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This is my current method of cleaning my muzzle loaders, I wanted to get away from pouring water hot or cold down the barrel or pumping water up through the bolster/touch hole.

My current shooting regime involves wiping with a barely damp patch followed by a dry patch after every shot, this done after loading the powder. The purpose of this is to keep a consistent bore condition to help maintain accuracy as well as controlling fouling so that ball is easy to load.

When doing this all that is really left to clean at the end of the day is the breech part of the barrel.

So when I've finished shooting I give the barrel a good swabbing with Aquoil soaked patches followed by dry patches until the barrel is smooth feeling down to the breech plug.

After the final dry patches I liberally soak the barrel touch hole/nipple with WD40 so that I don't need to worry if I don't get to finally cleaning the gun for a few days.

When I get home I patch out the WD40 and then given barrel a pass with a C2R soaked patch, at this time I also remove the nipple and flash guard for cleaning with Simple Green and clean the outside of the gun and the bolster. The C2R can then be left to work on the barrel, I like to give it about an hour at least.

The barrel is then cleaned out with a series of water wetted patches till there is no fouling, heavily fouled guns may require further C2R applications.

The barrel is then dry patched, given a good application of WD40 making sure it gets into the bolster/touch hole, leave in place for an hour or so to penetrate then wipe off and oil for storage.

This is simpler to do than it is to explain.

I have found that repeated use of C2R brings the bore condition to such a level that only one swab of the stuff is necessary followed by three or four wet patches to get the barrel clean.

C2R gets rid of the fixed carbon that accumulates especially at the breech end mainly from primer cap fouling, I have found removing this fixed carbon fouling being key to a consistent bore condition and easy cleaning.

There are many ways to skin this cat but this is my preferred, less messy for me, method.

I have only tried this with black powder and none of the substitutes, as I don't use them, so cannot comment on the efficacy of this method with fouling from these propellants.

Mr muscle window cleaner with vinegar...it's a green spray it's like a quid and it fizzles black powder away!

I too find it a bore to use boiling water, it gets everywhere; all in the nooks and crannies, mine and the stock's.

Can I show my ignorance and kindly ask, what is C2R?

Do a search it has been exhaustively covered on here.

I bed all my BP guns into the woodwork with water pump grease, that stops any water getting 'tween the wood and the metal.

I also do it to all my stalking rifles.

Never noticed it affecting point of aim.

All water based solutions work well at removing the BP fouling however they are less effective at removing the fixed carbon that you get from primer caps and part of the propellant.

Ah ha.. excellent to see that there's an alternative to the hot water and bucket approach! Even better that I already have a bottle of C2R in the garage.

Dromia - I've asked Google, but he doesn't know where a chap can procure some Aquoil, would you be able to advise? Also, I'm going to need a longer cleaning rod and jags etc. Any recommendations for suppliers of such wares?

Cheers,
Mat

Aquoil is one part Youngs 303 mixed with three parts water.

Balistol is the same but hard to get over here in usable, value for money quantities.

I use the Proshot range of BP rods and jags and find them good value for money, most decent RFDs should carry their stuff or be able to get it in for you.

Excellent.. I've got some Youngs 303 here as well! Nice when things just work out!

Thanks Dromia..

I've just followed this procedure and the results are good! I can see light reflecting off the bottom of the barrel from a head torch at the business end and can see the rifling all the way down the barrel! Neither of which were possible before the first firing and subsequent cleaning.