Cleaning with H2O?????

Wingshooter · Feb 7, 2003

I just purchased a T/C Black Diamond and I am confused about the cleaning instructions. This is my first Black Powder gun, so it would be fair to call me a rookie! In the owners manual it says to clean it before shooting. The manual is telling me to disassemble the gun, then soak and wash the barrel in hot water and detergent. What about the trigger assembly? Do I keep it out of the water or soak it too? The idea of cleaning a gun with water is totally foreign to me. Thanks for any help you can give...............Christian

TripleSe7en · Feb 7, 2003

I would not disassemble or expose that trigger to water! You can check the trigger for packing residue by damping a patch with solvent -- then lightly dab some mechanisms to test it. If it's dirty, I recommend spray solvents with clean patch dabbings... folowed-up by a light spray oiling -- then wipe off excess and shoot three 209 caps to work the oil into the moving parts.

My friend's new blued Black Diamond barrel was a longtime cleaning. He thought it was clean after 6-7 patches of soap & water with a jag, but before he grabbed the bore oil, I grabbed a wire brush and some real solvent to check it. It finally took a combination of 50 Rem Oil patches, Shooters solvent and Outers pre-solvent saturated Gun Wipes to get that barrel clean. Now for new barrels, I use mostly CLP and Kroil oils to remove the crud.

"Honey!.. I swear I got that stainless rifle free from an elderly widow at work that recently lost her husband.. I would never lie to you babycakes!"

conch · Feb 14, 2003

Wingshooter,
I've been playing with muskets off and on for about 20 years.
Cleaning the barrel in hot water and soap is one of my preferred methods. I literally take the barrel into the shower with me at the end of hunting season.
Do just what your manual is telling you to do. Take the barrel off, remove the breech plug and nipple, then clean all three parts with hot water and soap. I like to use dishwashing detergent. It cuts the oils and removes fouling well. I wouldn't recommend giving the trigger assembly the same treatment. I prefer to just clean it by hand using a cloth slightly saturated with solvent, then I put a small amount of oil on the working pieces of the assembly. I hope this helps you out a little bit. Shooting the old smoke pole is a lot of fun. One other thing. Not all breech plugs are designed to be removed, and I'm not familiar with the type your gun has. Be sure and read the owners manual throughly to make sure yours is made to be removed.