lube question

[dakota]

When I put a rifle away for an extended period I have used a preservative called RIG (an acronym for rust inhibitive grease). Since I started using that stuff they came out with another RIG product especially for black powder (at least 20 years ago, I suspect). I never looked to see if it was petroleum based or not.

I suspect I don't do it right but I have used petroleum based rust inhibitors my ML tho. When I did I shot a fouling charge and cleaned it with hot soapy water then I would load it for game.

But then I am probably one of the least informed regarding ML's -- at least in this forum.

[Purebred Redneck]

Well if we're talking about sidelock rifles, you don't really need to shoot a fouling shot so long as you clean the gun out properly before loading it.
Now you can do it, but realize you'd have to clean the gun at the end of the weekend.
I don't shoot it unless I have to and I'll leave the same load in the barrel all season long unless it's raining.

This is what I always do when loading a gun for hunting

1. take out the nipple and side screw

2. take the jag and folded paper towel pieces and clean out whatever bore butter is in the gun until it's very apparent it's all out. The new paper towel will come out very dry when it's ready.

3. take a pipe cleaner and clean out the holes where the nipple and sidescrew go --- I also clean the threads of those screws.

4. put the screws back in and shoot a couple caps

5. load the gun as normal

6. unscrew the sidescrew and pour powder till it fills the hole. bang on the buttstock with your hand until it settles itself and screw the screw back in (most likely crushing some powder)

You know know 100% that there is definatly powder and it will not hangfire unless you get wet weather or dampness.

[klsm54]

Holy Crap! I'm glad I only had a flintlock. All I ever had to do was pour a charge of 2F down the barrel, followed by a patched ball, then a little 4F in the pan and she was ready to go...

[jimiowa]

klsm54 said:

Holy Crap! I'm glad I only had a flintlock. All I ever had to do was pour a charge of 2F down the barrel, followed by a patched ball, then a little 4F in the pan and she was ready to go...

Dang it now I guess I'm screwed! The rifle I'm building does not even have one of those"Clean out screws". It's a solid drum with a "D" engraved on the end". Like Scott I'll pop a cap, pour in powder and stuff a patched bal in l and go.

[Jack]

I'm more in line (no pun intended) with Jim and Klsm.
Pop 2-3 caps in an empty rifle, with the muzzle near a leaf. If the leaf moves, pour in powder, tap the breech to move a few grains into the drum, load a bullet, and it's ready to be capped and fired.

[Purebred Redneck]

My gun is a little more finicky on the first shot.

If you don't get all the lube out it could prevent powder from getting into the nipple area.
The gun could hangfire maybe 1/4 of the time.
Only have that problem with the first shot.
At the target range, who cares.
Hunting - not taking any chances for something that takes an extra minute.

[dakota]

I just do what I do cause I don't know no better.

I have tested loads a bit though. And I am concerned with first shot changing poi.

[Purebred Redneck]

For most rifles, I don't think the poi changes.
It really only does that when it gets dirty (which for some rifles could be after 1 shot but more like 2-6)

If I'm just playing around with round balls, I'll clean the barrel when the accuracy suffers.
But when shooting bullets I'll clean every shot or else it's too hard to get the bullet down the barrel.


Shoot the clean barrel, take some T/C liquid cleaner and swab out the barrel, run a dry patch or two down to dry the barrel, shoot again.
See what happens. It could just be fouling.