns.  I dissasemble the lock and use an old toothbrush on the frizzen spring and internal lock parts ( I do not dissassemble the lock itself) on bith my perc and flint locks.  My cleaning patches are the same on all my guns.

[Dogshirt]

Tim
I didn't mean to be terse or surly, you asked a valid question. But this one of those (many) areas where everyone does it his
way, and you will, as you saw in the other thread, get as many answers as there are members of this forum.

[pathfinder]

I use a way undersized jag and squares of thick terrycloth towels. Really sopp's up the cleaning solution fast!

[William]

Here are some things that I would suggest to any new shooter;

Shooting patches- make sure you use 100% cotton as anything synthetic is liable to melt and cause a lot of problems.  Find a fabric store near you that carries pillow or mattress ticking.  Pillow ticking is sometimes thinner than mattress while other places the term is interchangeable.  It should be from .015-.018 thickness so that you get a good gas seal and it grips the round ball to impart the spin.

Lube- always lube your shooting patches so that the powder fouling left behind is nice and soft plus it helps seal the gases behind the ball.  Lube can be as plain as olive oil and it works real well.  I use a mix of melted beeswax and olive/mineral oil.

Cleaning patches- very simple, you can just use old t-shirts cut into the same size as your shooting patches but they don't have to be a certain thickness or be all cotton.  I like to swab the bore with a cleaning patch that is lightly dampened with 90% rubbing alcohol, and that's really cheap too.  Swabbing the bore is different from cleaning in that a swab is just down and up then discard the patch.  I've found that cotton flannel makes the best cleaning patches I've ever used and you can get it at the same fabric store you got the ticking at.

Now, to pay it forward.  Send me a PM (private message) with your mailing address and I will send you some material to use for shooting & cleaning patches as well as some lube.  I will not be able to get it into the mail until Wednesday or Thursday as I will be out of town starting tomorrow but being that the Holiday is over the mail should be back to normal.

[flintboomer]

And similar to what was said at first, if you ask 10 people you may get at least 12 methods.

I use anything water based including plain or soapy water for cleaning and I cut up old cotton socks for cleaning patches. Because they are thicker than flannel it is necessary to use a smaller jag (We all have our opinions and our own ways, but they work for us.) The important thing is to ALWAYS CLEAN and oil the rifle when you get done or get home.

adding later:
As for the bore scrapers, I have them and use them once or twice a year to check how I have been doing, but they aren't really needed if you are doing a good job of cleaning. 

[Dogshirt]

And before the question gets asked; ANY good quality gun oil will work just fine.

[Tim Ault]

Tim
I didn't mean to be terse or surly, you asked a valid question. But this one of those (many) areas where everyone does it his
way, and you will, as you saw in the other thread, get as many answers as there are members of this forum.

Nah I didn't take it that way I pretty much know what to do I was just mainly asking of like everything else in the shooting world if all those gadgets like the scrapers and such were actually needed

[hrayton]

I think it all boils down to what type of shooting you are going to be doing as well. :) If you're looking at a specific time frame, and doing juried events, you may need to tweak your gear for cleaning a little towards that time period. If shooting for fun or hunting without getting into the interpretive aspects of it, the skies the limit as far as what you can use. I have worked up a kit for doing events, and have a completely modern set of tools for a detail clean when I get home. For events I carry tow, a tow worm, lead ladle, ball mould, ball puller, mainspring vice, a turnscrew, extra flints, and a toggle and string, as well as a little pc lube in a small tin. I also have a few strips of fine linen for cutting my own patches on the spot that I attach to my pouch strap. That way I can clean my rifle, run ball, etc. when folks are watching. When I get home I prefer to thoroughly clean my rifle, and end up turning to a lot of more modern implements, and materials for doing so. Have fun with it!

[Tim Ault]

Thank you for your generosity . Pm sent


Thanks. Tim

Here are some things that I would suggest to any new shooter;

Shooting patches- make sure you use 100% cotton as anything synthetic is liable to melt and cause a lot of problems.  Find a fabric store near you that carries pillow or mattress ticking.  Pillow ticking is sometimes thinner than mattress while other places the term is interchangeable.  It should be from .015-.018 thickness so that you get a good gas seal and it grips the round ball to impart the spin.

Lube- always lube your shooting patches so that the powder fouling left behind is nice and soft plus it helps seal the gases behind the ball.  Lube can be as plain as olive oil and it works real well.  I use a mix of melted beeswax and olive/mineral oil.

Cleaning patches- very simple, you can just use old t-shirts cut into the same size as your shooting patches but they don't have to be a certain thickness or be all cotton.  I like to swab the bore with a cleaning patch that is lightly dampened with 90% rubbing alcohol, and that's really cheap too.  Swabbing the bore is different from cleaning in that a swab is just down and up then discard the patch.  I've found that cotton flannel makes the best cleaning patches I've ever used and you can get it at the same fabric store you got the ticking at.

Now, to pay it forward.  Send me a PM (private message) with your mailing address and I will send you some material to use for shooting & cleaning patches as well as some lube.  I will not be able to get it into the mail until Wednesday or Thursday as I will be out of town starting tomorrow but being that the Holiday is over the mail should be back to normal.