Cleaning my Great Plains 50 cal ...

[dogtag]

Which, as the years go by becomes more and more a pain in the arse.
Anyhow:
I put the barrel with nipple still on which I block into a small bucket.
I pour hot water up to the muzzle and let it sit for 20 or so minutes.
I then remove the nipple and with a shotgun rod, brush and patch
I get a good siphon going. I change water and pump until water is clear.
With clean patch and clear water it looks as though it's done.
BUT, after barrel has dried, I run a solvent patch through - it comes out
black - so do several more patches until the barrel is clean.
Talking to friends it seems they don't bother doing anything else
after barrel has dried although that seems pretty dumb as a thin
layer of rust will form as it dries.
Any thoughts ?

[SMOKEY]

I have always used boiling hot water with a little dawn dish washing liquid. Scrub the crap out of it then rinse with more boiling water which will actually dry the barrel and then oil. Has worked for me for 45 years or more. I have tried various black powder cleaners but none work any better than the boiling water. Messy job no matter how you do it.

[Major Tom]

Boiling water works best as Smokey said. It is also best for removing old cosmoline from those tiny crevices.

[Johnny P]

Agree with the boiling water cleaning followed by oil on patch, although I just let the tap water get as hot as it will.

[da gimp]

IF & only if you can put witness marks on the breech plug & receiver...........& if you can get a padded vise set up to hold the barrel......without scarring her............ remove the plug & scrub the heck out of it as you normally do until clean, then more boiling water thru the bore, then put a good patch soaked with breakfree clp thru her then keep an eye on her as you've been doing re-clean as necessary.

you might try Pyrodex or some of the other newer type black powder substitutes......... but I've never had much luck with them in the old style percussion/flint guns................. I sure hope some of the guys can give you better loads to try with them...... cleaning them is much easier sir., if you can develop loads with good accuracy & velocity to hunt with.

[Johnny P]

The breech plugs on modern black powder rifles are factor tightened and then dressed off. Once removed the breech plug never lines back up like it did originally. If cleaned every time after a shooting session the bore shouldn't need brushing to clean it up. I just used a tight fitting patch on a cleaning jag to pump water up and down the barrel.

[Michaelp]

Over the years I have found that cleaning is much easier than I 1st thought.
I generally use a couple patches soap solution and then a combination of a few dry ones and whatever else I got at hand, Hopped or whatever.
I used to do the breechplug removal and all, but it's just plain overkill.
I got guns. 45-.58 I been shooting 20 years look as good as new.
Checking them once and a while and maybe an oily patch is good.
I only ever use lukewarm water as well.
Think I'll make some smoke today.

[p246]

The only thing I'll add to the good advice is for the next two days I'll run a wet patch of CLP through the bore to make sure its coated well. I also look for signs of rust on the patch.

I've played with Pyrodex a lot. It's temperature sensitive and just as dirty. I went back to black as long as I can get it. Pyrodexs one plus is you can always find it at Walmart.

[jjrothWA]

Try using a "heat gun" to warm the exterior after you have cleaned. This helps dry and swab the barrel with dry patches and run lubed patch to protect the bore.

[coastie]

OHH, like the heat gun idea/
But, with stainless Ruger Old Armies, remove the grips and send through the dishwaser.
[When the lady of the house is not looking. do not ask me how I know that!]

[Rock]

OHH, like the heat gun idea/
But, with stainless Ruger Old Armies, remove the grips and send through the dishwaser.
[When the lady of the house is not looking. do not ask me how I know that!]

Here's a different view on the subject. I haven't tried this yet but it is interesting.

http://www.geojohn.org/BlackPowder/bps4.html

[dogtag]

I cleaned a carburetor in the dishwasher once. Wife wondered
why the dishes smelled funny. Pretty close call.

[Pete D.]

I have found the GPR very difficult to clean. I do the hot water and detergent routine, plug the flash hole with a toothpick and let it sit for 15 minutes. I do the boiling water and flush routine.
Then I run moosemilk patches alternating with dry patches. I have run as many as 20 patches and not had a clean patch come out of the gun.
When I finally do get a clean patch, I put an oiled patch though and it invariably comes out black.
Go figure.
Pete